BRIDGEPORT—“How delighted we are to be celebrating these wonderful students,” said Holly Doherty-Lemoine, executive director of Foundations in Education.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano and Foundations in Education hosted the annual “Leaders of Tomorrow” breakfast reception for students, their parents and donors on Thursday, November 8 at the Read More ››

STAMFORD—The 177 Project is coming to the Diocese of Bridgeport on Friday, November 9 to the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford.

“The Basilica Parish is excited to host the 177 Project in its effort to spread and promote devotion to the Blessed Sacrament through Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—More than 1,000 people throughout the diocese attended the outdoor All Souls Day Masses held in six cemeteries today.

With a blustery autumn wind flapping the large white tents and maples trees lit by their fiery orange leaves, people joined in prayer for the repose of the Read More ››

NEWTOWN—St Rose of Lima Church hosted a film screening of Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane and a discussion, on October 22.

A description on the film’s website, lessonsfromaschoolshooting.com, explains, “Following the Peabody Award-winning Newtown documentary, Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane depicts Read More ››

My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

I write to you today to report the findings related to certain action items I communicated in my September 8, 2018 letter addressing the sexual abuse crisis as it has impacted our Diocese.

In my letter to the faithful, I announced Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—On Saturday, October 27, more than 150 people gathered for prayer at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport for Catholic Underground. Catholic Underground is a ministry started by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal that invites people to a time of Eucharistic Adoration including sung Vespers, or Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—“Many words have been said regarding the crime of sexual abuse of minors and the scandals that these crimes have produced, words that are needed to express our grief, anger and confusion. However, words alone are insufficient. The time for further action has come,” said Bishop Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—“We’re not watering down formation by using digital methods,” said Rose-Talbot Babey, director of parish engagement for the Diocese of Bridgeport. “The expectation is still high.”

The Office of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bridgeport hosted a “Quick Wins for Faith Formation” session on October 26, Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—The Catholic Church and all its members must get better at listening to young people, taking their questions seriously, recognizing them as full members of the church, patiently walking with them and offering guidance as they discern the best way to live their faith, the Read More ››

DANBURY—Over 300 people came out to the Amber Room Colonnade on October 25 to support the programs and services of Catholic Charities of Northern Fairfield County, including Behavioral Health, Community Support Program, Family Loan Program, Homeless Outreach Team, Housing, Morning Glory Breakfast Program and New Heights. Read More ››

RIVERSIDE—The Social Justice Committee of St. Catherine of Siena Church and Catholic Relief Services are hosting Catholic Relief Services Regional Director for Europe and the Middle East, Kevin Hartigan on Sunday, October 28.

All are invited to his presentation after the 10:30 am Mass. The presentation will Read More ››

ROME—Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, has become one of the most closely watched American prelates at a time when the Church in the United States is in full crisis mode, making it perhaps unsurprising that he was the first bishop to raise the issue of Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Notre Dame Fairfield Girls’ Soccer celebrated the accomplishments of their Senior players on Saturday, October 20th before their last regular season home game against Norwich Free Academy. Prior to the game, the five seniors and their families were announced during a pre-game ceremony. Speeches were read Read More ››

BROOKFIELD—Teacher Sarah Beck sits at a table in her classroom at St. Joseph’s with a handful of fifth—and sixth-graders, discussing subjects and predicates.

But across the room, other students are focused on different tasks. Some draw plot diagrams on their Chromebooks, while other students write personal narratives, Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—“Other than faith,” Bishop Frank Caggiano reminisced, “the gifts of how I was raised and who I was raised by are the greatest gifts I have ever received in my life.”

“The most inspiring people in my life were my two parents, without a doubt,” Caggiano Read More ››

NORWALK—The Blessing of Animals has become a much anticipated and favorite tradition at St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk to commemorate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi and commend our beloved pets to the protection of our heavenly Father.

