December 1, 9 am-10 am

Catholics across the country will be turning to prayer on Wednesday, December 1 by participating in Eucharistic Adoration in an effort to end abortion. On this date, the U.S. Supreme Court will be listening to oral arguments in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health. Pro-life advocates are hoping the Court rules to keep Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Such a ruling could also affect efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the federal law that legalized abortion in this country.

At St. Mark’s, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar for Eucharistic Adoration from 9 am to 10 am. Parishioners are urged to pray that the sacredness of every human life be protected and upheld, both in the law and in the culture. United in prayer, we will also pray a Pro-life rosary together.

Here is a prayer that will be available at the back of the church for all those who will be praying on December 1:

Our Lady of Guadalupe, protectress of unborn children, we ask that you intercede for us, so that the sacredness of every human life is protected and upheld, both in the law and in the culture. Let our prayers be united to your perpetual motherly intercession on behalf of those whose lives are threatened, particularly those in the wombs of their mothers. May our prayers also be coupled with peaceful action, which witnesses to the goodness and dignity of all human life. Amen.

Thursday, October 28 through Tuesday, November 2, St. Mark’s will host the Vatican International Exhibition: Eucharistic Miracles of the World. This photographic exhibit features a wide array of Eucharistic miracles.

One of the best known is the miracle that took place in Lanciano Italy in 750 A.D. During Mass, and to the shock of the priest and all present, the bread and wine turned physically into visible flesh and blood. This miracle has been studied numerous times over the centuries. In 1973, the World Health Organization spent 15 months and administered over 500 tests and found the flesh to be human heart tissue. The blood samples were type AB (the same as that found on the Shroud of Turin) and both the blood and the flesh reacted as fresh tissue. The miraculous Flesh and Blood can still be viewed today at St. Francis Church in Lanciano, Italy.

Plan on spending an hour or two and be amazed how, over the centuries, Jesus has continued to make His presence known to man through these Eucharistic miracles.

Everyone is invited to come and read the stories of the Eucharistic miracles. Please let your family and friends know about this beautiful exhibit. Admission is free.

These protocols pertain only to religious education/youth ministry activities, not to parish liturgies (such as the Mass) or other parish activities.

Dear St. Mark and St. Luke Families,

You gave your children a wonderful gift when you brought them to the Church to be baptized: life in Christ Jesus. Now our parish is here to help you nourish that life.

Taking part in the Mass is the most valuable thing you can do for yourselves and your children. The Eucharist is the heart and summit of our lives because in it Jesus Christ allows us to join Him in His life, death and resurrection: We live His life and He lives ours, with us.

If your family is not comfortable attending Mass, please contact the CRE, Lucy Schemel at LSchemel@hbgdiocese.org so we can help you out.

Religious education is important for our children so that they can grow to understand and embrace the gift of divine life they have been given. We are happy to be back in-person this year, offering support for parents and classroom time for children and teens. In accordance with Diocese of Harrisburg protocols, we will mitigate exposure to Covid-19 by the following means:

• Masks will be worn indoors, except while actively eating or drinking, when a presenter (distanced from the group) needs to remove his or her mask to be heard or when wearing a mask would cause a medical condition or exacerbate an existing one, including respiratory issues, mental health conditions, or a disability.
• Mask breaks may be given at the catechist’s discretion.
• When feasible, programs will be held outdoors. (Masks will then be optional.)
• Social distancing of desks/seating by three feet will be maintained.
• Classroom supplies will not be shared between students.
• Cleaning will take place following each religious education day.
• Parents are asked to keep children exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms at home.

This plan follows the Diocese of Harrisburg’s protocols, which can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15apT9sBtsgutBTJ5v22YWA9dY1-vByRE/view?usp=sharing

Parents are required to submit the Diocese of Harrisburg acknowledgement form which can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDCh1xKs79AeTBiSjq5jkSdzqm45zYna/view?usp=sharing

Questions may be directed to Lucy Schemel, CRE at LSchemel@hbgdiocese.org or 717-597-2705. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Please see the Religious Education tab above for our online registration form. Also included are pages with descriptions of each of our family and youth programs.

We are in need of volunteers to help with every aspect, including working with children, teens and adults and, of course, refreshments!

