BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will consecrate the Diocese of Bridgeport to the protection and intercession of St. Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church, at a Pontifical Mass live-streamed from St. Augustine’s Cathedral in Bridgeport on Friday, March 19, 7 pm.
The consecration Mass will begin at 6:30 pm with a Rosary led by Bishop Caggiano. In addition to the thousands expected to view the live-streamed Mass, the cathedral will allow for limited in-person attendance consistent with social distancing and mask requirements.
The bishop has also invited pastors throughout the diocese to celebrate Mass at the same time in order to link the diocese together in prayer and purpose.
In his recent Pastoral Exhortation, “Let us Enter the Upper Room with the Lord,” the bishop said he chose the Solemnity of St. Joseph to launch the “Call to Renewal” because St. Joseph, the righteous one, is being honored this year throughout the Church.
“For he was a man well acquainted with unexpected change, having his life upended by visits from the Archangel Gabriel and flight into an unknown land. Yet, it was his courage, strength of faith and quiet perseverance that allowed him to overcome the challenges the Holy Family faced. He quietly and faithfully guided and protected the Lord Jesus and our Lady until his death.
The bishop said a plenary indulgence will be available for all those who participate in either the diocesan or parish celebrations. The spiritual requirements needed to receive this extraordinary grace will be published shortly. As we begin this journey of renewal.
“I can think of no better guide and protector to whom we can entrust our journey than St. Joseph. May he help us quietly and faithfully to fulfill the work that lies before us,” the bishop said.
Pope Francis proclaimed the special year in observance of the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being named Patron of the Universal Church by Blessed Pius IX. The pontiff also issued an Apostolic Letter titled Patris corde, (“With a Father’s Heart”) in order “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.”
The foster-father of the Son of God, Pope Francis says, was “a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working father…a father in the shadows.”
The year dedicated to St. Joseph, which runs until March 2022, will have a calendar of events centered on the different titles by which the saint is known, such as Hope of the Sick, Patron of Workers, Comforter of the Afflicted, Protector of the Church, Patron of the Dying, Head of the Holy Family and Protector of Families.
(This pontifical Mass will be live-streamed on our diocesan website homepage: www.bridgeportdiocese.org. The live-stream can also be accessed on our diocesan Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BridgeportDiocese and youtube channel: www.youtube.com/c/BridgeportDiocese.)
