Lenten Mission Begins Monday
BY CHRIS BIRK STAFF WRITER 03/24/2006

Scranton Pennsylvania's Five Eastern Catholic churches will once again open their doors for the annual Lenten Mission.


Marking its 21st year, the five-day pilgrimage to the five churches begins Monday.

“For most people, 40 days is a very long haul to be consistent with intense prayer and fasting practices,” the Rev. Paul Wolensky, pastor of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church, said of the Lenten season. “Once a year, we take a week, and we provide an even more intense time for them to get away. It’s just a way the church is giving the people a moment they might not create for themselves.”

Each night features a different prayer service and homily from this year’s featured speaker, the Very Rev. Nestor Kowal, pastor of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Scranton. Question-and-answer periods will follow all of the services.

The theme of this year’s mission is “The Sunday Road to Pascha.” Pascha is a word for Easter. Each night, Father Kowal will discuss one of the five Sundays of Lent.

Father Kowal said many people, while always uplifted by the Lenten season, are drifting from their faith. He said he plans to address waning spirituality as well.

“It’s not something that you should just let go by,” he said. “We have to somehow or another instill in our faithful the connection between ourselves and God. We seem to forget that.”

Eastern Catholic Churches are connected to Rome through their allegiance to the pope. Roman Catholicism, typically identified with the Latin Rite, is a different branch on the same Catholic tree.

Father Wolensky said all are invited to participate.

The schedule is:


Monday, Lenten Vespers, St. Joseph the Betrothed Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, 130 N. St. Francis Cabrini Ave.


Tuesday, Stations with Benediction of the Cross, St. Ann Maronite Church, 1320 Price St.


Wednesday, Lenten Prayer Service, St. John Byzantine Catholic Church, 310 Broadway


Thursday, Akathist of the Passion, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church, 430 N. Seventh Ave.


Friday, Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified, St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 310 Mifflin Ave.

Each Lenten Mission service starts at 7 p.m. Confession at 6:30.


©The Scranton Times-Tribune 2006

P.S Please note that our Lenten Mission leader is a Ukrainian Orthodox Archpriest.
Ecumenism is very much alive and well in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
In the everyday vernacular: we walk the talk!

Dear Pavloosh,

I noticed it in the original post this morning, but did not know if it was a typo or not. I pray that your Sunday Missions are spiritually beneficial.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Thank you Father Anthony.
A Blessed Annunciation to you!

The first of the five evenings was wonderful.

Last evening's mission was held at St. Ann Maronite Church.

This evening's is at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church.

I wasn't aware that Maronite Churches still use the Latin Stations of the Cross service.

Ungcsertezs