Category Archives: Diocesan News

Despite the unexpected challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic throughout most of 2020, the Diocese of Harrisburg was able to continue its many ministries and programs on which people depend. Through the generosity of parishioners and parishes across the Diocese’s 15 counties, the 2020 Diocesan Annual Campaign (DAC) supported more…

Responding to society’s deep division over the fundamental right to life, Bishop Ronald Gainer spoke in his homily at the Diocesan Respect Life Mass of the need for a vaccination of God’s grace and love against a culture of death. Celebrating the Mass two days after the 48th anniversary of…

Building on the momentum of the ordination of 35 permanent deacons this past September, the Diocese of Harrisburg is accepting applications for a new class of men for the Permanent Diaconate Program. Candidates – and their spouses, if married – will be admitted to a year of aspirancy (exploration and…

Amid a number of executive orders and proclamations during his first days in office, President Joe Biden made changes to immigration policy, re-joined the United States to the Paris Agreement, and praised the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade in marking the 48th anniversary of the landmark decision to…

Bishop Ronald Gainer, who is in a higher-risk category, received the first of two COVD-19 vaccines on Jan. 20 at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill.…

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon, after President Joe Biden’s inauguration. “Our commitments on issues of human sexuality and the family, as with our commitments in every other area — such as abolishing the death penalty or seeking a health care system and…

Whether you’re a longtime March for Life participant, a witness for life on public squares, or someone who prays for pro-life intentions at home, late January offers a variety of ways to promote and pray for a culture of life. A number of activities and days of prayer fill the…

Holy Trinity Catholic School in York was a hub of community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The entire student body – from PreK to sixth grade – spent the holiday in various volunteer efforts that supported the community and honored King’s legacy. The school’s annual Day of Service…

Two local banks presented donations this month to the Diocese’s Neumann Scholarship Foundation, which offers scholarship assistance to families whose children are enrolled in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Harrisburg. The donations were made through the banks’ participation in Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship programs,…

It’s the halfway point of the academic year, and the midterm report on Diocesan schools illustrates a largely successful continuation of in-person education since classes began in the fall. The doors of the 36 Catholic schools across the Diocese remain open for in-class instruction. Administrators credit the monumental achievement to…

Ten months ago, St. Joseph Parish in Mechanicsburg was humming along like most – with a regular schedule of Masses, on-site meetings and events for its various ministries, and some social media presence on Facebook and Instagram pages, among a host of spiritual activities and evangelization efforts.

Knights of Columbus Council 6353 of St. Joseph Parish in York, worked to make a difference in the community, donating $11,000 to Misericordia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The donation was…

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is condemning a campaign by Planned Parenthood to encourage and facilitate abortion procedures in the home. The pro-abortion group is looking to use telehealth visits to prescribe pills for pregnant women so they can get abortion pills through the mail. PCC Executive Director Eric Failing said…

“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…