Beginning at 3 pm last Sunday (October7) in Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—These days, one is hard-pressed to find people who speak positively about social media. In fact, a quick Google search of the term “social media” brings about doom-and-gloom articles discussing how social media have brought about the ruin of our institutions, turned us into antisocial scrollers Read More ››

DANBURY—Immaculate High School has enjoyed impressive growth in enrollment over the last few years. With a strong academic reputation as well as a thriving athletics program, the influx of talented student-athletes has resulted in recent State championships in boys basketball and girls track, SWC Championships for Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—Procuring an abortion is wrong, inhumane and like hiring a hit man “to fix a problem,” Pope Francis said.

It is a contradiction to allow for killing a human life in a mother’s womb “in the name of protecting other rights,” he said during his weekly Read More ››

STRATFORD—“Life changed when my mom signed me up for the McGivney Community Center” said Lehayla Cruz, a recent graduate of Mitchell College and McGivney Center alumna.

Over a hundred friends and supporters of the McGivney Center gathered at Vazzano’s Four Seasons Restaurant in Stratford on Thursday, October Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport said Thursday that the Church must discuss its sexual abuse crisis if it is to gain the trust of young people.

During his October 4 speech at the 2018 Synod of Bishops, Caggiano said that the Church must “continue to directly Read More ››

DANBURY—Patrick Higgins of Immaculate High School announced that Ryan Fanella ‘19 of New Milford has been named a Commended Student in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise by the National Merit Read More ››

INDONESIA—A Catholic Relief Services (CRS) team from Indonesia is on the ground in Palu, where a deadly earthquake and tsunami killed at least 1,400 people and left tens of thousands homeless. The local CRS team is working closely with our Caritas partner and additional teams have Read More ››

October 2 is the memorial of the Guardian Angels in the liturgy. Here are 8 things to know and share about the angels it celebrates . . .

1) What is a guardian angel?

A guardian angel is an angel (a created, non-human, non-corporeal being) that has been assigned Read More ››

ROME—The future of the Catholic Church is with the young, which is why Pope Francis has called bishops from all over the world to meet in Rome October 3-28 for a synod on young people. If the church cannot attract and keep young people, it has Read More ››

GREENWICH—Polpo Restaurant Greenwich hosted donors of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport at a sparkling dinner held the evening of September 25. Over 50 donors to the Academy joined together for the event. The school serves more than 900 students in the City of Bridgeport and encompasses Read More ››

DANBURY—The “40 Days for Life Vigil” will be observed within the Diocese of Bridgeport from September 26 to November 4.

“Our community will unite with many others from coast to coast—and internationally—for a major simultaneous pro-life mobilization—the 40 Days for Life campaign,” said Christine Murphy of Danbury Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit will be the featured speaker at the 2018 Red Mass and Breakfast that will take place on Sunday, October 14, 9 am at the Egan Chapel of Fairfield University, 1073 N. Benson Road, Read More ››

Click here to read Bishop’s letter in English.

Click here to read Bishop’s letter in Spanish.

NEWTOWN—St. Rose School showed tremendous spirit and marched in the annual Newtown Labor Day Parade. Leading up to this event a few industrious school families constructed a float that replicated the original school building and filled it with antique desks, a chalkboard and all things of Read More ››

STAMFORD—Last spring, a passionate group of men and women entered into Superintendent of Catholic Schools Steve Cheeseman’s office with a dream: opening up a new school dedicated to classical and affordable Catholic education.

They sought approval from Dr. Cheeseman, and then presented their idea to Bridgeport Bishop Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—The Diocese of Bridgeport has launched “The Face of Prayer 2.0” an online video catechism based on the questions and concerns young people have about the Church and their faith.

The newly designed website and video catechism went live on September 8, 2018, the Nativity of the Read More ››

DANBURY—The Annual Diocesan Blue Mass honoring Fire, Police and First Responders will be held on Sunday, September 9, 10:30 am at St. Joseph Church, 370 Main Street in Danbury.

A reception immediately following Mass will be held in the school gym on the parish grounds.

