The following liturgical guidance for the Christmas season was sent to pastors and parish life coordinators and is reprinted here for your information.   

• Any of the current diocesan guidance regarding public Masses during the COVID-19 pandemic will also apply to parish observances during the Christmas season. For reference, the current COVID-19 guidelines can be located here. If there are any updates prior to Christmas, they will be communicated to you.

• Celebrating an earlier Christmas Vigil Mass, which was permitted last year, is not foreseen for this year unless something quite unexpected surfaces relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, the earliest time that the Christmas Vigil Mass may be celebrated is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 24, 2021.

• Parishes can hold Christmas Masses in larger spaces such as a nearby gymnasium or auditorium and/or are encouraged to utilize any available overflow areas (church basements and halls, etc.) available to them to livestream Mass broadcasts to avoid overcrowding in churches. Parishes should continue to be sensitive to the overall time that people are gathered in church for Christmas Masses.

• Since Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, it is not recommended that parishes celebrate a Vigil Mass for Sunday (Feast of the Holy Family) on Christmas evening.

• Because the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1) falls on a Saturday this year, the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated, however, a reduced Holy Day schedule could be considered on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If a parish chooses to celebrate a Vigil Mass for Sunday (the Solemnity of Epiphany of the Lord) in the evening on New Year’s Day, the proper orations for the Vigil of Epiphany and readings for Epiphany would be used at that Mass since it is a higher-ranking feast than the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

• Parishes may plan holiday events, fundraisers and other activities, but should continue to be cautious, keeping health and safety as a top priority – especially if the event is indoors. Planning should remain flexible and parishes should make sure COVID-19 safety protocols are in place. Risk factors that parishes should consider include: the number of COVID-19 cases in the community, the setting and length of the event and the number of people expected. Any event that might take place in a Diocesan Catholic School is subject to guidelines established by Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Catholic Schools Office. 

By calling for the Synod on Synodality, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is inviting the Church to gather and to listen to each and every Catholic to find the Church’s path forward at this time in our history.  The Diocese of Scranton has officially launched the listening phase of the Synod on Synodality.  Details, resources (available in both English and Spanish), as well as informational webinars for this three-pronged approach to listening to the many voices of the faithful in the Church of Scranton can be found on the diocesan website at this link.  While the synod survey and phone line can be accessed on the diocesan website, all parishes are highly recommended to offer a parish gathering that integrates prayer and reflection in discussing the ten themes of the Synod. 
The diocesan listening phase will follow the following timeline:

Look for for future opportunities from Scranton NPM to participate in the local listening phase of the Synod process!  
Please contact the Diocese of Scranton at [email protected] for more information, and pray for the fruitfulness of this synodal journey!