LATEST NEWS
Advent Begins Sunday November 27
Advent is a time of preparation, celebrated over the four Sundays before Christmas. Advent begins on Sunday, Nov. 27 this year, and ends on Saturday, Dec. 24. The Advent season directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time, and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas.
If You Have a Family Member or Friend Who Has Left the Church, This Ministry is For You
It’s the number one request on prayer cards returned for the Because We Are Catholic appeal, and it was on the mind of many people who commented during the Synod of Bishops: Family members and friends who have fallen away from the Church. Now, a Hellertown woman is starting a ministry to help.
Please Pray for Vocations During National Vocation Awareness Week
The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week November 6 through November 12. Across the United States, and here in the Diocese of Allentown, there will be events to promote vocations, which are calls from God for people to become priests, deacons, and religious sisters and brothers.
Catholic School Students Continue to Do Better in Reading and Math Than Their Counterparts in Public Schools
The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that while average reading and math achievement among fourth- and eighth-graders nationwide has fallen, performance among Catholic school students in those grades and subjects was up.
Defending Our Faith Forum: In Defense of Life
With so many people in the world in favor of abortion, possibly including our friends, families, co-workers, and even the people in the next pew, it’s only a matter of time before the topic comes up in conversation. Father Stephan Isaac had some practical advice for those hard conversations during the first Defending Our Faith lecture.
World Mission Sunday: Every Christian a Witness to Christ in Daily Life
“You shall be my witnesses” from Acts 1:8 is the theme for this year’s World Mission Sunday, to be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 23. The theme urges all Christians to proclaim Christ’s message of salvation in every aspect of our daily lives.
Catholic Charities Moving Offices to Better Serve Those in Need
Catholic Charities is moving the location of its Allentown office to get closer to the clients it serves. As of Nov. 1, the agency will be at 402 W. Chew Street, across from St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital and a stone’s throw from Allentown Central Catholic High School.
Faithful of the Diocese Fill National Shrine on Diocesan Pilgrimage
For the first time in several years, the faithful of the Diocese of Allentown, led by Bishop Alfred Schlert, made a pilgrimage to the Basilica for a day-long program of adoration, devotion, and worship.
Diocese’s Report on Synod Posted on Website
Now that the local phase of the Synod of Bishops is complete, the Diocese has submitted its report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The report summarizes the feedback Catholics provided on such topics as the Mission of the Church; Catholic Faith and Parish Communities; Education, Formation, and Evangelization; Youth and Young Adults; Vocations and the Priesthood; Laity and the Church; and Culture and Communications.
Bishop Schlert Marks His Anniversary Quietly after an Eventful First Five Years as Our Bishop
It was five years ago today, Aug. 31, 2017, that Bishop Alfred Schlert was installed as Fifth Bishop of Allentown.Taking his seat for the first time on the marble Bishop’s chair at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, before a packed crowd of bishops, priests, religious men and women, and the faithful, he became the first priest from the Diocese to be named its shepherd.
