By Joe Pisani
BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano says one of the most important goals of the 2024 One in Christ Appeal is to provide for the formation and support of our clergy, “who have a unique role in accompanying the people of God on their journey of faith as spiritual fathers.”
“Your gifts build up Christ’s body in our local church by encouraging vocational discernment for future generations, supporting seminarian and diaconate formation, and providing ongoing formation and retreats for our priests so that we may have holy ministers serving the people of God,” Bishop Caggiano said. “Your gifts will also support priests in their retirement, caring for their health and well-being while enabling them to continue living and proclaiming the Gospel.”
The One in Christ Appeal, which has an $8 million goal, will also provide for works of charity, formation in faith, education and catechesis.
Bishop Caggiano said, “The One in Christ Appeal supports the diocesan ministries, programs and agencies that deliver the pastoral care and human services that no single parish can provide on its own.”
Father Christopher Ford serves as the vocations and seminarians director of the diocese in addition to being director of campus ministry and chaplain to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.
Commenting on the importance of the Bishop’s Appeal, he said, “We are very blessed—but we need to be blessed more. The reality is that we don’t just need priests. We need priests who are men who have a real sense of themselves and who have a heart that is truly formed and configured to Christ. Priests are not just functionaries—they are meant to be the continuation of the presence of God, and that is why we are servants of the Eucharist.”
Father Ford stressed the importance of excellent formation.
“It’s not just a matter of having priests, it’s a matter of having really well-formed priests who can serve the people of God and the mysteries of salvation well,” he said. “We send them to fantastic seminaries, and it costs money. But it is an investment not just in their formation now, but an investment in the Church and an investment in the Gospel. These are the guys who will continue to proclaim the Gospel decades down the road.”
Currently, 10 men are studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, two at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, one at St. John XXIII National Seminary in Massachusetts, and 12 at Redemptoris Mater in Stamford.
“We ask people a lot—especially to support the seminarians, the priests and the deacons—but we recognize the generosity is there,” he said. “We would not be able to do the things we have already done without the prayers, without the support and without the receptivity and generosity of the people of God. We’re confident of the love people have for their Church, we’re confident of the love people have for priests and we’re confident of the love they have for God. So we ask with confidence, but more importantly, we ask with gratitude because we know the generosity is there.”
Several current and future members of the clergy expressed their appreciation for the support of the Appeal and shared their own stories about bringing Jesus to people and people to Jesus.
“My decision to enter seminary came in response to the gradual revelation of God’s love for me as an individual and the reality that he alone can satisfy the desires of my heart,” said Salvatore J. Orosz, a seminarian at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. “Nothing else fills me with purpose, fulfillment, and peace than the thought of being a priest. To quote St. Teresa of Avila, ‘Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.’ Jesus has shown me the purpose for which I was created: him, and only him. I cannot think of a more sublime privilege and worthy use of a man’s life than winning souls for Jesus Christ.”
Monsignor William J. Scheyd, Vicar of Senior Priests, was ordained 1965 and is in charge of the Catherine Dennis Keefe Queen of the Clergy Residence in Stamford.
“In my 58 years of ministry as a priest, I have always sought to bring the love and mercy of Jesus to all I was called to serve, through the grace of God and direction of the Holy Spirit,” Monsignor Scheyd said. “Serving Jesus, the Son of God, is a unique calling and a vocation beyond the expectation of ordinary life experiences. What more fulfilling work can there be than serving our God in caring for his people! Hopefully, more young people will realize what real fulfillment there is in walking with the Lord in his priesthood. Yes, it is very challenging in these times, but it also is contributing to making this world a better place.”
The Diaconate Formation Program also benefits from the Appeal with the goal of forming ministers of word, liturgy and charity. Structured around the four pillars of human, spiritual, academic, and pastoral dimensions of formation, the program consists of a six-month aspirancy, followed by four years of theological formation, and three years of continuing formation after ordination.
Deacon John DiTaranto, the director of the diaconate and temporary parochial administrator of Notre Dame Parish in Easton, was ordained 16 years ago and has been active ever since. This past year he has seen an unprecedented number of men expressing interest in being accepted into diaconate formation. Eight more men began on April 6 and because of the continued interest, Bishop Caggiano will accept another cohort next year, when there could be up to 10 more aspirants.
“You can see how fabulous this is,” Deacon DiTaranto says. “Because of the interest, we will need more resources, which is why the Appeal is so important. The support will help us stay above water to keep the formation effective.”
He attributes the overwhelming interest to men witnessing the work of deacons in their parishes and in ministries throughout the diocese.
“These men are anxious to come in and serve the people of our diocese,” he says, “It’s more than volunteer work; there is a spiritual benefit to it, and they are truly being called to serve the faithful in community.”
In the future many of the newly ordained will have diocesan roles in addition to their work in parishes, so they can spread their gifts and talents more widely across the faithful, he said, by assignments in high schools, prisons, hospitals and the Thomas Merton Family Center.
Deacon DiTaranto, who celebrated his 30th anniversary on March 22 with his wife Maureen, said the married life offers deacons another perspective in understanding the spiritual and pastoral needs of the faithful.
Edward Carrillo is a fourthyear diaconate candidate, who anticipates his ordination in June. He credits his participation in the program with sustaining his family during a period of tragic crisis.
“During the pandemic, I lost my daughter and first-born child to COVID-19, and my son nearly succumbed to the same illness,” he said. “I can affirm with faith and love towards God that if it had not been for the Diaconate Program, my family and I would not have made it through. Because of God, the love, prayers, and assistance of our diaconate program family, and our bishop and parish community, we are here today, persevering and looking forward to serving others. When we serve with unconditional love and humility toward those in most need, we accomplish our mission of becoming the link that allows us to come together as One in Christ.”
Deacon John Mahon, who is assigned to St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown, says that deacons are a bridge between priests and bishops and parishioners in the pew, “helping to bring all of us together as One in Christ.”
“The mission of the Church —the people of God—is to lead the world to eternal salvation, to enable all people to answer the universal call to holiness,” he said. “Only deacons routinely receive all seven sacraments, including both sacraments of service—as husbands, permanent deacons are charged to help their wives get to heaven; as deacons, they are charged to help all to get to heaven, and they provide this help not only to parishioners but also to the people they work with every day.”
Pamela S. Rittman, Director of Development and the Bishop’s Appeal, said: “We are grateful to the many priests who have made an enormous impact on our lives, providing insight and guidance in our spiritual journey. They have ministered to us in times of great challenge, sorrow and in life’s most joyful moments.”
In appreciation of permanent deacons and seminarians, she added, “Our ordained permanent deacons are a vital and a life-giving addition to our parishes, providing inspiration, deep joy and mutual support to pastors and parishioners alike. Their creative energies and talents minister to us all. Through the commitment of our seminarians, their years of study and personal discernment as they prepare for religious life, they join priests and deacons in bringing the Gospel to all and serving. They are true gifts from God.”
