ELYSBURG, Pa. — Dozens of people filled the hall of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Elysburg for a special evening mass to meet the new bishop. Among them was Mary Snyder from Kulpmont.
"He's a very interesting, down-to-earth Bishop. He wants to know everybody, he wants to know everybody's community what we're doing here, and it's an honor," said Mary Snyder, Kulpmont.
In late June, Bishop Timothy Senior was brought in to serve as the 12th bishop for the Diocese of Harrisburg. This stop in Northumberland County is part of his tour of parishes in the diocese.
"Harrisburg is comprised of 15 counties, and I want to get out to get to know those county get to know geography but even more important, the parishes and beyond that, the people in the parishes to get a sense of their history, the culture, their traditions," said Bishop Timothy Senior, Diocese of Harrisburg.
Serving a diocese that has a history spanning more than 150 years, Bishop Senior says it's important for him to get out, listen to churchgoers, and help rebuild any lost faith in the community, "So I want to come to inspire and encourage people and get them, hopefully even more excited about living their faith."
"Oh, all of us were very honored. Very happy to know that he picked our parish on this tour," said Anna Deane, Elysburg.
Having been a member of the diocese for more than 35 years, Anna Deane says she's excited for her new bishop and hopes he instills some of the same values she grew up with, "I'm an old-fashioned type of a Catholic, I'm not saying I need the mass to go back to Latin, but certain things that we did before that I just don't feel that the young ones get to see in this day in age."
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