Father Paul McDonnell prepares his cellphone to broadcast daily Mass live via Facebook at the chapel at the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary, Laflin. Father Paul performs Mass each day at noon.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Priest returns to Oblates from California
Father Paul McDonnell celebrates Mass at the Oblates of St. Joseph, Laflin, with his personal cellphone doubling as the camera for a live shot.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Few attend daily Mass at the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary while practicing social distancing and mask-wearing.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Modern technoloy such as using a cellphone allows Father Paul McDonnell to broadcast Mass live via the internet around the world.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Father Paul McDonnell, now in his 29th year as a Roman Catholic priest, prepares to hold Mass at the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary last week.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
LAFLIN – It’s been eight years since Father Paul McDonnell hung his hat at the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary and now that he completed two terms as the provincial superior of the Holy Spouses Province based in California, the West Pittston native is back home.
He’s rolling up his sleeves and ready to take the Oblates into the future.
Father Paul has settled in at his Oblates residence, returning to Greater Pittston in the first week of July after living at Santa Cruz, Calif., the provincial headquarters for all Oblates priests in the United States.
“I’m getting re-acclimated, and I’ve been gone for almost eight years,” Father Paul stated. “I got my old job back, my old office and my old room and a lot of things have happened in eight years. I’m looking to renew the vision and look at our future goal and how this building and facility and grounds be of service to the general public.”
Since Father Paul been back, he’s had to reevaluate the status of the Oblates, building and grounds, happily reporting the infrastructure of the building is doing well where the roof and boiler have been done in recent years.
“When I got back we needed to look at the overall vision of the building,” Father Paul said. “There’s a lot of potential here, a lot of ground that can be developed. There could be senior living housing here, hospice care, there could be a mini clinic, there could be a lot of things that fit our mission.”
Even though Father Paul is looking at all avenues for the future of the Oblates, he still wants to maintain the chapel and the religious presences of the Oblates.
The Oblates, located off of Rt. 315, sits on 20 acres of land, houses a chapel, a full-size gym, classrooms, a full-size kitchen, a dinning room, a conference hall, administrative suites as well as nine bedroom suites.
“We’d want something fitting whether it be in education or healthcare or something that has a social justice dimension,” Father Paul added.
Oblates priests Alvaro de Oliveiria Joaquim, O.S.J.; Jackson Pinherio, O.S.J.; Joseph Sibilano, O.S.J; Raymond Tabon, O.S.J.; and McDonnell, occupy five of the nine bedroom suites. Father Alvaro will be departing this fall to return to his native South America.
At one time, the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary occupied four churches in Greater Pittston: St. Rocco (now defunct), St. Anthony (now St. Barbara), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (now St. Joseph Marello), the Oblates and Holy Annunciation, Hazleton. Holy Annunciation and the Oblates are the only ones left in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
One piece of California Father Paul has introduced to Greater Pittston is livestreaming Mass at noon daily.
Since Aug. 3, Father Paul began videoing Mass live on Facebook (www.facebook.com/osjseminary) and also on the Oblates’ website (www.osjseminary.com).
“Livestreaming Mass is working out well and it’s a nice way to connect with not only the local people, but we have a nice connection with the California people,” Father Paul admitted. “We have the Mass at noon here so the California people can watch at 9 a.m. on the West Coast. It’s a great way of staying connected to the Lord, but also staying connected to each other.”
Father Paul said technology has played a big role since the outbreak of COVID-19 by watching the livestreaming from the chapel at the Oblates. What would have cost thousands of dollars to stream a live event online is now done via Father Paul’s cellphone.
As for the future of the St. Joseph Oblates Seminary, look for changes to come as Father Paul along with his Oblates superiors decide the direction.
“In the meantime, we’ll keep at it, we’ll maintain the building, we’ll keep it operational, we’ll keep it for spiritual, educational and athletic purposes, but I’d like to think the Lord has something else in mind,” Father Paul admits.
“Coming home is just an amazing feeling, especially coming home to Greater Pittston where we are all an extended family and everybody knows everybody,” Father Paul said. “I didn’t have that in California and when I’d tell people they’re of our connections here, they were just enthralled by the stories of back home.”
“It’s a blessing to be back home to be close with my parents again, and it’s a great gift and to be able to service the people of our area that have given me so much love, prayers and support.”
