The St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Scranton marked a tradition Sunday that went unrecognized at other Roman Catholic churches.
The Festival of Nine Lesson and Carols, marked by reading and song, is an Anglican service and celebration that underscores the unique status of the newest Roman Catholic church in the area.
Most of the members had been Episcopalian until 2005, when the Rev. Eric Bergman and his congregation left the Episcopalian fold and began the process of becoming Roman Catholic. The Rev. Bergman, now ordained a Catholic priest, leads the unique congregation that made its new home at the former St. Joseph's Church on North Main Avenue in North Scranton.
The parish follows some Anglican traditions but is part of a regional Catholic diocese. One of those traditions is the festival, modeled after a ceremony begun at King's College in Cambridge in 1918.
This is the first time the congregation marked the service at its new home, having moved into the former St. Joseph's parish in August after $200,000 in renovations.
Mary Elizabeth Williams is pleased with the new church home, finding it beautiful and offering much more space than their past home.
The building still needs work. The parish has yet to obtain the St. Joseph's statue. The original moved with St. Joseph's parishioners to Holy Rosary Church. Also, there is limited access for the disabled, and the church needs to build a ramp.
The Rev. Bergman is gratified to see the congregation growing, picking up other Protestant converts. The number of pending confirmations is high.
Like all of the services now held at the church, fellowship is expected. The festival was followed by a potluck supper. Dimes were hidden under three random slices of pound cake, and those who found them were designated the "kings" of the Nativity story and crowned.
Parishioner Sandy Campbell, balancing her baby, Ann, on her hip as she put a heavy tray of food into the oven, said there's nothing else she'd rather be doing.
"The people here are my family - my church family," she said.
Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com