St. Joseph Marello
LAFLIN – A special Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Joseph, 1880 Route 315, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, in honor of St. Joseph Marello, founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph.
Guest celebrant and homilist will be Rev. Joseph G. Elston, pastor of St. Joseph Marello Parish, William Street, Pittston. Oblate Fathers will serve as concelebrants of the Mass. The Mass is being celebrated in conjunction with the weekly novena to St. Joseph which is held every Wednesday evening at the seminary chapel. A social will follow the liturgy in the community room and all are invited.
St. Joseph Marello (1844-1895) lived in the Asti region of Italy and was ordained a diocesan priest in 1868. While serving as secretary to his bishop, 10 years later he founded a small group of men dedicated to humbly serve the local church in imitation of St. Joseph.
This small group was the start of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, which now serves in 18 countries throughout the world and has served in the Diocese of Scranton since 1929. He eventually was appointed Bishop of Acqui, a nearby diocese to Asti, and died at the young age of 50 after tireless dedication to his people. He was canonized a saint by Pope St. John Paul II in 2001.
