February 3, 2026

Feb 3
8 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

Upcoming Events

Part 2 of Father Stiteler's Discussion of the Mass

Join us in the Social Hall this Wednesday, February 4th at 6:30 p.m. for the second part of Father Stiteler's discussion of the Mass. To review what was discussed in the first session, click here!

DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE TRIP TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

You can help us by donating the supplies needed for our trip in April. Collection bins will be available in the Narthex.

Diapers - for babies (all sizes) and for adults (the pull up kind)

All kinds of school supplies (Nothing with words) Pencils, colored pencils, blocks, paintbrushes of different sizes, copybooks (no spirals, composition books only)

Diocesan News & Events

Bishop Timothy C. Senior invites men throughout the Diocese of Harrisburg to prayerfully discern a call to serve the Church as permanent deacons. A new formation cohort will begin in August 2026. Men between the ages of 30 and 62 who are active, prayerful Catholics are encouraged to speak with their pastor about this possibility. Applications are available through pastors and are due by March 15, 2026. Information sessions will be held at 6 p.m. at the Diocesan Center, Harrisburg; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at St. Pius X Parish, Selingsgrove. Bishop Senior’s full letter, which offers additional guidance and details, is available at https://www.catholicwitness.org/invitation-for-applications-to-be-permanent-deacons/.
Whether it is a long-time parishioner using a walker after a stroke, a teenager with Down syndrome, or a 30-year-old with hearing loss, all persons with disabilities have a home in the Church. The Diocese of Harrisburg will be hosting the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) to provide a free two-day disability ministry training. Clergy, parish and diocesan staff, and volunteers in any ministry will gain foundational knowledge about disabilities and mental health. Ideas about how to remove barriers so that parishes can be places of belonging for all will also be discussed. The training will be held at the Diocesan Conference Center. Register for one or both days. All are invited. For questions, contact Marianne Weltmer at mweltmer@hbgdiocese.org or 717-657-4804 ext 322. Register at https://www.hbgdiocese.org/event/disability-ministry-training/

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will offer the same NCPD Disability Ministry Training in Spanish on March 14 and March 21. The faithful of the Diocese of Harrisburg are warmly invited to attend the Spanish version in Philadelphia. For questions, contact Natalie Morales at namorales@archphila.org.

Bishop Timothy C. Senior invites men throughout the Diocese of Harrisburg to prayerfully discern a call to serve the Church as permanent deacons. A new formation cohort will begin in August 2026. Men between the ages of 30 and 62 who are active, prayerful Catholics are encouraged to speak with their pastor about this possibility. Applications are available through pastors and are due by March 15, 2026. Information sessions will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at San Juan Bautista Parish, Lancaster; Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. at the Diocesan Center, Harrisburg; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at St. Pius X Parish, Selingsgrove. Bishop Senior’s full letter, which offers additional guidance and details, is available at https://www.catholicwitness.org/invitation-for-applications-to-be-permanent-deacons/.

Life-Giving Wounds Online Support Group – Registration Now Open! If you or someone you know is an adult child of divorce or separation, this seven-week online support group offers powerful opportunities for healing. Participants will explore the impact of family wounds through a Catholic lens and find Christ-centered support in community with others who understand. Thursdays, Feb. 26–April 16 | 8:15–10:00 p.m. ET Early-bird registration ends Feb. 12 Learn more and register at: lifegivingwounds.org/online-support-group.
Beginning Experience Weekend: The Harrisburg Diocese Beginning Experience Team will host a Beginning Experience Weekend on May 1–3, 2026, at Camp Kirchenwald, Lebanon, Pa. Beginning Experience is an approved, ecumenical program offering healing, hope, and spiritual restoration for those grieving the loss of a spouse through death, divorce, or separation. Led by trained facilitators who have experienced loss themselves and certified by the International Beginning Experience Organization, these weekends have helped hundreds move toward renewed peace and purpose. For more information, visit https://www.hbgdiocese.org/clev/laity-and-family/navigating-difficulties/, or contact Julie at 717-379-0800.
In partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, and the SOAP Project, we invite you to a 90-minute webinar dedicated to exploring the intersection of human trafficking and major sporting events. January marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time when we come together to raise awareness about the grave injustice of human trafficking. This year, our focus is on major sporting events, which, unfortunately, can create conditions where trafficking risks increase. With the Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday, February 8th, in San Jose, California, this discussion is both timely and urgent. Opening Prayer and Reflection led by His Excellency Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San Jose, California, who will offer a reflection on the Church’s role in combating human trafficking. For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.hbgdiocese.org/htwebinar.
A Mass in American Sign Language without voice interpretation will be celebrated on Sunday, February 15 at 4:00 pm at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, (400 E. Simpson St.) Mechanicsburg. No voice interpretation will occur. The celebrant and homilist will be Father Mike Depcik, OSFS, and Chaplain for the Deaf Ministry for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Father Depcik will be available for the sacrament of confession in ASL-only. Following Mass there will be a time of fellowship and dinner. Participants are encouraged to confirm their attendance by emailing Dawn Rose at love2kids3@gmail.com. All are welcome.

