January 27, 2026

ehouser4
3 hours ago
9 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

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

YOU CAN, WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR LIVING ROOM!

As Fr. Dan has mentioned, there are many ways our Parish can be part of this wonderful experience and, as in the past, we need help creating and compiling the crafts that the children delight in making and displaying. I want you to know that, Sr. Lisa Valentini, our mission leader, always remarks that our crafts are the easiest to distribute and complete due to the work that is done by our missionaries at home! Please know that this work is remembered in prayer on the trip.

If you can help with the crafts, please text or email me at 717-808-7704 or angela.f.richards@gmail.com.

I couldn’t do this without you! Angela

Please see list of supplies that we will be collecting for the 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

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.

Day one will focus on universal design: learn how to remove a wide range of barriers—visible and invisible—so parishes can be a home for all. Explore parish assessment tools, adaptive catechesis, guidance around language, and other resources. Day two will focus on mental health: accompaniment, stigma, trauma-informed care, and suicide. 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.
Join us, Sunday, February 1st at 12:15pm, for the annual BCA Cultural Mass at Cathedral of Saint Patrick, 212 State St., Harrisburg, PA. Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior and the Homilist will be Father Chiedozie F. Ononuju, Parochial Vicar of Saint Patrick, Carlisle. The Philadelphia Gospel Choir will be present for this occasion, leading us in singing, celebrating the Universality of the Catholic Church. Following Mass there will be a brief social gathering. Any questions please call Deacon Armando Torres, Director for Culture & Outreach at (717) 657-4804 E

Hallow

A Message from Alex, CEO at Hallow

Announcing this year’s Lent Pray40 theme … THE RETURN! Join us on a journey back home to the Lord – no matter our sins, no matter our struggles, no matter how far we’ve strayed away. Just as we’ll see through the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we’re all farther away from God than we need to be…but the good news is God is always waiting for us with open arms, running out to us while we are still a long way off.

To really help bring the truths of this parable to life this Lent in Pray40, we’ll dive into the incredible book, in my humble opinion the greatest novel of all time, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky!

It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but also I think the most transformative. We’ll step into the lives of its characters and discover the moments where their struggles sound like ours and their brokenness feels familiar. For countless readers over the last couple of centuries, this book has held a mirror up to the battle between good and evil in their hearts. This Lent, we invite you to let it do the same for you!

Together, we'll let go of what holds us back, return home to the Lord, and let Him send us out as His hands and feet. Along our way in Pray40, you’ll also hear real-life stories of returning to God, take on a fasting challenge each week, and more! It all begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18 – join the Pray40 waitlist today!

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

Snow Days, Sorrow, and a Mother’s Heart

By Erin Houser

Our Religious Education programs, Family Faith Formation and Confirmation Prep, had to cancel this past Sunday’s meeting due to the snow. And snow we certainly did get! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the beauty of the day on Monday in some way: sledding, building snowmen, (ahem) shoveling, and hopefully ending the day with some hot cocoa, quiet reflection, and prayer. During the unexpected pause, I spent time praying The Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, a devotion that is relatively new to me. I used the book The Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows: A Guide with Meditations by Richard Dole, and I was surprised by how deeply it moved me. I found myself connecting with our Blessed Mother on a new level, especially as my heart aches at times for my own children during these tender "tween" years they are in.

Mary more than understands a mother’s pain. As I prayed, I reflected on her immense suffering, as she watched her innocent Son be brutalized, misunderstood, mistreated, and ultimately killed before her eyes. I was able to unite my small sufferings with her great sorrow, and in doing so, I found comfort and peace. Mary truly is a refuge and a source of consolation in times of uncertainty and sorrow.

Even though we couldn’t gather in person, faith formation continues at home. Please complete the following at-home work to make up for the missed session:

At-Home Assignments

Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade: Complete Session 8 in Walking with Jesus
2nd Grade: Complete Lesson 2.1 in Received
Grades 3–6: Choose one January activity to complete from A Family of Faith.
7th Grade: Complete Lesson 9 in Chosen.
8th Grade: Complete Lesson 21 in Chosen.

Snow days may disrupt schedules, but they can also open space for grace, reflection, and deeper prayer. May Our Lady of Sorrows walk closely with each of your families this winter season.

Parish Health Ministry (PHM)

Mental Health Ministry Presentation on Dementia

On Thursday 2/12/26 from 3:45pm-5pm in Social Hall

Do you have a loved one or friend that your worried about their memory lapses?

Have you ever wondered if the memory lapse you’re experiencing are normal for your age?

Then this is the presentation, Dementia: What is it; What does it mean?

by Connie Metzler BSN Clinical Dementia Professional, Is for you.

Join us on Thursday February 12 from 3:45pm -5pm in the Social Hall

Learn about the types of diseases that impact memory, Is your experiences of memory lapses normal, and the benefits of early diagnosis and treatments.