Welcome to our rural parish of about 675 households. We live in more than seven townships of northern Lackawanna and southern Susquehanna counties in Pennsylvania. We've been called "the parish with the big heart" and our motto is Building God's Community. Our mission statement expresses our call:

As disciples of Jesus Christ
we the members of St John Vianney Parish
join together to proclaim God's Word
celebrate the sacraments
and serve others with compassion and generosity.

Authenticity, Compassion, Discipleship, Generosity, Hospitality, Stewardship

Provide multiple avenues of faith formation for all.

• To appoint an adult faith formation director.
• To provide a parish-based retreat or other opportunities for a closer encounter with Jesus Christ.
• To offer regular faith-sharing opportunities.
• To offer educational opportunities about our faith and its application to everyday life.
• To provide ongoing catechist formation.
• To create a 50-50 covenant between parents and the parish to share responsibilities for the faith formation of their children.
• To create space appropriate for adult and intergenerational faith formation sessions.

Build a welcoming community and encourage engagement in worship, service, and other parish activities.

• To conduct liturgical catechesis about the Mass and the sacraments.
• To form a Hospitality Committee that welcomes parish newcomers and all who arrive for weekend Mass.
• To build a singing assembly.
• To invite parishioners to participate in parish ministries.

Give living witness to the Gospel through our daily lives and by serving those in need.

• To promote an attitude of stewardship.
• To enable parishioners to give witness in action by connecting them with volunteer opportunities.
• To develop support systems for those who are grieving, divorced, or elderly.

If you read our parish mission on bulletin or the About page, you know that we understand we've been called together to proclaim God's Word, celebrate the sacraments, and serve others. Our parish invites all our households to join with the pastor, staff, and lay leaders as partners in this mission. Let us truly celebrate Mass and the sacraments as a community. Nourished by the Eucharist and realizing community support, we can generously and compassionately serve others.

In a Partnership Agreement statement, we have listed what St John Vianney Parish pledges to contribute as an equal partner with you--what you can expect from us.  Our basic pledge is to help you deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. We are committed to offering opportunities for all to worship, grow, connect in community, and serve meaningfully.

WORSHIP: Catholic liturgy, especially the Eucharist, is the center of our parish life and we pledge to

• Offer dynamic Sunday Eucharist that fosters full, active, and conscious participation;
• Provide solid preaching that explains the Scriptures in ordinary language and connects it to everyday life;
• Make the Triduum (Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday) central to our year;
• Provide the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick;
• Offer prayer and devotions such as Eucharistic adoration on First Fridays, Stations of the Cross in Lent, intercessory prayer, and the rosary before Mass during October and May.

• Religious education, summer Catholic Kidz Camp, and Youth Group;
• Bible study and other small group learning and faith-sharing opportunities;
• Parish Mission or other spiritual renewal experience;
• Online resources (stjvp.org links, FORMED) and access to the parish library;
• Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA, RCIC).

• Parish festivals and fund raising events (e.g., Harvest Festival, BBQ, rummage sale);
• Conversation over food in conjunction with liturgy or other activities;
• Parish website, Facebook, Twitter, Flocknote, weekly bulletin.

SERVE: We glorify God by lovingly and compassionately serving those in need. Opportunities to use gifts and talents to serve others include

• Ministries such as Welcome team, mailing helpers, choir, and intercessory prayer team;
• Various collections for people with financial difficulties;
• Mother’s Day carnation sale to benefit Pennsylvanians for Human Life;
• Earth day highway cleanup;
• Care of our facilities through Buildings & Grounds Committee and financial contributions;
• Lay leadership opportunities (Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council,  committees and projects).

Our Partnership Agreement also describes the parish's expectations of parishioner-partners--what you give to St John Vianney Parish. God has given each one of us incredible gifts, whatever we need to do what God asks of us. With abilities and resources comes a responsibility to use them to build God’s community in the home, the parish, and the world. You give much to the parish by being the best person and the best family you can be. As a household your commitment to worship, grow, connect, and serve is essential to our partnership in mission.

WORSHIP: You praise God and grow closer with Christ by

• Making presence and active participation in Sunday Mass a priority;
• Encouraging one another to pray daily and read Scripture;
• Offering one another a simple blessing such as “Good night, God bless you, and I love you” every night before bed;
• Participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year.

• Participating in a parish educational program such as Bible study;
• Taking part in one spiritual event such as the Parish Mission or Stations of the Cross;
• Reading one spiritual book or subscribing to a Catholic magazine;
• Joining a small prayer or faith-sharing group;
• Faithfully attending children’s religious education sessions.

• Treating others with kindness and respect;
• Eating at least one weekly meal together at home, free of electronic distractions, talking and listening to one another, cooking together, lingering at the table for a while, and cleaning up together;
• Greeting and showing hospitality to people at church, including those you don’t know;
• Attending at least one parish social function every year.

SERVE: You show Jesus’ presence through acts of love , serving as individuals or a family through a parish ministry such as

• Welcome Team
• Mailing helpers
• Music ministry (choir, song leader, instrumentalist)
• Intercessory prayer team
• Volunteering during a parish function
• Providing food for a parish event
• Assisting with a parish service project

Will you be an active partner with the parish in carrying out the mission handed on to us by Christ?
We invite you to join in our Partnership Agreement.

As partners in mission we will use our gifts and strengths in these four ways:

• Worship: Deepen our relationship with Christ through personal prayer, by making Sunday Mass a priority, and by regularly participating in the sacraments;
• Grow: Deepen our understanding of our faith and become better disciples by taking part in at least one parish spiritual or educational offering during the year;
• Connect: Deepen our relationship with Christ’s body, the Church, by getting to know one another better;
• Serve: Deepen the image of Jesus in us by imitating him who came among us not to be served but to serve, offering some specific volunteer work.

As a sign of our partnership, parish households complete a commitment card during Mass every September and we reserve the cards in the sanctuary after you seal your card in an envelope. We ask you to write your address on the front of your envelope so that we can mail your card a year later, before our annual Partnership Agreement renewal.

If you have not completed a Partnership Agreement commitment card, download the Partnership Agreement and talk it over with the other members of your household. Download, print, and sign the commitment card (you can cut it to 3.5" x 6 3/8"). Place your card in an envelope (#6 3/4 is fine), seal it, print your name and address in the "mail to" area, and drop it in the collection basket with a note attached (or in a larger envelope) saying "Partnership Agreement commitment card." Your card will be placed with the others in the sanctuary.