Category Archives: Diocesan News

The past several seasons, the Crusaders of Bishop McDevitt have dominated at the Mid-Penn and District 3 Class 2A swimming championships. That dominance continued at this year’s District 3 meet, held at Central York High School, where the boys won the team championship again and the Crusaders’ relay teams won…

Two students from Trinity High School in Camp Hill are the Diocesan high school finalists in this year’s National Merit Scholarship Program. Lucy Cooper-Silvis and Olivia Maddux have earned finalist status in the prestigious program, an annual academic competition for high school students to receive recognition and college scholarships.

Overlooking the growing community of Hanover, St. Joseph Parish stands as a beacon of faith and a model of its patron saint along the suburban ridge of Grandview Avenue south of town. Tracing its roots to the first celebration of Mass for a handful of Catholic families in 1806, St.…

Pope Francis on March 7 expressed joy at the vitality of the Church in Iraq despite years of fierce persecution. Celebrating Mass in the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil on March 7 during his first visit to the country, the pope praised Iraq’s dwindling Christian community for its care for…

Excitement abounded at St. John Neumann School in Lancaster on March 9 as Father Dan Powell, pastor, received the “Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award” from the National Catholic Education Association. This award recognizes outstanding contributions and achievements related to Catholic Education. Only three pastors are selected annually to receive this national…

If Ron and Genny Little had their own version of the song “I’ve Been Everywhere,” the locational lyrics in the quicktime verses might look something like this: I’ve been to Bloomsburg, Doylesburg, Elysburg, Millersburg Quarryville, Marysville, Bonneauville, Danville Middletown, Jonestown, Myerstown, Lewistown Lebanon, Steelton, Benton, Lancaster, Manchester, Ephrata, Columbia and…

Marking the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX proclaiming St. Joseph as the patron and protector of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis honored that December 8, 1870, announcement to the world with his apostolic letter, Patris corde, dedicating this current liturgical year to the venerated foster father of Jesus. There…

St. Vincent College president Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., has announced that Miranda Keller, a senior at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, has been awarded a four-year, full-tuition scholarship as a winner of the College’s 40th annual Wimmer Scholarship Competition. Keller was awarded the scholarship, valued at more than…

Sister M. Rita O’Leary, formerly Sister Rita Regina, died peacefully in Camilla Hall on Thursday, Feb. 25 in the 65th year of her religious life. She was 85. Sister Rita was born on Aug. 31, 1935, in Harrisburg. Her parents, James and Emma Elizabeth (Hatton) O’Leary, raised their family in…

Sister Rita O’Leary, IHM, died peacefully at Camilla Hall in Immaculata, Pa., on Feb. 25. She was 85 years old. Formerly known as Sister Rita Regina, she was born on Aug. 31, 1935.

Amidst all the death Americans had to endure this winter, the passing of baseball great Henry “Hank” Aaron seemed to garner but a mere footnote in the back of the book. Hardly fitting for arguably the best ball player to ever play. “Hold on,” you say, “what about Babe Ruth?”…

Eric Howe of Lancaster Catholic and Riley Robell of Bishop McDevitt earned individual District 3 titles in this year’s Class 2A wrestling tournament on Feb. 21 at Central Dauphin East High School. The two Crusaders topped the podium in the 120-pound and heavyweight brackets, respectively.

The first Sunday of Lent marks a unique period in the spiritual lives of catechumens – men and women who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Annually on this day, the Church celebrates the Rite of Election, the solemn occasion on which those seeking to join…

To honor healthcare workers on “Celebrating Your Community” day as part of Catholic Schools Week, students at St. Margaret Mary School in Harrisburg assembled 200 snack bags for employees at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill. The service project was in response to a request from…

St. Joseph School in York has successfully landed on Mars. NASA’s rover, Perseverance, descended on the red planet on Feb. 18, bearing three microchips etched with more than 10 million names, including that of the PreK-6 parochial school in east York. The venture was part of NASA’s “Send Your Name…

Five committee chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wrote a letter to members of Congress opposing the recent reintroduction of the Equality Act (H.R. 5), which is scheduled to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. The bishops warned of the threats posed…

“Do we need Lent this year?” That’s the question Bishop Ronald Gainer posed as he celebrated noon Mass on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg. “It may well be that you and I are less eager this year for Ash Wednesday and to begin the season…

Trinity High School in Camp Hill announced on Thursday, Feb. 18 that Jordan Hill has verbally accepted the position of Head Football Coach for the Trinity Shamrocks. Hill is a 2009 graduate from Steelton-Highspire High School, where he was a member of their 2007 and 2008 PIAA Championship teams. He…

Nine men and women who completed the Diocese’s formation program for spiritual directors are now certified to serve in the ministry of guiding Catholics in their spirituality. Bishop Ronald Gainer…