By Kathleen Clancy Lozinak
For many practicing Catholics, attending Mass is not merely a Sunday obligation—it is a daily anchor. But in an era of shifting work hours, busy family schedules and streamlined parish timetables, staying faithful to a daily liturgical routine often means looking beyond the nearest church or even one’s home diocese.
Across “the Valley,” a dedicated subculture of daily Mass-goers regularly ventures out of their home parish and even their diocese, curating a weekly worship routine based on schedules, commute routes and family obligations.
Monday morning mass at 7 am at St. Joseph Parish in Shelton signals the start of a work week for many up and down the Route 8 corridor. Many attendees are active parishioners, but many are from other parishes on their way to work. And 9 am mass at St. Lawrence might be the norm for a retired couple or a special treat on a day off, providing both the chance to sleep in and meet up with Jesus in the Eucharist. St. Margaret Mary in Shelton provides a special opportunity for Mass and Adoration at 8 am on a Monday morning and is located just two miles from St. Joseph’s.
On any given day, the combination of Mass attendees may be different at these churches located no more than a few miles apart. All these times may seem a bit confusing but not to the Catholics of Shelton and the surrounding area. One attendee compares it to the local train schedule and says, “You choose which Mass works best for you each day.”
Father Michael Dogali, pastor of St. Joseph’s, notes that the timing of Masses is not random. “There was a concerted effort to accommodate the Catholics of the area,” he said.
The pastors of the region were extremely purposeful in the scheduling of Masses, as well as other events and worship opportunities. He shared that it is quite a blessing to be part of a deanery that works so cooperatively to manage the opportunities available for Catholics to worship and spend time with Jesus and each other.
Even across the river, Catholics from the Archdiocese of Hartford often avail themselves of the proximity of worship options in Shelton, but the bridge runs two ways. Diocese of Bridgeport Catholics can be found in Derby at 8 am on a Saturday morning or 7 pm on a Monday night, where Mass and novena are taking place at St. Michael the Archangel. Morning Mass is also offered at 8 am four days a week at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Parish and St. Joseph’s mother church.
The “church hoppers” take advantage of these opportunities. They look to the Eucharist as their daily source of strength, and they don’t take it for granted. Many Catholics from the diocese have lived in or traveled to places where Catholic churches are few and far between.
Even with modern technology, which makes it easy to search Mass times, finding a morning liturgy in many parts of the country can be a challenge. In many regions, priests travel between multiple parishes, making “daily Mass” a luxury reserved for only one or two days a week. When away from home, those seeking daily Communion often need to drive 20 to 30 minutes or more.
Living in the Valley, however, offers a different reality. This region, like many in the Diocese of Bridgeport, is blessed with a dense, thriving network of parishes, dedicated priests and welcoming faith communities. The ability to structure one’s day around the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—without having to rearrange your entire schedule or drive for miles—is a gift that should not be taken for granted.
Catholics of the region, and other areas of the diocese are encouraged to take a moment to access one of the many online tools that literally pinpoint Catholic churches and provide their Mass times. Each dot represents an open door, a dedicated shepherd and a chance to receive Our Lord. It is a blessing worth celebrating, and above all, one worth taking advantage of.
(Kathleen Clancy Lozinak is a wife, mother, grandmother and teacher. She is a parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Shelton where she regularly attends morning Mass. She can also be found at Saturday morning Mass at St. Michael in Derby or St. Lawrence in Shelton if she wants to sleep in.