The Mass will Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—On Saturday, August 25th, the Athletic Association hosted its first Welcome Back event. The purpose of this event was to welcome new families to Notre Dame and welcome back athletes and coaches at the start of the fall sports season. The event was free to all Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—In response to national priest sexual abuse, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will lead a Holy Hour with Rosary and a Mass of Reparation and Purification on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Saturday, September 15th, at the Cathedral of St. Augustine, 399 Washington Avenue in Read More ››

TRUMBULL—“Most of us think that these things happen somewhere else…but it happened to my family, and it can happen to anyone,” a survivor shared her story of her experience with abuse at a young age.

The Office of Safe Environments held a VIRTUS training session on Thursday, Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—One of the major challenges for victims of sexual abuse who have come forward in the past has been getting people to listen to them, to believe their stories and to respect the suffering and pain they’ve experienced.

A recent Catholic News Service story reported that sexual Read More ››

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement after a series of meetings with members of the USCCB’s Executive Committee and other bishops. The following statement includes three goals and three principles, along Read More ››

WASHINGTON—Sexual assault victims say they were hurt not only by individual priests, but by church officials and ordinary Catholics who treated them with intolerance and indifference.

Four survivors of sexual assaults by priests shared their stories with Catholic News Service. They are: Jim VanSickle and Mike McDonnell Read More ››

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience Read More ››

STAMFORD—Every first Saturday of the month at Saint Gabriel Parish in Stamford, 30-40 devotees gather to pray 2000 Hail Marys between 6:00 am and 4:00 pm in the St. Philip Neri Chapel to “honor and praise the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” says coordinator, Tess Senerador of Read More ››

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is hosting a series of meetings this week responding to the broader issue of safe environments within the Church. An update will be offered upon their conclusion.
In response to today’s Pennsylvania Read More ››

WESTPORT—On Thursday evening, October 11th, Shepherds, a mentoring and scholarship non-profit based in Bridgeport, will celebrate 20 years of “changing students lives” with a gala at The Inn at Longshore in Westport. The evening will feature highly respected TV journalist and co-anchor of ABC News’ Nightline, Read More ››

TRUMBULL—St. Catherine of Siena School (SCSS), a private Catholic school for students in pre-K through 8th grade, will be conducting its inaugural Apple Run/Walk 5K / Candy Apple Kids Fun, on Saturday, September 15, at 200 Shelton Road in the historic Nichols area of Trumbull, Connecticut. Read More ››

WESTON—The Catholic Young Adults of Greater Danbury (CYAGD) organized and hosted the 3rd Annual “Summer Splash” on Sunday, August 5, at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Weston. Father John Connaughton of St. Thomas More parish in Darien celebrated the Mass accompanied by very moving live Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Caggiano is calling youth and young adults ages 18 and older to join him from January 21-28, 2019 to travel on pilgrimage to Panama for World Youth Day 2019, extending Pope Francis’ invitation to all young people of the Church to attend.

World Youth Day provides Read More ››

IOWA CITY, Iowa (CNS)—Davenport Bishop Thomas R. Zinkula made a confession during the final “RAGBRAI Mass” at St. Mary Catholic Church in Iowa City: “I have a love-hate relationship with RAGBRAI.”

Many of the 250 at the evening Mass July 27 could relate. They had bicycled 360 Read More ››

WASHINGTON (CNS)—U.S. Catholic church leaders have been calling for an internal investigation into the handling of allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct against Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick and urging such an inquiry be spearheaded by laypeople.

“I think we have reached a point where bishops alone investigating Read More ››

STAMFORD—“He’ll do anything for the kids,” says Executive Director John Gutman, of Chef Michael Arditti. The New Covenant Center Chef has been preparing and cooking the weekday meals for two years for the kids and moms at Inspirica House (shelter) in Stamford.

This week Michael donned his Read More ››

10th Annual Fairfield County Pray-For-Peace Walk

Since 2008, Al has hosted numerous Pray-for-Peace Walks covering more than 4,000 miles. Hundreds have participated and thousands received the Pray-for-Peace Message.

