News Update: October 7, 2025

kmikulski6
Oct 7
5 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

***Our Saturday confession times have changed to 2:00-3:30 p.m.***

Upcoming Events

We are in the process of forming a new Youth Choir. If you are interested in joining, please complete the form and bring it to the first practice on Monday, October 27th.

There will be a Mass beginning at 6 p.m. followed by our Guest Speaker. Both the Mass and the Speaker will be live-streamed from our website.

We are thrilled to share that A Woman’s Concern is participating in this year’s FaithfulGive! This is an opportunity to support our mission of empowering women, strengthening families, and cherishing life in our community.

Here are the top three reasons your participation in this year's event is so important for AWC:

Support Life-Changing Care – Your donation directly helps AWC provide compassionate medical care, parenting resources, and education that empower women to make life-affirming choices.
Build Strong Families – Together, we can strengthen the foundation of our community by equipping families with the support and resources they need to thrive.
Multiply Your Impact – FaithfulGive provides cash prizes and stretch funds that increase the power of your gift, making your generosity go even further for moms and families in need.

Mark your calendars to give online through our AWC FaithfulGive page from October 19–21. Your support makes a tangible difference in the lives of women, children, and families in Lancaster.

Thank you for helping us celebrate life and nurture hope every day!

Diocesan News & Events

Vacancy - Gift Processor/Development Assistant
The Office for Stewardship & Development is looking for a confident self-starter with outstanding written and communication skills to join our team. You will need to have an excellent customer service mindset and proven skills in a customer service role, as this position works with all levels of donors, staff, and vendors. Candidates must be detail-oriented with good organizational skills. Proficiency in database management is a must, as is the ability to operate with an exceedingly high level of accuracy. Candidates need to be proficient in the use of all Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel. Working in conjunction with the Director of Development, the Development Assistant undertakes administrative functions within the Office for Stewardship & Development, including but not limited to activities associated with the Diocesan Annual Campaign, FOCUS, Neumann, Scholarship Foundation, Matthew 25, Pentecost and Estate gift initiatives. Provides administrative support to the Director as it relates to acknowledgements, communication with donors, and other external constituents.
Please submit resumes to Employment@hbgdiocese.org. Full job description available at www.hbgdiocese.org/careers/.
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.

The Diocese of Harrisburg Cursillo Movement will host its annual Grand Ultreya, Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Diocesan Conference Center, 4800 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA. The Doors Open at 8:00 a.m. Mass will begin at 9:15 a.m. with the Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop Emeritus of Harrisburg, as the main Mass celebrant. The cost is $20 (for lunch). Please register by October 17, 2025, at www.harrisburg-cursillo.org. Payment accepted at the door, by PayPal or by check. Make the check payable to 'Harrisburg Cursillo Movement.' Bring your spiritual books for the Book Swap at the Grand Ultreya. For questions, email Lisa Rowe, Post-Cursillo Chair at rowrosie@hotmail.com or call 717-736-3866.

See below for the Respect Life Campaign Flyer.

The Harrisburg Diocesan Guild of the Catholic Medical Association will host the annual White Mass for Healthcare Professionals at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church (359 W. Areba Ave.), Hershey, on Sunday, October 19th at 9:30 a.m. Bishop Timothy Senior will be the celebrant. The White Mass provides an opportunity for all Catholic physicians, healthcare workers, medical students, residents, and their families to gather in solidarity and fellowship. Members of the Guild will renew their annual promises. Attendees are welcome to wear their white coats and uniforms. Anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic Medical Association is invited to gather for a reception in the Parish Hall across the street following Mass. For more information, please visit https://cathmedharrisburg.org/.

The diocesan Behold event will be held on October 18, 2025. See the flyer below for more information.

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

Youth Ministry

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

Faith Formation

Meet Our Catechist: Karen Taraborelli

Karen Taraborelli is honored to serve as a third-grade catechist in St. John Neumann’s Faith Formation program. Now in her second year teaching at SJN, she finds great joy in watching her students grow in faith alongside their families.

A retired educator, Karen spent 22 years teaching second grade in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District and six years in private preschool. She now enjoys time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, and works part-time at Rohrer’s Seeds.

Outside the classroom, Karen loves spending summer days in Cape May, New Jersey, playing with her Border Collie, Finnegan, and nurturing her interests in reading, gardening, and deepening her Catholic faith through continued learning. Karen invites parish families to stop and say hello! She looks forward to getting to know more members of the St. John Neumann parish community!

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

Parish Health Ministry (PHM)

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24^TH, AT 6 PM

The Mental Health Ministry will host a presentation titled:

What is Anxiety? Why do we have it? When does it become an issue to bring to therapy?

If you have ever wondered about these questions or thought about how anxiety helps and hinders you, join us on October 24th, 6-7:30, for a presentation and questions in the social hall. This presentation is done by Peter Krimmel, a Master's degree-preparing Clinical Mental Health student at Immaculata University. After discussing the history, causes, diagnosis, and finally treatment and anxiety reduction methods, there will be time for questions and feedback. Please prayerfully consider joining us.

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 in October in the container in front of the office. Photos will be displayed in the narthex before the Mass and brought into the Sanctuary for Mass of Remembrance on November 6^th.