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For Antonio Centenera, an eighth-grader at St. Patrick School in Carlisle, the way to get to Carnegie Hall is more than just practice. A combination of natural skill, support at home and encouragement in school and extracurriculars has led the 14-year-old student to earn a spot performing this June at…
READ MOREStudents from St. Teresa of Calcutta School in the Adams Deanery ran across the fields of the school’s Conewago campus on April 12 for Catholic Kite Day. The outdoor activity was the culmination of a STEM lesson in which students from both campuses – grades K-3 at Conewago and grades…
READ MORESome time ago, I came down with a case of the shingles at a place on my body where the sun doesn’t shine. I had always heard that this virus was very painful. In reality, I had no idea how painful it actually would be. On the second day after…
READ MOREOur Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. How many times have you prayed the words? Innumerable. But with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul, have you truly entered into them? A new app makes that possible. Named “Hallow,” it offers guided meditation sessions…
READ MORE“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.” This request from Psalm 119:66 inspires all to continually seek knowledge and information on our faith. This request is exactly what the Diocesan Institute for the Diocese of Harrisburg works to fulfill.
READ MOREIt has been seven months since the release of the Grand Jury Report and Bishop Ronald W. Gainer recently completed his listening session tour of the Diocese. During these sessions, Bishop Gainer has listened to the faithful, survivors and non-Catholics on the impact of the report. Many expressed dismay over…
READ MOREQuick. In the next three minutes, write down the names of as many black Catholic saints as you can. How many did you get? 20? 15? 10? 5? This was the start of Dr. Camille Brown’s talk on African Saints during the Diocese’s recent pilgrimage to the National Shrine in…
READ MOREGun violence, racism, pacifism and the Christian response to violence were the topics of discussion at this year’s LARC Day of Dialogue. The annual gathering is a joint effort of the Lutheran, Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in central Pennsylvania for prayer and greater cooperation between the Churches. Taking place…
READ MORELearning about the faith and history of the Church was a fun activity for youth attending the Diocese’s pilgrimage. Close to 85 children participated in a scavenger hunt, hosted by the Diocesan Council of Catholic Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls. All youth were invited to participate and explore the Basilica,…
READ MOREIn August, Knights of Columbus Council # 17028 was formed and chartered at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Millersville. Heading the Council is Grand Knight Robert W. Ziemba. The Council included 45 new and transferred members on the charter date of Aug. 1. Father Lawrence W. Sherdel, pastor at…
READ MOREA gathering of more than 3,000 faithful from the Diocese of Harrisburg traveled to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Nov. 3. The pilgrimage was a time of prayerful reflection over recent events in the Church and the Diocese, as well…
READ MORESaint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg March for Life Solidarity Day, Friday, January 18, to unite with those who are attending the march in Washington. The day begins at…
READ MORERosemary Connelly had never traveled outside of the United States, or been on an airplane. She is afraid of heights. And she is discerning her path in life since her husband’s death in 2016.Yet, there she was on a flight with nearly 70 other pilgrims traveling from the Diocese of…
READ MOREDear Friends in Ministry, As the end of the academic year approaches, many parishes and Catholic high schools look for ways to recognize and thank exceptional young men and women.…
READ MORE“Father, you need us, as much as we need you” is the phrase that Clare McCarrick, one of my parishioners at Our Lady Lourdes Church in New Holland, tells me every time we gather to worship or to celebrate other church activities.
READ MORETwelve new parishes were formed from the mergers in 1995. In the list below, the year of founding and the ethnic roots of the merged parishes are noted. Asterisks indicate the worship sites of the new parishes established as a result of the mergers.
READ MOREAlthough the Diocese of Harrisburg encompasses the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and is usually associated with it, the rich mosaic of peoples who make up the diocese did not really develop until after the Civil War. From the Colonial period until the time of the Civil War the Catholic population drew…
READ MOREBull of Pope Pius IX Establishing Diocese of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, March 3, 1868 The office of Supreme Apostolic Authority which the Lord placed upon Our unworthy shoulders requires that We be ready to undertake prudently whatever may benefit the Catholic Church and the eternal salvation of souls.
READ MOREMarch for Life organizers announced in a Dec. 6 briefing a tentative group of speakers, a theme and other details for a Jan. 18 conference and expo and Jan. 19 march and rally in Washington.
READ MORECelebrating a solemn Mass of Ordination to the Diaconate at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg on Nov. 5, Bishop Ronald Gainer told the two seminarians receiving the sacrament that as they take on the threefold service of ministry of the Word, of the Altar and of Charity, their personal holiness…
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