Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

EDITOR’S NOTE: What a glorious day to begin outdoor Masses in the Diocese of Bridgeport! The mood was one of joy, gratitude and reverence in the parishes that resumed the public celebration of Mass. The much awaited return to Mass approved by Bishop Frank J. Caggiano on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord was a great gift and historic moment in the diocese. It the first stage of a phased-in plan to bring people together for Mass while practicing social distancing and using other safeguards to protect all from the coronavirus. Fairfield County Catholic will be sharing stories of the re-opening of Mass this weekend and in the coming days.

MONROE— “We did our first parking lot mass at 12 noon today and the thank you’s are coming in from the parishioners,” says Father Henry Hoffman, pastor of St. Jude Parish in Monroe.

“The people waited two long months to finally receive the Eucharist… and they are grateful for the opportunity,” says Father Hoffman who noted that St Jude’s also had a 6 pm Mass and will hold Masses at 12 noon and 6 pm on Sunday.

Father Hoffman said that many parishioners over the past two months have sent emails, texts and phone calls and held Facetime and Zoom sessions indicating how much they have missed receiving the Eucharist, and he offered this reflection at the first parking lot Mass.

“What a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together for parking lot Masses, to celebrate the Ascension and to receive communion,” said Father Hoffman.

“After two months of social distancing, quarantining and attending Mass virtually, finally we were able to come together as a parish family to pray together and receive the Eucharist together,” he said.

“Many thanks to our parish volunteers who worked through all of the logistics to enable us to celebrate Mass, while the parishioners sat in their cars and listened to me through the radio, and then car by car exited and observed social distancing and safety protocols while receiving communion,” Father Hoffman said.

“As a parish family, we had all been praying together for a couple of months for this moment and during the past week, we prayed for good weather so that we did not get rained out. And it all came about beautifully. God is good!”

Father Hoffman continued, “I find it so uplifting to see how the volunteers and parishioners were so anxious to receive the Eucharist that they were all able to come together to bring about the reality of our parking lot Masses.”

“At the Ascension, Jesus left his immediate followers to figure out how to take the Church forward. It is fitting that our first parking lot Mass took place on the Ascension when we as a parish family came together to figure out how to take St. Jude Church forward.”

The sun was out. There was a gentle breeze. Shortly before twelve noon, the cars began to show up. The volunteer ushers wearing masks directed the cars to the pre-designated spots all marked by traffic cones, to keep the cars a safe distance from one another. The drivers tuned their car radios to the proper FM station and Father Henry’s voice filled the cars as Mass began.

When it came time for communion, the volunteer ushers wearing masks, escorted the parishioners out of their cars one at a time. They came forward, observing social distancing and received communion from the clergy who wore masks and face shields.

“The safety protocols were all followed so that all could safely receive the Eucharist,” said Father Hoffman.

“Today is a great day for St. Jude Parish, Monroe. Our first outdoor parking lot Mass was at noon on Ascension Thursday. Over 30 cars and about 60 parishioners were in attendance!” reports Vic Eng, a parishioner of St. Jude Parish who helped to plan and coordinate the Mass.

“It was a great event that went smoothly from start to finish! On a beautiful sunny day!,” he says of today’s first outdoor Mass celebrated by Father Hoffman, pastor and Father Jim Bates, parochial vicar.

Regina Schwartz, one of the St. Jude trustees agrees, and she’s deeply grateful that Mass is back in the diocese.

“A great big thank you to all of you for giving us our Mass back! Today’s Mass was so beautiful, so moving and so needed. You did a wonderful job organizing it as everything seemed so smooth and seamless and easy,” said Schwartz.

“God gave us a glorious day as our backdrop and it was a special moment that I will never forget,” she continued. “Receiving our Lord in the Eucharist left me in tears for quite a while after. And honestly, I didn’t know what to expect and had no idea it would be this special. I look forward to more.”

Father Bates offered this beautiful and thoughtful reflection on the return to Mass, which once again re-unites the priests and faithful in public worship:

“It is a great joy to once more celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the people of Saint Jude in attendance, even in a limited way. The current pandemic has required a necessary distance between us as clergy and those whom we have been called to serve, particularly in the celebration of Mass and reception of the Holy Eucharist. I know that the people of St. Jude have keenly felt the pain of being separated from this essential and lifegiving part of their life of faith. For all of the opportunities that there are to watch Mass via live streaming, there is no substitution for gathering as a people of faith to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to partake of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ truly present in the Holy Eucharist. We must remain prudent as we resume public Masses and proceed slowly lest we, in our exuberance to gather once more as members of the Mystical Body of Christ on earth, inadvertently put those whom we love at risk. The celebration of Mass outdoors in a parking lot presents a number of challenges and is not designed to be a long-term solution, but it is a good way to start and the response, so far, has been positive.”

Father Bates continued, “I look forward to the day when we have a cure for COVID-19 and can throw open the doors of our churches without concern. Until that day, we will do all that we can to keep our people safe and healthy of body as we find new and creative ways to feed their souls and nurture their faith.”

BRIDGEPORT—Parishes throughout the diocese will take the first step toward resuming public worship on Ascension Thursday and this weekend as priests begin celebrating outdoor Masses.

