![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Jubilarians-resized-300x169.jpg\")
Religious Sisters celebrating Jubilee anniversaries in 2025 filled the front pew of the Cathedral of Saint Peter Oct. 26, 2025, as the Diocese of Scranton celebrated its annual Jubilee Mass for Women and Men Religious. (Photos\/Mike Melisky)<\/p>\nSCRANTON \u2013 With prayers of thanksgiving and deep gratitude, the Diocese of Scranton celebrated its annual Jubilee Mass for Women and Men Religious on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. <\/p>\n
The Mass honored 23 religious sisters and brothers who are marking milestone anniversaries in consecrated life this year \u2013 accounting for a combined 1,415 years of faithful service to God and the Church.<\/p>\n
Religious Sisters celebrating Jubilee anniversaries in 2025 filled the front pew of the Cathedral of Saint Peter Oct. 26, 2025, as the Diocese of Scranton celebrated its annual Jubilee Mass for Women and Men Religious. (Photos\/Mike Melisky)<\/p>\n
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant and homilist for the Jubilee Mass. The Bishop expressed heartfelt appreciation to the jubilarians for their lifelong witness of discipleship and prayer \u2013 which has spanned 25, 50, 60, 70 and even 75 years in some cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a blessing we\u2019ve been given in all of you,\u201d Bishop Bambera said. \u201cMore than you realize or appreciate, you continually challenge us to trust in the mercy, love and forgiveness of God \u2013 something that many of us in the Church forget, all too often.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Bishop reflected on the Gospel call to authentic discipleship, reminding those gathered that faith must always be lived with integrity and compassion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a very simple message that I hope we will all take from today\u2019s Gospel,\u201d the Bishop said. \u201cJesus calls us to live our lives with integrity. He calls us to give the beliefs that we profess a life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drawing upon a personal story from his visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a former slave fortress, Bishop Bambera spoke of the \u201cdisconnect\u201d that can sometimes exist between what we profess as Christians and how we live our lives.<\/p>\n
As he looked at the jubilarians seated in front of him, the Bishop thanked them for boldly proclaiming the Gospel message in a world that far too often fails to embrace it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour commitment to work for justice for the marginalized \u2013 immigrants, the poor, those held captive today by greed and sexual exploitation, and all those oppressed by far too many who deem themselves righteous \u2013 provides us with a unique and powerful witness to the presence of God at work in our world today in 2025,\u201d Bishop Bambera added.<\/p>\n
Among those celebrating jubilees this year is Sister Mary Theresa Wojcicki, a Sister of Christian Charity, who is marking 50 years of religious life. Originally from Great Meadows, N.J., Sister Mary Theresa now ministers at Saint Jude School in Mountain Top.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe greatest joy that I have had was to be able to work with children and bring them to Jesus,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Reflecting on her vocation, Sister Mary Theresa shared, \u201cI was impressed with the Sisters of Christian Charity in grade school. I saw that they were cheerful, always happy, and ready to serve \u2013 and I wanted to follow that charism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sister Elizabeth (Betty) Bullen, a Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is celebrating 60 years of religious life this year. <\/p>\n
Originally from Pittsburgh, Sister Betty spent much of her ministry in North Carolina before returning to live in Scranton. She describes her ministry as a lifelong adventure in faith and friendship.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy greatest joy has been getting to meet amazing people who are different than I was and being able to expand my understanding of cultures and faiths,\u201d she said.
Sister Mary Eleanor Thornton, a Sister of Mercy, who is celebrating 70 years of religious life, said her greatest joy has been spending decades ministering to the poor through social service centers, food programs, and parish outreach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was such a joy and an honor (to serve the poor). God used me to collect food, furniture, and clothing that the poor would need,\u201d she said. \u201cI loved gathering volunteers who would help me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back on seven decades of service, Sister Mary Eleanor found special meaning in Bishop Bambera\u2019s homily and his reminder that we can\u2019t just call ourselves Christians; we really must live what Jesus Christ wanted us to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is all God doing it in us. God gives us the gifts,\u201d she explained. \u201cI\u2019m just grateful to the Sisters of Mercy that they have a fourth vow \u2013 to serve the poor, the sick and the uneducated \u2013 and that they were willing to let me do the things I could do for the poor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SCRANTON \u2013 With prayers of thanksgiving and deep gratitude, the Diocese of Scranton celebrated its annual Jubilee Mass…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40004,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[178,180,179],"class_list":["post-40003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}