March 10, 2026

Mar 10
7 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

Men of the Diocese are warmly invited to join Father Boniface Hicks, OSB for the 2026 Men’s Conference on April 18th, at the Diocesan Center. Mark your calendars and invite your friends and family! This year’s theme is “Steadfast in Mercy.”
Deadline/Costs:
$40 per person
$70 father/son combo
CLERGY ADMITTED FREE
Deadline: April 6, 2026
$50 Walk-In Registration
Due to space limitations, walk-ins can’t be assured of preferred workshop choices.
If any special accommodations are needed, please contact Marianne Weltmer at (717) 657-4804 ext. 322 or mweltmer@hbgdiocese.org. Requests should be made by April 1, 2026.
Catholic Charities Harrisburg needs volunteer classroom aides and tutors for our virtual Adult English Language learning program. Both morning and evening times are available. The time commitment is 2 hours a week. All necessary training is provided and volunteers must be 18 or older. Please contact Katie at kmartin@cchbg.org or 717-329-6139 to learn more and get involved!

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/.
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.

Hallow

Many members of our parish community are using the Hallow prayer app as a way to deepen their prayer during Lent. This year’s LentPray 40 challenge offers daily reflections and prayers to help guide us through the season. For younger members of the family, Hallow also offers prayer challenges such as Become a Miracle Hunter and The 180, giving children and teens simple ways to grow in prayer during Lent.

Looking ahead, we are happy to share that Hallow will soon be creating a small group on our parish page for parents and families. This will be a complimentary resource that families can use to support prayer at home. The group will include things like family prayers, bedtime prayers, ideas for preparing for Mass together, and other simple ways to bring prayer into daily family life. When it becomes available in the next few weeks, families can participate by joining our parish page in the Hallow app and then visiting the Small Groups section to find the family group.

If you have not already done so, please take a look at the Pray40 accompanying study guide (link below), which can help you follow along with the daily reflections during Lent. We pray that this Lenten season is a time of grace, renewal, and deeper prayer for you and your family.

Check out Father Dan's Lenten audio message on our Hallow parish page!

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.
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 Church tab at the bottom of your screen.
3. Select “Join a Church” and search for our parish by zip code: 17601.
4. 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. Erin Houser is out of the office on leave returning April 1. Please contact Hallow directly with questions or concerns.

Youth Ministry

On Sunday, March 8, the Youth Group had its second-highest turnout! With John Paul Kasperowicz, we had fun in fellowship, sang songs in praise, and ended in adoration.

Faith Formation

Family Confession and First Reconciliation

by Erin Houser

One of the beautiful blessings of our Catholic faith is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we encounter God’s mercy in a very real and personal way. As Pope Francis had reminded us, the confessional is not a place of fear or shame, but a place of healing and hope.

This year in Family Faith Formation, we have been making a special effort to help our children grow comfortable with this sacrament and understand God’s loving mercy. Throughout the year, students in grades 3–8 have been offered the opportunity to go to Confession during class time, and during our Family Faith Formation gatherings, the sacrament has been available for both children and parents.

This allows our children not only to learn about the sacrament, but also to see their parents and other adults faithfully practicing it. When children observe the people they love turning to God for forgiveness and grace, it leaves a deep and lasting impression on their hearts.

A particularly joyful milestone is approaching for our second graders. On March 21, our parish second graders will attend their Second Grade Retreat, where they will celebrate their First Reconciliation. Our St. John Neumann School second graders will celebrate the same sacrament during the school day on March 24.

Talking with our children about sin, forgiveness, and God’s mercy is an important part of their faith formation. The Church reminds us that while we are all sinners, we are sinners deeply loved by God, and through His grace we are continually invited back into His friendship. Please join us in praying for our second graders that they may come to the sacrament with trust in God’s mercy, joy in His forgiveness, and confidence in His great love for them. Click on the document below for some tips from Ascension Press to help you explain sin in an age appropriate way.

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)

Updates:

The Mental Health Awareness Bookshelf has Lenten Topic Care Notes as well as the Scripture take home cards from the first week of Lent. Please take a moment to stop by and help yourself to the resources.

Pope's Prayer Intention for March: For peace and disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament.

The Pope's Prayer Network Monthly Prayer for Mental Health - March 2026

This month the Pope’s prayer intention is for peace and disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament. Living under the threat of total destruction from nuclear war creates lasting fear that diminishes mental health across generations. Pope Leo said that “the temptation to have recourse to powerful and sophisticated weapons needs to be rejected.” Peace and mental health are inseparable. Effective disarmament is a commitment to protecting the dignity and mental health for those of us living today and those who will follow. We pray that world leaders choose the path of dialogue, diplomacy, and peace instead of violence. The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (https://www.catholicmhm.org/click-to-pray.