Hallow

A Special Weekend with Hallow’s Nathan Crankfield

We’re excited to welcome Nathan Crankfield, senior executive at Hallow, to St. John Neumann Parish the weekend of February 7–8! Nathan has a special connection to our parish community. He was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was confirmed by Father Dan. Today, Nathan serves in a leadership role at Hallow, the Catholic prayer app helping millions of people grow deeper in their faith. Nathan will be speaking at the Saturday evening Mass and Sunday morning Masses. After the 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM Sunday Masses, he will be available to answer questions, chat about Hallow, and help parishioners get signed up.

He will also spend time with our younger parishioners and families:

Youth Group: Following the 4:00 PM Saturday Mass, Nathan will meet with the youth group to showcase Hallow’s rich content for teens, including stress management, growing closer to God, Bible stories, sleep meditations, music, and more.
Religious Education Families: At the Family Meeting, Nathan will speak about how families can deepen their prayer lives together through Hallow.

To learn more about Nathan and his background, visit his bio at: https://www.nathancrankfield.com/home#about-nathan

We hope you’ll join us for this special weekend and take advantage of the opportunity to meet Nathan and explore how Hallow can support your prayer life.

How do I access SJN's parish page on Hallow?

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:

Download or open the Hallow app on your phone
Join the parish page. Tap “Community” 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!

Did Your $1 Hallow Trial Expire?

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.
1. 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!
1. Open the Hallow app
2. Go to the community (church) tab at the bottom of your screen
3. Select “Join a Church” and search for our parish by typing exactly "Saint John Neumann Parish."
4. Start praying with the parish!

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. You may also direct inquiries to Erin Houser at the parish office, ehouser@sjnlancaster.org.

Youth Ministry

As a reminder, YM events are still scheduled. God bless!

Faith Formation

Parents Gather for Faith and Encouragement by Erin Houser

This past Sunday in Family Faith Formation, while children were in class, parents and grandparents spent time together watching two short videos from FORMED’s The Catholic Parent series and quickly realized they weren’t alone in the challenges of raising children in the faith.

The videos focused on bringing children to Mass and passing on the faith at home. In this mini-series, Catholic parents honestly talk about the struggles of attending Mass with little ones and the pressure many of us feel when we don’t think we know “enough” to teach our children. The reminder was simple and reassuring: our children learn the faith best by watching us live it—by going to Mass, praying, and making faith a priority in everyday life.

Several parents asked how to access the series because it was so encouraging. The Catholic Parent is available on FORMED and can be watched on your own, with your spouse, or with friends. FORMED is a gift from our parish and is available at no cost! To access, go to https://formed.org/signup.

If you are interested in learning more about Faith Formation at our parish, contact Nate Gulya at ngulya@sjnlancaster.org, or call the parish office.

Parish Health Ministry (PHM)

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Thursday, February 12th, from 3:45-5 pm

in the Social Hall Mental Health Ministry Presentation: DEMENTIA: WHAT IS IT & WHAT DOES IT MEAN. Connie Metzler, BSN, CDP, will offer this presentation. If you are wondering, is this memory lapse a normal part of aging or something more? Are you concerned about family members or friends? Are you just curious about what Dementia is? Then this presentation is for you. Join us on 2/12 at 3:45 pm in the social hall.

GRIEF SHARE Returns to SJN March 3^rd, 2026

Losing a loved one changes everything. The emptiness, the loneliness, the sense that life has been turned upside down can feel overwhelming. If you’ve experienced this kind of loss, we want you to know: You’re not alone, and there is help available.

We invite you to join our GriefShare group beginning on Tuesday, March 3. Session is from 10-11:30 am. If evening hours work better for you, please call Tonianne if enough interested individuals would prefer an evening session, one can be added.

Grief Share is a 13-week program. It is built around a 3-part design. Each session will show a short 20-30-minute video. There would then be a small group discussion with an opportunity to talk about information shared in the video and/or any challenges you may be experiencing. There is no expectation that you need or must share in the group discussion. You may choose to just listen if that is what feels right for you at that time. Each participant will be requested to donate $10 towards the purchase of the workbook. SJN will cover the additional $10 for each book. You may take notes in the workbook during the video or reflect on some of the short exercises and journal prompting with scripture passages in between the sessions. To register, call Tonianne at 717 569-8531x229.