Pastoral Letter
 

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

Enclosed you will find a calendar of Society events scheduled for December.  As you can see Msgr. Feldcamp has very generously allowed for the celebration of our Anglican Use Mass on Christmas Eve.  This 7:30PM Mass, which will be celebrated by the Marywood University Chaplain, Fr. James Rafferty, is the later of only two Masses to be offered at St. Clare this year, so we must be prepared for a large turnout.  Please come early to get a seat and sing heartily to help lead in worship our fellow Catholics who may be unfamiliar with our liturgy.  You will also note that we have a special Mass midweek on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This Feast is a Holy Day of Obligation, and I hope that all of you will fulfill your December 8^th obligation at the 7PM St. Thomas More Society Mass.

A Mass that is not on your calendar but is coming soon is the New Year’s Day celebration at 5PM.  Though we will have no Mass on Sunday, December 25^th, Christmas Day, we will worship together on Sunday, January 1^st, the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God.  This Mass will be followed by a potluck dinner in the parish hall, to which we will invite members of St. Clare who have none with whom to share this holiday.  If you have a dish that you traditionally prepare on New Year’s Day, please bring it along.  My family will be sharing our traditional New Year’s dish, and I hope you will share your family’s tradition, as well.  Call Jerry McGreevy at 347-6420 to tell him what you intend to prepare, so we can be sure we have enough to offer the guests we anticipate will be there.  Your presence and your talents will make this celebration of our Lord’s Nativity a very merry one for those who might otherwise be alone.

Our charity this year will also include aiding some families from our area who are in need.  On the Wednesday before Christmas, December 21^st, please come to St. Clare at 6:30 PM for the Society Christmas Party and Project gathering.  We intend to put together food baskets and purchase a few Christmas presents for families with children.  When you come to Mass the first three weeks in December Joanne Shuemaker will have a list of items we need to complete this project.  Sign up for what you would like to purchase and bring it back to St. Clare on the 21^st, when we will organize the Christmas presents.  We will also enjoy some food, drinks, and fellowship, so please plan to come to the Christmas Party and Project to enjoy yourselves and make Christmas for a few needy families more enjoyable.

The Board will meet this Sunday to pass the budget for next year.  The pledges have begun to come in, but we haven’t heard from about half of you.  Currently, we have received over $51,000 in pledges, so we’re off to a good start.  Send yours in soon if you have not yet done so.  Along the same lines, remember that we rely on the weekly collections at Mass to sustain our work, so when you are present and contribute we do well.  Even more importantly, however, large congregations each Sunday ensure the future of our ministry in the Diocese of Scranton, as we demonstrate a demand for the Mass we have strived so long to establish.  Therefore, every week you come to Mass your presence is priceless.

With regard to my studies to prepare for ordination as a Catholic priest, I have met with Fr. Connor and we will soon design a program of studies.  Please keep my mentor and me in your prayers.  Finally, please pray also for the family of Joe and Lori Edsall.  Joe recently accepted a job in Wilkes-Barre, which will allow him to bring his family back here to northeastern Pennsylvania.  Five more of our Society members will return to the area, and we can rejoice that we will again see the Edsall’s on a regular basis.  As they prepare through Catechism to be confirmed and as they move from Maryland to Scranton they will need during this time of transition the support of those who love them.  May our love for Christ be reflected in what we offer all those who need aid in late December.

Yours in Christ,

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