The Dialog

By The Dialog

Brother Chris Posch, the Franciscan priest who is director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, and six delegates from the diocese will begin a 10-day visit to Wilmington’s sister diocese of San Marcos in Guatemala.  The two dioceses recently celebrated the 10- year anniversary of their solidarity partnership with a Mass and luncheon held at St. Margaret of Scotland in Glasgow.

The Wilmington delegation will visit to medical clinics and churches in El Rodeo, San Pablo, and El Quetzal as well as areas ravaged by earthquakes last November.

Delegates include Kelley and Mallory Freebury of St. Catherine of Siena, Wilmington; Xylene Graves of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bear; and Stephanie Gallagher of St. Margaret of Scotland, Nada Jones from Holy Family in Newark, and also Emily Carpenter, a teacher at Christ the Teacher School, Newark.

All are encouraged to pray for the delegates to Guatemala and follow the delegation daily from June 19 through June 29 at www.twitter.com/smsolidarity or https://www.facebook.com/pages/SanMarcos-Solidarity/172185392956344.

For more information about the partnership, please contact Brother Chris Posch at chrisposch@gmail.com or (302) 655-0518.

By TheDialog

WILMINGTON – St. Elizabeth Parish has split its parochial school into two, and elementary division and a middle division, and appointed two veteran educators to lead them.

Tina Wecht, a faculty member at the elementary school for 24 years, has been named principal of St. Elizabeth Elementary School, which encompasses pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Wecht, a member of St. Elizabeth Parish, also will coordinate marketing and admissions.

Dana Delle Donne, the academic technology director for the high school, as well as a history, global studies and psychology teacher, will lead St. Elizabeth Middle School for grades 5-8. Delle Donne, a lifelong parishioner at St. Elizabeth and a graduate of the elementary and high schools, has been a faculty member for 11 years.

The women will replace Alexandria Cirko, who resigned to take a position with the Diocese of Allentown.

Additionally, Joanne Gibbons, the freshman guidance counselor in the high school, will add counseling duties for elementary and middle school students.

By TheDialog

Catholic Youth Ministry recently held its baseball, softball, and track and field championships. The results were provided by CYM. Read more »

By The Dialog

The following is Bishop Malooly’s prepared text for his homily during the June 8 priesthood ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington. The bishop ordained Deacons Christopher Coffiey, Glenn Evers and Brian Lewis priests of the diocese.

On behalf of the Church of Wilmington I want to begin by thanking the families of our newly ordained, the parents, the immediate family, the extended family even their faith-filled friends. All of you have helped lead our ordinands to God’s Call to the priesthood. Thank you for your faith and your example.

I had asked the soon-to-be priests to choose the readings for today and share with me their thoughts. The first reading from Isaiah is very familiar: the prophet speaks of being called into the service of the Lord as servant of the people of faith. Jesus himself quoted this passage when he entered his own synagogue in Nazareth to begin his public ministry. He was handed the scroll and he unwrapped it at the 61st chapter. “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor.” Read more »

By The Dialog

The following is Bishop Malooly’s prepared text for his homily during the June 8 priesthood ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington. The bishop ordained Deacons Christopher Coffiey, Glenn Evers and Brian Lewis priests of the diocese.

On behalf of the Church of Wilmington I want to begin by thanking the families of our newly ordained, the parents, the immediate family, the extended family even their faith-filled friends. All of you have helped lead our ordinands to God’s Call to the priesthood. Thank you for your faith and your example.

I had asked the soon-to-be priests to choose the readings for today and share with me their thoughts. The first reading from Isaiah is very familiar: the prophet speaks of being called into the service of the Lord as servant of the people of faith. Jesus himself quoted this passage when he entered his own synagogue in Nazareth to begin his public ministry. He was handed the scroll and he unwrapped it at the 61st chapter. “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor.” Read more »

By The Dialog

The following is Bishop Malooly’s prepared text for his homily during the June 8 priesthood ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington. The bishop ordained Deacons Christopher Coffiey, Glenn Evers and Brian Lewis priests of the diocese.

On behalf of the Church of Wilmington I want to begin by thanking the families of our newly ordained, the parents, the immediate family, the extended family even their faith-filled friends. All of you have helped lead our ordinands to God’s Call to the priesthood. Thank you for your faith and your example.

I had asked the soon-to-be priests to choose the readings for today and share with me their thoughts. The first reading from Isaiah is very familiar: the prophet speaks of being called into the service of the Lord as servant of the people of faith. Jesus himself quoted this passage when he entered his own synagogue in Nazareth to begin his public ministry. He was handed the scroll and he unwrapped it at the 61st chapter. “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor.” Read more »

By TheDialog

Taste of Chesapeake comes to Wilmington

Emmanuel Dining Room will celebrate International Night June 23 at the Francis X. Norton Center, 917 N. Madison St., Wilmington. Food from Caffe Gelato will offer a “Taste of the Chesapeake,” and proceeds will benefit the Emmanuel Dining Room. Make reservations by contacting Dorine at (302) 652-3228 or dlayton@ministryofcaring.org. Read more »

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

NEW CASTLE – Our Lady of Fatima School was more than a building for the thousands of students who were educated there beginning in 1949. It felt like home, and the students and teachers were family. So when the school closed its doors for the last time on June 6, many members of the family were unable to keep their emotions hidden.

Angelique Lorang was an altar server at the closing Mass. The seventh-grader embraced several friends in the church entrance after the Mass had ended and could not fight back tears as the reality set in.

“I always dreamed of graduating from Fatima,” she said. “Fatima is like a second family to me. It’s another home. All my friends are like brothers and sisters.” Read more »

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

NEWARK – The Diocese of Wilmington marked a first on June 6, when a priest of the diocese celebrated his 100^th birthday. A party was in order.

The guest of honor was Father William Jennings, the oldest and, at 73 years ordained, the longest-serving priest of the diocese. Guests included residents, employees and volunteers from the Jeanne Jugan Residence, where Father Jennings has lived for several years, as well as family and friends from throughout his priestly ministry. Read more »

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

From his early days as a member of St. Stanislaus Parish in Wilmington, Deacon Christopher Coffiey had the priesthood in mind. But when it was time to choose a high school, he went to Hodgson Vo-Tech, where he concentrated on heating and air conditioning, a far cry from souls and spirits.

“I had no aspirations or true inclinations to go right into the seminary, partly because I wasn’t really looking forward to going to school,” Deacon Coffiey said in the weeks prior to his ordination, which was scheduled for June 8 at the Cathedral of St. Peter. “I enjoy fixing things, working with my hands, working on cars, doing that kind of stuff.” Read more »