Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

Biography of Bishop Frank J. Caggiano (short form)

The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano was installed as Fifth Bishop of Bridgeport on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at St. Theresa Church in Trumbull. On February 22, 2014, he formally convoked the 4th Synod of the Diocese of Bridgeport, the first in 32 years, as an opportunity for renewal and pastoral planning.

Born and raised in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, he was admitted to Yale University in 1977, and transferred to Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, where he graduated summa cum laude. After briefly working in the publishing industry, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 16, 1987, in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, Queens.

Under his leadership the diocese has launched the Diocesan Leadership Institute, ongoing Strategic and Pastoral Planning, three major Foundations to support works of charity, faith, and education, a unique “Eucharistic Ambassador” program to welcome people back to the Church, the formation of guilds for healthcare workers and other professions to help members grow in Christian discipleship through prayer and formation, and ongoing initiatives to revitalize the liturgical and pastoral life of the diocese and further engage youth and young adults.

A noted catechist, Bishop Caggiano was invited by Pope Benedict XVI to deliver World Youth Day talks in Sydney in 2008, Madrid in 2011, and by Pope Francis to serve as a catechist at World Youth Day in Rio
de Janeiro, 2013. In 2016, he led a delegation of almost 300 young people to World Youth Day in Krakow, where he served as a catechist.

He is currently the International Chaplain for Legatus. In October 2018, he was one of five American bishops elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to represent the United States at the XV Ordinary General Assembly: Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment at the Vatican.

Most recently, Bishop Caggiano has invited the faithful of the Diocese of Bridgeport to embark on “The One,” an audacious invitation by the Holy Spirit to foster a true and lasting renewal of our local Church. “The One refers to the single invitation offered by Christ to every believer, to encounter Him more deeply in mind, heart and will (i.e., through the transcendentals of truth, beauty and goodness) in our shared journey of faith. The bishop has committed to focusing every aspect of diocesan and parish life on bringing individuals closer to God and renewing Catholic culture. The One exists to lead all the faithful to active, full and conscious participation in the Eucharist, where the faithful have the most sublime encounter with Christ and the richest form of accompaniment in discipleship and evangelizing catechesis.