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 ››

FAIRFIELD—The St. Pius X Knights Of Columbus Council #16347 in Fairfield is pleased to announce that Braden Moore has won the 14-Year-Old division of the Knights of Columbus State Free Throw Competition, held at St. Paul’s High School in Bristol. Braden, an 8th grade student at Read More ››

MASSACHUSETTS—“I urge you to be part of a community of faith that can sustain you and nurture your sense of purpose,” said Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston at the Steubenville East Conference held last weekend.

Around 3,000 teens gathered in Lowell, MA, for the conference, which included Read More ››

Dear Friends of Quest for Peace and Covenant House Casa Alianza in Nicaragua:

These weeks we have been witnessing with great anguish the violence and anarchy that has erupted in Nicaragua which has set the government and its paramilitaries against students, workers, the poor and the Catholic Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—The St. Margaret Shrine in Bridgeport might be the only large-scale shrine in the United States dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch, a late third-century/early fourth-century martyr whose feast was formerly July 20 (she was among some saints removed in 1969 from the liturgical calendar to Read More ››

MERIDEN—Saint Francis of Assisi said, “It is not fitting, when one is in God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.” The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist not only lived this instruction of Brother Francis, but helped the Seminarians of the Diocese understand Read More ››

WINNEBAGO—A few weeks ago, I went with my youth group from Saint Aloysius Parish in New Canaan on a mission trip to Nebraska. For an entire week, we did service work on the Native American Reservation of Winnebago.

Our time with the people of the Omaha and Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—It’s summertime, and the fishing is easy! At least it was on the beautiful day recently for adults in the day program of St. Catherine Academy.

The adult students enjoyed a morning of recreation at the pond on Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens in Westport, followed by lunch on Read More ››

BRIDGEPORT—Loyola Press is partnering with the Diocese of Bridgeport Office of Faith Formation and The Leadership Institute to bring several speakers to the area for all those who share the faith as catechists and youth ministers.

The first day will serve as a kick-off meeting for all Read More ››

KENT—Former Fairfield County Catholic photographer John Glover, 64, passed away suddenly last Friday in his home in Kent.

A full obituary including funeral arrangements will be released as it becomes available.

Glover joined Fairfield County Catholic in 1998 as staff photographer at the invitation of Dr. Joseph McAleer, Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Sacred Heart University has assumed operations of St. Vincent’s College, effective July 2, merging the valuable resources of two of the region’s longstanding, venerable learning institutions. “Sacred Heart University and St. Vincent’s College are two institutions with a strong Catholic identity and similar missions and core Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Fourteen nurses in Ghana are earning their master’s degrees and will be able to educate student nurses and improve patient outcomes, thanks to an innovative, tuition-free partnership with Sacred Heart University.

The partnership between SHU’s College of Nursing and Ghana’s Holy Family Nursing & Midwifery Training College Read More ››

DANBURY—In addition to providing a hot and healthy meal to the hungry and homeless in the Danbury area on a daily basis, the Morning Glory Breakfast Program of Catholic Charities also operates a Marketplace.

“The Morning Glory Marketplace is a unique non-food pantry program that provides items Read More ››

VATICAN CITY—Catholics have no reason to fear death, because Christ the Lord has power over death; instead, they should fear sin, which hardens and kills the soul, Pope Francis said Sunday.

“Jesus is the Lord, and before Him physical death is like sleep: there is no reason Read More ››

MCALLEN, Texas—The bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States have for weeks expressed outrage and condemned the government’s recent practice of separating children from a parent or a family member if they’re caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without legal documentation.

On July 1, led by Read More ››

WILTON—Our Lady of Fatima School-Wilton held its commencement exercises on Friday evening, June 15th for its graduating Eighth Grade Class. The event included a Mass offered by Our Lady of Fatima Pastor, Reverend Reginald Norman, followed by a reception. Featured commencement speakers were Fatima “graduating” parent, Read More ››

SHELTON—Brad Smythe’s path to the Catholic Church took a few twists and turns and an occasional detour. But step by step, the Holy Spirit led him to where he was meant to be—an ordained deacon at 65 years old.

He and his two younger sisters were raised Read More ››

NEWTOWN—St. Rose of Lima School Fourth grader Ava Bauco, was recently invited to attend the National Invention Convention at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. Her journey began in the fall, when St. Rose fourth graders started brainstorming solutions to the everyday problems they had identified. Read More ››

NORWALK—This week marked the launch of Room to Grow Preschool’s Creative Adventures Camp. It is the first time that the Norwalk preschool has held a summer day camp program. During winter vacation, program director Nancy Owens piloted the camp to test the waters. Kids and parents Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—Over one hundred supporters of Catholic Charities turned out for the agency’s annual Aetna Golf Classic on June 4 at the Patterson Club in Fairfield. Golf enthusiasts enjoyed a buffet breakfast before a round of golf at the historic club, which was followed by a delicious Read More ››

STAMFORD—Fifty years after Blessed Pope Paul VI issued what one historian has called the most reviled and misunderstood Catholic document in modern history, a group of experts gathered to reexamine the encyclical Humanae Vitae in light of the social upheaval that has occurred since the sexual Read More ››

BROOKFIELD—Peter Brady, the “Boss Man” of Handy Dandy Handy Man Ministry in the greater Danbury area was excited to receive a donation from the first grad students at St. Joseph School in Brookfield in recognition of all the work the volunteers of HDHM Ministries do for Read More ››

FAIRFIELD—On the second day of SHU Journey 2018, high school students are gathered in a Sacred Heart University classroom to discuss what it means to be servant leaders.

With notebooks and pens ready, they are attentive and ready to engage. Dr. June-Ann Greeley told students, “We are Read More ››

DANBURY—During the 2018 Mission Cooperative Program, the international charity Mary’s Meals will be visiting the Diocese of Bridgeport. Volunteer speakers from Mary’s Meals will be making a Mission Appeal at Sacred Heart Parish in Danbury on July 14-15.

Mary’s Meals sets up community-run school feeding projects in Read More ››

Below is the information for those who want to advocate with the USCCB on family separation and other domestic migration issues or support CRS’ life-saving work in Central America.

Central America Migration Family Separation

BRIDGEPORT—“What does effective learning look like in a digitally connected world?” “How are we helping youth take information and transform it into knowledge and wisdom? and How are we engaging our communities in faith in a digital way?” asked Charlotte McCorquodale, president of Ministry Training Source.

Speaking Read More ››

“Compartmentalize” was the word George Bisacca employed most often when explaining how he was able to balance a dual career as an attorney and a college basketball coach with family life.

The principal celebrant at his May 21st memorial service, the Father Charles Allen, SJ, spoke of Read More ››

When Jim Fedak Jr. was 9 years old, he knew what he wanted to be.

Most boys imagine themselves as firemen, rock stars and professional athletes.

Jim, however, wanted to feed the hungry, his mother Marie says. And today he does.

It was an ambition that inspired him from Read More ››