Recently, on June 30th, 50 of Prayer Walkers wearing PRAY-4-PEACE shirts walked from Grand Central Station to Yankee Stadium for Read More ››

NORWALK—“Oh pray tell—what is this neume?” asked David Hughes jovially, melodically, as he held up a paper covered in rectangles and lines.

“A torculus!” cried a chorus of small voices gathered in the yard of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.

And what is a neume, you may well Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Elizabeth Clyons of Trumbull has been named Communications Associate in the Office of Communications of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

She will work as a staff writer and editor for Fairfield County Catholic and the diocesan website, and also report for the various diocesan social media platforms including Read More ››

TRUMBULL—St Joseph High School, striving to be southern Connecticut’s premier college preparatory school, is proud to announce that Kevin Wielk ’95 has been hired to serve as the new varsity head coach for boys basketball.

Kevin is a graduate of St Joseph High School (Class of 1995) Read More ››

Trevor Kelly thought his destiny was to be a rock star.

His mother, his father, his grandparents, his aunts, his uncles and his cousins, said he was meant to be a priest.

They were right. He was wrong.

Trevor, who teaches theology at St. Joseph High School and played Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—Building on the development of Catholic Church teaching against capital punishment, Pope Francis has ordered a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to assert “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” and Read More ››

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement noting the steps the U.S. Bishops Conference will take in addressing the failures of the Church in protecting the people of God.

Cardinal DiNardo’s full Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Dr. Steven Cheeseman, Superintendent of Catholic School in the Diocese of Bridgeport has announced the new principals for St. Aloysius School in New Canaan, and St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown.

Dr. Alfone Named Principal of St. Aloysius School

NEW CANAAN—Dr. John R. Alfone has been named Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—In describing the international sport of rugby, Pope Francis has said, “It makes us think of life, because our whole life we are heading for a goal. We need to run together, pass the ball from hand to hand, until we get to it. Playing rugby Read More ››

NEW HAVEN—The Knights of Columbus is urging its members and Catholics to join the U.S. bishops in a nationwide Novena for the Legal Protection of Human Life on each Friday from August 3 to September 28.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has invited people of Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—He was a soldier who became a saint, creating a religious order that helped reform the Church and spread the Gospel to every corner of the world. As we celebrate today the feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Catholic Charities of Fairfield County caseworker Maria Palacios has joined a humanitarian team working on the Texas border to respond to the needs of families being served by the Humanitarian Respite Center. During her 9-day journey Palacios is working alongside other caseworkers at the request of Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Construction is under way for two additional residence halls that will make up the residence village on Sacred Heart University’s Upper Quad—formerly the site of Jewish Senior Services. The first of what is anticipated to be six halls—housing more than 900 students—opened early this year. It Read More ››

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—What does it mean to be an analog Christian in a digital world?

A digital clock shows every minute separately, each abrupt and independent from the one before and the one after. An analog clock, however, displays time as an unbroken relationship, each minute depending on Read More ››

Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson, or better known as Chef Patrick, grew-up cooking for his younger sister. Now, after a career filled with all sorts of accomplishments and awards, he is still cooking for kids. On July 30th, Chef Patrick will perform a cooking demonstration for the Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Maria Palacios, a member of the Catholic Charities of Fairfield County (CCFC) Immigration Team, departed today for the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas where she will join a national Catholic Charities relief effort for immigrants.

As the federal immigration detention and release practices are rapidly shifting Read More ››

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to represent the United States at the upcoming XV Ordinary General Assembly: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. The Synod will take place October 3-28.

The delegates are:

· Cardinal Daniel N. Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—The summer that a person graduates from high school marks the beginning of one of the first big transitions of their life. All over the country, teenagers are looking at these next few months as their first taste of freedom, or a looming period of the Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—The Sacred Heart University Audiology Clinic has opened its doors to the Bridgeport community and invites area residents to make an appointment to get their hearing loss diagnosed and treated.

The full-service clinic delivers hearing health care for individuals across the lifespan, while providing SHU speech-language pathology Read More ››