News Update: October 28, 2025

kmikulski6
Oct 28
5 min read

Updated: Oct 29

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

Please see below for a letter from Bishop Senior regarding an exciting addition for the Catholic Witness.

Upcoming Events

This year, All Saints Day falls on a Saturday, so it is not a holy day of obligation.

That being said, we will have a 9 a.m. Mass on Saturday, November 1st to honor our saints.

Diocesan News & Events

A parishioner at OPMH parish is asking for prayers and the help of a truly selfless individual. His wife, Jody, is in need of a living donor kidney transplant. Due to a genetic condition, both her kidneys are slowly failing. If you would like to learn more about the disease or the donation process, please contact her at: kidneyforjody@gmail.com.
See the flyer below regarding the Catholic Social Teaching Symposium.

The USCCB's annual Respect Life Month novena will take place October 22-30, 2025. The novena covers a wide breadth of Respect Life topics, including pregnancy support, the death penalty, persons with disabilities, healing after abortion, and more. Join thousands of Catholics across the country in praying for the protection of human life at https://www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month-novena.

See the flyer below regarding the Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic Day of Dialogue on November 11th.

See below for the Respect Life Campaign Flyer.

Click below for a flyer for the Catholic Scout Retreat taking place on November 22.

Hallow

Ever wanted to dive into the wisdom of C.S. Lewis but found his works a bit tough to get through? You’re not alone!

Now there’s a new and powerful way to experience The Screwtape Letters on Hallow. Actor Jim Caviezel (known for The Passion of the Christ) brings the senior demon Screwtape to life as he writes to his nephew Wormwood — a fascinating and unsettling glimpse into temptation, sin, and grace from the enemy’s point of view. Guided by Fr. John Riccardo and Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, this immersive audio experience helps uncover the deep spiritual truths behind C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece — truths that can shape how we understand both eternity and our everyday struggles. Listen now on your Hallow app!

What is Hallow?

Through prayer and meditation rooted in the Catholic faith, Hallow helps people find peace and grow in faith every day. As the #1 prayer app in the world, Hallow provides a wide variety of audio-guided meditation, prayer challenges, mental health content, sleep stories, and sacred music. Users are able to pray with Fr. Mike, Sr. Miriam, Jonathan Roumie, Mark Wahlberg, Immaculee Illibagiza, Bishop Barron, + many others.

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 your parish by name or zip code > Join the parish page
Start praying with your community!

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

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

Faith Formation

Meet Our Catechist: Angela Richards

Angela Richards has been part of the heartbeat of St. John Neumann Parish since 1998, when she, her husband, and their son moved here from Wilton, Connecticut. Her deep love for the Catholic faith and for children has shaped decades of service as a Religious Education teacher, beginning in 1991 at St. Ann Church in Barrington, Illinois, and continuing through parishes in Connecticut before finding her home at SJN. Over the years, Angela has taught countless First Communion classes, a Confirmation prep class, a kindergarten class, and now graciously steps in wherever she’s needed most.

Her involvement extends far beyond the classroom. Angela is a joyful presence in Youth Ministry (often found in the kitchen, preparing meals and cleaning up after gatherings), a member of the Adult Faith Formation program, and a mentor to engaged couples preparing for marriage. She also serves as a lector and Eucharistic Minister and is a proud member of the Federal Association of the Order of Malta—a lay order of the Catholic Church that has taken her to Lourdes, France, accompanying the sick in prayer and pilgrimage.

Outside of ministry, Angela enjoys Pilates, reading, cooking Italian food, and morning walks with Fr. Dan’s dog, Maggie. A native New Yorker who now happily calls Lancaster County home, Angela brings warmth, energy, and faith to every corner of parish life.

✨ Stay tuned each week as we introduce our amazing catechists who make Faith Formation at St. John Neumann so special.

Check out the flyer below about the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) Annual National Christmas Artwork Contest. It's a contest for children!

What do Catholics Believe About Halloween? Find answers from Dr. Ben Akers in this video from FORMED. If you don't have a FORMED account, create one at no cost by going to https://formed.org/signup.

Parish Health Ministry (PHM)

Please note: The Spiritual Support Group scheduled for November 6th has been cancelled.

This month, the Pope’s prayer is for collaboration between different religious traditions. Mental illness is part of the human condition, and people from all religious traditions are affected. Religious traditions are coming to a more complete understanding of mental illness and see that mental health care is a gift from God that can help all people find healing and hope. Pope Leo XIV has said, “religion, at its core, is ... a wellspring of healing”. Pray that all religious traditions will work together to eliminate stigma and promote the healing that comes with good mental health care.

MARK CALENDAR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6^TH 6 PM MASS OF REMEMBRANCE: HONORING THE PASSING OF OUR LOVED ONES.

In honor of this Mass, we ask you to bring a framed photo of your deceased loved ones (labelled with your contact information on the back). Drop off photos beginning October 14. In the container in front of the office. Photos will be displayed in the narthex before Mass and brought into the Sanctuary for Mass of Remembrance on November 6^th.