Shortly after the news broke in 1961 that the Diocese of Allentown would be created from the five northern counties of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Bishop Joseph McShea, who was to become Allentown’s First Bishop, issued a public statement:
“Strengthened by God's grace, and relying on the power of prayer, we shall toil together … so that God's work may be preserved, intensified, and broadened in the Infant Diocese of Allentown.”
Now, 65 years later, that “Infant Diocese” has grown up, and its people gathered April 11 – exactly 65 years after Bishop McShea was installed – to give thanks to God for the blessings of the past and to ask for His continued grace for the future.
Bishop Alfred Schlert, Allentown’s Fifth Bishop, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving marking the 65th Anniversary of the Diocese of Allentown at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena.
“It is a blessing for us to be here in this sacred place to give thanks to Almighty God for the many graces He has poured out upon His local Church since its founding,” Bishop Schlert said as he welcomed those in attendance in both English and Spanish.
“This is a beautiful time for us to reflect on the mercy of Jesus, and on the mercy that we all have seen these past 65 years,” Bishop Schlert said. He was wearing the same vestments Bishop McShea wore on that April day in 1961.
“All anniversaries invite us to look back,” the Bishop said in his homily. “We look back in gratitude, and we look forward in faith.”
“We give thanks to all of those in our Diocese who have built up – through their faith and sacrifice – what we already have today,” he said. Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated religious, families, catechists, educators, and parishioners “all have made up the mosaic of this Diocese over these 65 years.”
“And it’s not presumptuous to believe,” he said, looking toward the future, “that if we stay faithful to our mission, God will continue to bless those efforts.”
Churches and schools from across the Diocese were represented at the Mass by parishioners who carried parish banners in procession.
Bishop Schlert said the Diocese has four main priorities in this Anniversary Year and beyond: “the Holy Eucharist, Our Blessed Mother, vocations, and bringing back the lost – those who have strayed from their faith.”
“The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith,” he said. “From that, everything else flows.” Parishes this year will offer extra times of Eucharistic Adoration. He said countless lives have been enriched over 65 years by Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
The Blessed Mother’s “ability to say ‘yes,’ to be steadfast in her faith even though her future was not completely known to her, is a reminder to all of us,” Bishop Schlert said, “to say ‘yes’ to God, whatever our vocation, whatever our sufferings and joys.”
Vocations also are a priority this year, Bishop Schlert said, calling on the faithful to pray for more men and women to choose the Priesthood and religious life. He asked the faithful to encourage young men and women, and for families to be supportive of their children who may feel the call.
Inviting people back to the Church is the fourth focus of this year, Bishop Schlert said. When you urge someone to return, he said, “you may be starting for them a moment of grace that will blossom in their lives.”
“So on our 65th Anniversary, brothers and sisters, we continue to give thanks to God, because we are the recipients of so much generosity,” Bishop Schlert said. “We understand the weight on our shoulders, to provide for generations not yet born, just as people in 1961 provided for us.
“We ask for the mercy of Jesus on us and on our Diocese. We pray that our renewal of faith, hope, and love will distinguish us among our communities as people of faith, as proud Catholic men and women, as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and as witnesses to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
“Today, we remember, with deep gratitude, the various priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful who have built up the Body of Christ in our midst. Their fidelity and generosity continue to inspire us as we carry forward the mission entrusted to us.”
Bishop Schlert thanked the Diocesan Choir, especially Father Matthew Kuna and Beverly McDevitt, Director of Music for the Diocese of Allentown, for the Entrance Song, “Our Guiding Star, Mater Ecclesiae,” that was written for this occasion.
He noted other music during the Mass was from Father Angelo della Picca, who was Director of Music for the Diocese 1961-65.
He also thanked the Episcopal Ceremonies Team for their participation : priests, deacons, and seminarians; and the diocesan Knights of Columbus, Knights of Malta, and Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre.
A video of the 65th Anniversary Mass can be viewed on the Diocese of Allentown YouTube channel.
Photos by Vargas Photography.
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