August 4, 2026
- Aug 4
- 6 min read
Welcome to the latest news blog for St. John Neumann Parish. This page will be updated weekly with the most recent information to keep you informed. You can also access past blogs by clicking on the links on our blog landing page.
Father Dan's Ski Chair Chat!
Parish News
Diocesan News & Events
The 2026 Pennsylvania March for Life will be Monday, September 21, 2026, in Harrisburg. Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be offered prior to the March at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick starting on Sunday, September 20, at 1:30 p.m., lasting overnight and ending at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 21. Please commit to one hour (or more) by signing up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BADAC29A2FECF8-63560295-pamarch
Sunday, September 20 – Monday, September 21, 2026:
1:30 p.m. – 9:00 a.m. – Overnight Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the Cathedral of St Patrick (212 State Street, Harrisburg). Street parking is free on Sunday and overnight until 8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. – Benediction, Cathedral of St. Patrick
9:30 a.m. – March for Life Opening Mass, Cathedral of St. Patrick
11:00 a.m. – March for Life Rally, State Capitol steps
12:00 p.m. – March for Life
1:30 p.m. – March for Life Closing Mass, Cathedral of St. Patrick
For more information, please visit https://marchforlife.org/pennsylvania/
For questions or if your parish is offering bus transportation, please contact Marianne Weltmer at mweltmer@hbgdiocese.org or 717-657-4804, ext. 322.
Hallow
This week on Hallow, we invite you to pray with Hallow's Examen collection. Take a few minutes at the end of the day to look back and notice where God was at work in your your life.
I already have a Hallow account. How do I access SJN's parish page?
Everyone is invited to be a part of our parish community page. There, you can create a profile, add friends, share/respond to prayer intentions, and take part in prayer challenges with the parish. The steps are simple:
To join the parish page: Tap “Church” on the menu at the bottom of your screen > Select “Join a Church” > Search for our parish by typing "17601." Hallow has corrected our parish name from "Saint" to "St." when searching by name. However, it is best to search by zip code (17601).
Start praying with us!
I do not have a Hallow account. How do I get a free account and join the SJN page?
Go to hallow.com/parish.
Type in “17601” and click on St. John Neumann Parish.
Click “Join.”
Create an account using phone or email.
Create a password.
You may redeem the $1 offer by clicking “Redeem Offer,” OR click “SKIP” to continue to the basic (free) version of the app.
My $1 Hallow Trial Expired. Now what?
If you currently have a Hallow premium subscription (or $1 trial) and would like to renew, our Hallow Parish Partnership is offering a 25% discount on a premium subscription annually for the duration of our Hallow Parish Partnership. To redeem this, follow these instructions:
Cancel your current Hallow subscription.
Open your Hallow app. Go to the “Me” tab > Settings > Subscription > Cancel my Subscription.
Go to Hallow.com/redeem.
Enter code: GrowthSub25
Follow the steps to get your discount.
Enjoy your Hallow premium subscription, and don’t forget to join our parish page on Hallow!
Open the Hallow app.
Go to the Church tab at the bottom of your screen.
Select “Join a Church” and search for our parish by zip code: 17601.
Start praying with the parish!
If you do not wish to renew, Go to the "Me" tab, click the little wheel in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Go to "Subscription" and click "Cancel My Subscription." If you were erroneously charged a renewal fee, contact parishsupport@hallow.app to have the charge reversed.
Ministry Team Members
Are you a member of a ministry team at SJN and interested in a premium Hallow account? Reach out to Erin Houser at the parish office or email ehouser@sjnlancaster.org to request access. Premium accounts are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Faith Formation (Religious Education) and CGS Families
If you are a registered parent or student in our Faith Formation Program and would like to obtain a premium Hallow subscription, please click here to submit your information and get your account started.
Customer Support
If you have any issues getting someone set up on the app, please reach out to parishsupport@hallow.app. Hallow has an incredibly talented support team that responds to parish partners with super high priority.
Youth Ministry
Faith Formation
Holding the Joy and the Worry
by Erin Houser
August has a way of bringing a mix of emotions. There is still summer left to enjoy, but we can also see the school year waiting just around the corner. For some parents, back-to-school season brings excitement and relief. For others, it brings sadness, worry, or even a sense of dread. Many of us feel all of those things at once. There is no single “right” way to feel about it.
Personally, I am firmly on Team Make Summer Last. If I am not careful, I can begin looking toward the first day of school with more anxiety than hope. My therapist has encouraged me to approach the transition with a more neutral tone—not pretending that everything will be easy, but also not deciding ahead of time that it will be terrible.
That is good advice for many parts of parenting.
Our Catholic faith does not tell us that faithful people never feel anxious. Scripture is filled with people who were afraid, overwhelmed, uncertain, and weary. What faith offers us is the reminder that we do not carry those feelings alone.
Jesus tells us:
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”— Matthew 6:34
These words are not a command to ignore our responsibilities or deny our emotions. They are an invitation to stay rooted in the grace God gives us for today. When our thoughts race ahead to schedules, school struggles, activities, friendships, homework, or all the unknowns of a new year, Jesus gently calls us back:
What is mine to do today?
Today, perhaps it is enjoying one more slow summer evening. Perhaps it is buying school supplies without trying to solve the entire year. Praying with our children and reminding them (and ourselves) that God will be with us in every classroom, car line, difficult morning, and fresh beginning can bring some comfort to an anxious mind. Raising children in the faith includes both the beautiful seasons and the difficult ones. There are summers of joy and winters of worry. There are moments when faith feels easy and moments when simply showing up is an act of trust. That is why our community matters.
This year, we invite you to join us in Family Faith Formation as we accompany our children on their journey of faith and support one another through every season of family life. Together, we will pray, learn, ask questions, celebrate the Sacraments, and help our children recognize that Jesus is present not only at church, but in the ordinary joys and challenges of their lives.
As August unfolds, may we give ourselves permission to feel whatever this transition brings, without judgment and without fear. And may we remember that God is already present in the school year ahead. We do not need all the grace for the entire year today.
We only need the grace for today.
Parents and caregivers, we invite you to lead your family on a journey of faith with Family Faith Formation by clicking the link here: Registration Link. To register for Confirmation Preparation, click here: Confirmation Registration Link. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Nate Gulya at ngulya@sjnlancaster.org, or call the parish office. Registration for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is full (closed).
Parish Health Ministry (PHM)
Pope Leo’s Prayer Intent:
This month, the Pope’s prayer intention is for respect for human life. People who live with a mental illness can lead lives of faith and courage. But all too often the lives of people who are struggling with a serious mental illness are not valued and shown respect. The value of a person’s life is not diminished because they live with a serious mental illness. Christ always loves people who are frail and vulnerable and gives them hope. Pope Leo XIV said to a woman who lived with serious depression and survived a suicide attempt, “through contact with Jesus, even those who feel lost regain confidence in life … they can rise to live again.” The Holy Father reminds us that “Life is a gift…even in the midst of pain and suffering. Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.
St. John Neumann Catholic School
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