*NEW* Simbang Gabi (Christmas Novena Masses) in Berks County 2025
All are invited to the Filipino tradition of attending nine nighttime Masses leading up to Christmas. The dates, times, and locations in Berks county are as follows:
Dec 12-14, 7 pm: Immaculate Conception Church, Douglassville
Dec 15-17, 7 pm: Precious Blood Convent, Reading
Dec 18-20, 7 pm: Holy Guardian Angels, Reading
****Dec 14, 17 & 20: Potluck Nights (Paper products & drinks are provided)
Text: 610 670 1429 for any questions or concerns.
Closing Celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope
All are invited to attend the closing celebration for the Jubilee Year of Hope on Sunday, December 28, the Feast of the Holy Family, the same feast on which we began the Jubilee Year of Hope one year ago. The celebration will take place at the Cathedral Church of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. At 2:00 PM there will be a choral presentation of Vivaldi’s Gloria by the Cathedral Choir, beautifully interspersed with a Narrative Tour of the Cathedral Church, offering insights into the sacred art and architecture of the Cathedral in light of our diocesan history and mission. The Sacrament of Penance will also be available from 2-3pm. The closing Mass will be at 3pm, celebrated by Bishop Schlert. Click here for the flyer.
Adoration and Visio Divina Event
All are invited to Sacred Heart Church, 740 Cherry Street, West Reading, PA 19611 on December 18, 2025 from 6pm-8pm for Visio Divina and Eucharistic Adoration. Visio divina is a form of contemplative prayer that involves prayerful meditation accompanied by sacred images. By engaging one’s senses, emotions, and imagination, visio divina can be a fruitful way to deepen one’s prayer life. Deacon Civitella will guide the reflection on “The Annunciation,” by Henry Ossawa Tanner. In a world full of images clamoring for our attention, often harmful, visio divina will refocus our minds and hearts this Advent season in preparation for the birth of our Savior. This event is sponsored by the Lumen Christi Commission of the Diocese of Allentown whose mission is to effectively aid the faithful in the fight against pornography through formation, education, encouragement, and resources. There is no need to RSVP for this free event. For any questions, please contact Maggie Riggins, Executive Director of Evangelization and Formation, Diocese of Allentown via phone 610-866-0581 Ext. 2022 or email mriggins@allentowndiocese.org. View the flyer here.
*NEW* Retrouvaille Marriage Healing Retreat Weekend
Retrouvaille of Delaware Valley is a Catholic-based program to help marriages that are stressed or in trouble. Retrouvaille has helped countless married couples in all stages of disillusionment or distress. Retrouvaille can help your marriage too. No marriage is beyond hope. The next program will be held at The Family Life Center at the Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, PA on February 6-8, 2026. All calls are confidential. For more information call 215-766-3944 or visit the web site at www.MarriageHelpDelVal.org.
*NEW* Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts & Our Lady of Martyrs in Fultonville, New York
Reserve your spot today for the next Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts & Our Lady of Martyrs in Fultonville, New York!
Join Bishop Schlert and Father Hoffa on Wednesday, April 15, 2026-Thursday, April 16, 2026, for a 2-day pilgrimage. Double occupancy $249/pp which includes hotel & tax, round trip motor coach transfers, breakfast at hotel, boxed lunch on both travel days, Mass at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy and Mass at Our Lady of Martyrs.
Space is limited! Call 570-342-5790 today to secure your spot or register at https://asktravelworld.
Women’s Advent Retreat
The Bishop’s Commission for Women invites all women of the Diocese to a peaceful day of community, prayer, and reflection this Advent season. Join us on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Allentown from 8:30am – 1:00pm.
As Advent Women, we are called, like Mary Our Mother, to be bearers of Hope to our families and communities. Come, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, and rediscover your identity as a bearer of light in a world of darkness.
Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible. Learn more and register athttps://www.allentowndiocese.
View the flyer here.
*NEW* Actress Madelyn Dundon Brings Her Latest Film “Hazel” to the Lehigh Valley: A Proud Homegrown Celebration
Actress Madelyn Dundon is bringing her latest film, Hazel, to the Lehigh Valley this December- and for her, it’s more than just another screening. It’s a homecoming of gratitude, pride, and community spirit.
The Bethlehem Catholic High School graduate and three-time Freddy Award winner will appear at three special screenings of Hazel at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem: Sunday, December 7 at 1:00 p.m. with a Q&A featuring Dundon and Brock Holbert, producer. Monday, December 8 at 7:15 p.m. with Q&A. Wednesday, December 10 at 12:30 p.m.
Produced by Canticle Productions, Hazel continues the company’s mission of creating family-friendly, faith-driven films based on true stories from the American Badlands. With its themes of love, faith, and sacrifice, the film embodies the same spirit of resilience that defines Dundon’s own journey and the Lehigh Valley community she calls home.
Tickets for all three screenings of Hazel are available at ArtsQuest.org. Watch the trailer at https://youtu.be/-TrkbdBa6Ds?
*NEW* Surviving Divorce Program
Give yourself the gift of encouragement for the new year. Register for the Divorce Recovery class, a national program created to bring hope and healing to those who have experienced the pain and loneliness of a broken marriage. Whether you are newly separated/divorced or still experiencing painful issues years later this program can help. Participants receive expert Catholic guidance to work through practical and emotional troubles brought on by the family breakdown. Topics covered include custody, court hearings and finances as well as the emotional ups and downs of anger, regret, and unforgiveness. Past participants have said they appreciate the program’s deep insights of God’s personal love for us and desire to heal us. This program has been running twice and three times per year since January 2023. Participants have consistently given it high marks on the end-of-class surveys.
Start date is January 12, 2026, and end date is March 16, 2026. Meetings are Mondays, 6:15 – 7:15pm for ten weeks. Location is St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 618 Fullerton Ave. Whitehall 18052 in the large Meeting room on the second floor of the parish office. The cost is free. To register, contact Jane Zingelman: jtzing@gmail.com.
Ready, Willing, & Able Podcast: Vocations and Parenting
The Allentown Diocese Office of Education offers the “Ready, Willing, & Able” podcast for Catholic parents. The newest episode explores how parents can trust God and support their children as they help them discern their vocations. Host Genevieve O’Connor has an MTS in Moral Theology from the University of Notre Dame, and she invites a series of guests to explore a wide range of topics, including: family prayer, modesty, and bringing the liturgical seasons alive for kids. Listen to Ready, Willing, and Able on its website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/
Retreat to Fatima and Lourdes with Fr. John Frink
Take a pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes from June 7-16, 2026 under the spiritual direction of Fr. John Frink. Click this link: https://www.206tours.com/cms/
Divorce Recovery Support Group
If you are suffering a divorce or separation, or perhaps grieving a past divorce, join us for prayers, donuts and encouraging conversation. BYOC – bring your own coffee. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, second floor of the parish office on the first Saturday of each month, 9:00 to 10:00am (after the 8:30am Mass). For information call 505 688-8663.
Better Together Widow and Widower Social Group
Better Together Widow and Widower Social Group, a community that allows widows and widowers to connect with others in the same circumstance, meets monthly at Assumption Church, 4101 Old Bethlehem Pike, Bethlehem, PA. Some past meetings include a picnic in the summer, a sing-along/make your own sundaes, and an All Souls remembrance service. All are welcome to join us on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00pm in the Jubilee Center. For more information, please contact Mary Williams at 610-867-7424 x 16.