St. Thomas More Society
              Scranton, Pennsylvania

Pastoral Letter
 

September 28, 2005

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

Enclosed you will find a calendar of Society events scheduled for October.  As you probably know by now, we have a date for Confirmation.  We will be confirmed at the 7PM Vigil Mass for All Saints’ Day on October 31^st at St. Clare Church.  A reception organized by Ann Meehan and the ladies of St. Clare will follow the Mass.  While you may aid Ann by your donations I ask that members of the Society enjoy the celebration on that important day.  Come prepared to have your picture taken, also, because a group photo of the founding members of the Society will conclude the day’s festivities.

 A rehearsal for that Mass will take place at 6:30PM on Wednesday, October 26^th at St. Clare.  We will rehearse what each of us must do, as well as the music that will be sung that day.  In addition, we will rehearse the music that will be sung at the Anglican Use Masses, scheduled to begin at St. Clare at 5PM on November 13^th.    Between now and then I must train the priests who will celebrate Mass for us each week, and our acolyte training must take place, as well.  Kyle Hull, Bob’s son, will help in this regard, and he has asked that we meet Friday, October 14^th for training our altar boys.  Parents, please take note and tell me which time is best for you.  In addition, the Board has arranged to have missalettes printed for Mass.  We will use these each Sunday, but they will also be available to you to share with people interested in our ministry.  Be sure to ask me for a copy if you have a potential convert in mind.

 October also marks the beginning of the class I will teach on The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical.  The class, which will meet Tuesday evenings from 7:30PM until 9PM, starts October 4^th.  If you would like to learn more about how we as Catholic Christians can actively promote the sanctity of human life amidst what the late Holy Father called the ‘culture of death’, I heartily encourage you to attend.  The class will consist of an hour of instruction followed by a half hour of discussion, applying the Pope’s words to current circumstances.  We are in the process of forming a Pastoral Care Committee, and I believe that a firmer understanding of these issues is so important that I have made this course mandatory for those who wish to minister to the sick and vulnerable of St. Clare Parish.  Consider becoming involved in pastoral care to the needy, and use this class to help discern how you shall live out your call to serve those less fortunate than we.  If you know already you’d like to be involved in this ministry call Joanne Shuemaker for more details at 689-0866.

 Please consider responding to the appeal we recently made to contribute to Hurricane Katrina relief, as well as the Bishop’s Annual Appeal.  Most of you have made your first confession, but if you are among those who haven’t please make arrangements to do so.  Keep in mind also that we will continue our practice of meeting mid-week to pray the Rosary and Evening Prayer each week at 6PM.  Our schedule for Sundays will remain the same, also, with Question and Answer most weeks at 3PM and worship at 5PM.  The offer of a ride to Columbus, Ohio to the Coming Home Network Conference on the Reformation from November 4-6 still stands.  Call me if you’d like to accompany me and a few others to the Midwest.

 Finally, I commend Jeff and Kelly Roughgarden to your prayers.  They will celebrate the convalidation of their marriage on October 8^th at 5PM.  It promises to be a joyous occasion, a reminder of happiness we have already experienced as a community, and a foretaste of the joy to come.  This, the last of the convalidations, is a sign that the wait will soon be over for all of us, the new beginning we’ve longed for a reality.  Pray for God’s blessings upon their union, even as you give thanks for the unity with Christ’s Church we shall soon know.

Yours in Christ,
Eric L. Bergman