Pastoral Letter
 

Dear Friends and Members of the St. Thomas More Society,

Avery Cardinal Dulles is coming to Scranton.  Last week I spoke with him over the telephone to confirm that he is indeed willing to be the keynote speaker at the Second Annual Anglican Use Conference, to be held in early June at St. Clare Church.  We are still waiting for written confirmation, but it looks like June 5^th will be the day.  Joe Blake, the president of the Anglican Use Society, co-sponsors of the conference, and our Board of Directors will shortly work out details about the rest of the day’s events.  What we do now know is that Cardinal Dulles will speak about conversion to Catholicism, both his own and how it might be encouraged.

More immediately, I remind you that our Super Bowl party will happen again this year.  Right after Mass this Sunday we will gather at the Bergman residence, 1500 Adams Avenue.  If you’d like to come, you are welcome.  Call Kristina at 343-4910 to let her know.  If you want to bring something to share with others she can give you some ideas.

As I wrote a couple months back Joe and Lori Edsall are moving north, so they will no longer be long distance members of our community.  And they would like our help.  If you can move a few boxes into their new Scranton residence on February 18^th please meet us that day at 1PM in front of 2204 Wyoming Avenue (the house is literally right behind St. Clare Church, just off Woodlawn).  The Edsall’s promise food and beverages as an incentive and an expression of their gratitude, but I’m hoping you’ll come help just to give them a warm welcome home.

A few of you have asked me what happened to those pictures that were taken by Terry Connors, the professional photographer for whom we posed as a group the night we were confirmed.  Well, I got them in hand just days before I was hospitalized at the beginning of last month.  If you would like to order one or more from Mr. Connors I will be showing you the proofs and taking orders the next few Sundays after Mass.  I’ll have prices for you by Sunday.

You’ll notice a new event listed on the calendar.  Beginning February 7^th every Tuesday evening from 6:30PM to 7:30PM St. Clare’s will host the St. Thomas More Society Prayer Group.  Our desire is to meet at this time each week to pray intentionally for the needs of our members, as well as the corporate needs of the Society.  I encourage you to participate in this ministry because prayer will be especially important during this time of transition, as we work towards the realization of our goals and press forward with further evangelization.  We seek to discern the Lord’s will for us and seek His guidance as we move ahead.

Later this month I plan to send electronically to those with e-mail addresses the March letter and calendar.  We just have to figure out how to send the calendar as an easily printed attachment.  We have an e-mail address for some of you, but others we do not.  If you wish to receive Society mailings by e-mail please send your e-mail address to bergman@stthomasmoresociety.org.  If you have an e-mail address and would rather receive this letter via the United States Postal Service let me know and I will send you a hard copy each month.  If I hear nothing from you I will continue to send Society mailings by the U.S.P.S.

Last but not least you’ll see that we have scheduled Ash Wednesday as the first opportunity to better familiarize ourselves with the breadth of our Catholic heritage.  Since scheduling an Anglican Use Mass at St. Clare’s on that day is impossible, those who wish can attend as a group the Tridentine Mass.  Later during Lent we will visit Eastern Rite churches.  You’ll receive the details about our plans as soon as I have them. 

Grateful for the prayers you offered up on my behalf while I was recovering from surgery, and happy to be back among you, I am,

Yours in Christ,

Eric L. Bergman,Director
St. Thomas More Society of St. Clare