For more information, contact Lucy Schemel, religious ed coordinator, at LSchemel@hbgdiocese.org or 717-597-2705.

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Dear St. Mark and St. Luke Family,

This week, we were notified that a member of our parish has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. Please remember this parishioner in your prayers. This member of our parish family was last in our church on Sunday, December 13, 2020 at the 9:00 AM Mass. This parishioner is currently quarantining at home.

We remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our parishioners and staff during this time. We continue to follow all Federal, State, and Diocesan Guidelines regarding mitigation, sanitization, and social distancing and are exercising every effort to keep everyone as safe as possible. As part of this process, we are sanitizing the Church after every Mass. We ask that anyone who is ill, please do not attend Mass. Bishop Gainer has extended the dispensation from attending Mass and a listing of parishes livestreaming Masses can be found on the Diocesan website at www.hbgdiocese.org/communications/faith-in-time-of-coronavirus. If you have a concern and wish to speak with us, please contact the Parish Office at 717-597-2705.

Please join me in praying for our sick parishioner, as well as all those who have been impacted by this virus.

God bless,
Fr. Walter
Pastor

St. Mark

Thurs. Dec. 24 4:00 PM: Celebration of the Word & Communion*
Thurs. Dec. 24 6:00 PM: Christmas Mass
Thurs. Dec. 24 8:00 PM: Christmas Mass
Fri. Dec. 25 9:00 AM: Christmas Mass

St. Luke

Thurs. Dec. 24 4:00 PM: Christmas Mass
Thurs. Dec. 24 6:00 PM: Celebration of the Word & Communion*
Fri. Dec. 25 11:00 AM: Christmas Mass

* Celebration of the Word & Communion: includes music, the
Christmas Readings and Gospel, a Homily and Communion.

Please review Fr. Walter’s message regarding the return of Masses at Saint Mark to the Church. There are no changes to requirements for masking, social distancing, and sanitation (details are in the linked message).

This is a link to Fr. Walter’s June 1 2020 letter that was mailed to parishioners this past week. It outlines the plans, schedules, and safety measures in place as we return to public masses on June 13 & 14.

There are many important details in the letter, including:

• some permanent changes to Mass times.
• please bring your own chair (if possible) for Mass at St. Mark, which will be held in the Social Hall. If you cannot bring a chair one will be provided.
• please wear a mask at all times while on church grounds, except when receiving Holy Communion.

If you wish to follow the readings during Mass using your electronic device, you may follow this direct link for the current day’s readings (http://usccb.org/bible/readings/index.cfm).

To download the readings in advance, you can find a link to them on our website (https://www.stmarkstlukeparish.org) near the bottom of the home page in the “DAILY READINGS” feed.

Dear Ones, 

     I hope everyone is doing well. I can’t believe it’s been almost three months since I have seen you. I truly miss all of you. I am getting excited knowing that our time to be together is coming soon. I, with our wonderful parish staff, have been preparing for your return to St. Mark and St. Luke for public Masses. Please know, as we move into the yellow phase of reopening, I must follow the guidelines established by the Diocese of Harrisburg.  That being said, I am happy to inform you that we will begin our public Celebration of Mass on the weekend of June 13 and 14. I will start offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation at St. Mark every Monday from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, beginning June 8. Confessions will be heard in the foyer between the church and the social hall. To prevent the spread of the virus, you will need to remain standing. Confessions will be face-to-face. Please park in the north lot and wait in your car. We will have volunteers to let you know when it’s your turn. If there is still a line at 7:30, I will continue to hear confessions. The church itself and restrooms will remain closed.

     I will be mailing a letter to everyone next week with the guidelines given to us by the Diocese. This letter will explain the new procedures that we have formulated to fit our parish’s specific needs.

     I kindly ask for your prayers and patience as we work to make the liturgy and sacraments as available as possible during these unusual times. I know that you are excited to come back to Mass. Please know that I can’t wait for you to come back to church again, however, I must make sure we have a safe place for you to come back to. 

In Christ, 
Fr. Walter

• A letter from Fr. Walter dated Monday March 23, regarding his private celebration of Masses during our current period of medical isolation:
  letter-3-23-20.pdf
• Instruction from Fr. Walter on what you can do while unable to go to Confession or Holy Communion during isolation:
  Perfect-Contrition-and-Spiritual-Communion.pdf