The Diocese of Bridgeport is the first in Connecticut to resume public Masses since they were suspended on March 16, as a result of the rapid spread of the coronarvirus in Fairfield County and the stay-at-home orders issue by the state.

In a May 1, Letter to the Faithful Bishop Frank J. Caggiano approved optional outdoor Masses beginning on May 21, the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, as the first phase in a plan to resume the celebration of Mass with the faithful during the pandemic. It will remain in effect until church buildings and other indoor venues can be safely reopened for worship.

Under the plan announced by the bishop, the resumption of public Masses in outdoor settings is optional and each pastor will make the final decision for his parish.
More parishes are expected to move forward with outdoor Masses in the coming days as they work out the logistics of the reservations and social distancing that will be required to safeguard the health of all involved while protecting the sacredness of the liturgy.

“There are a number of parishes that are opting to immediately begin the outdoor celebration of Mass as the diocese takes this important step forward in the resumption of public worship. I am grateful to the pastors who have done a wonderful job of creating plans that allow us to worship outdoors for the time being in a safe manner for all who come,” said Bishop Caggiano.

The bishop said he hopes to have more news about the “full return to church buildings for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,” and that he understands the hardship that laity and priests have experienced during this time “when we have not been able to come together as a family around the Lord’s Table.”

Within hours of the bishop’s announcement to resume Masses, thousands visited the diocesan website to learn more.

The bishop, in consultation with pastors, also issued highly detailed guidelines which outline the sacramental and logistic considerations of moving Mass outdoors and limiting the number of people in attendance to safeguard the health of laity and clergy.

Under the plan, a pastor can choose to hold outdoor Masses with seating limited to 49 people outdoors, or in parish parking lots where people will remain in their cars except for coming forward for the reception of Holy Communion.

The diocese will constantly re-evaluate and update the plan based on the needs of the faithful and the course of the outbreak over the coming months.

The bishop said he believes that the shelter-in-place mandates saved many lives, but that it is now time to move ahead cautiously and safely with a phased-in resumption of Masses.

• Out of the ongoing concern for the health and safety of all parishioners, the bishop announced that he will continue to dispense with the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.
• The guidelines also suggest that anyone who is vulnerable or in the high risk category should consider remaining sheltered at home for the time being.
• The resumption of Mass will require a system of reservations to ensure social distancing and an orderly and reverent return to the sacraments outside of the church building.
• The bishop will also continue to celebrate his online 8 am Sunday Mass, which is live-streamed on the diocesan website (www.bridgeportdiocese.org), and he has encouraged pastors to continue their live-streamed Masses.

The plan was developed by the bishop after consultation with pastors and diocesan officials. It allows each pastor to make the final decision about holding an outdoor Mass, the location on parish grounds, the distribution of Holy Communion, and the Mass times throughout the weekend.

If outdoor seating is chosen, people will be seated on chairs that will be arranged with proper social distancing.

The number of cars that can be accommodated in a parking lot Mass will depend upon the size of the lot or field that will be used, the need to distance cars six feet apart from each other and allow for the safe exit of any car in case of an emergency.

The bishop has asked each pastor to draft a parish plan for this first phase of resumption of public Mass to ensure that the particular needs of his parish are properly addressed.

“The guiding principle behind all such planning is to ensure the safety and health of the faithful and clergy, while preserving the sacredness of our liturgy and worship,” he said.

The bishop acknowledged the great hardship experienced by the faithful during the suspension of public Mass and said he and priests very much look forward to seeing people return to worship.

“I wish to express my sincere thanks for your patience, perseverance and fidelity during this most difficult time, when public Masses were suspended. While it has been a great sacrifice for all of us, especially those who have watched a relative or friend fall ill, buried a loved one or remained in isolation and even fear,” he said,

“I believe that observing the state’s shelter at home order has saved many lives. On behalf of all priests of the diocese, permit me to say how much we have missed you and look forward to welcoming you back home to your parish home.”

Deacon Patrick Toole, secretary of the curia and episcopal delegate of administration, said the resumption of Mass beginning with outdoor Mass will require great care and due diligence. “We feel that we can make our churches as safe or safer than other essential businesses and services, and we are committed to doing that”

He said that pastors are developing their own reservation systems or using a system that has been licensed by the diocese, and they will be notifying their parishioners how to sign up for Masses at their particular parish. Reservations are most likely going to be taken online or by calling the parish office.

The diocesan planning process, developed based on information provided by health experts, assumes that the COVID-19 virus will remain a threat for some time with possible outbreaks in the Fall and Winter. The goal is to protect the faithful from any possible relapse while moving forward and preparing for the full re-opening of churches to the extent possible.

The diocese is currently working on plans for the return to church, which will include deep cleaning, ongoing sanitizing, the wearing of masks, proper social distancing, and the renewal of other restrictions including the suspension of the Sign of Peace and reception of the Communion through the chalice.

To view the complete guide- lines for outdoor Masses and for further information visit the diocesan website at www.bridge- portdiocese.org, or contact your parish.

BRIDGEPORT—In a video sent out to all schools, parents and teachers today (May 6), Dr. Steven Cheeseman, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport, announced that distance learning will remain in effect until the close of the school year.

“I come to you with an announcement that many of us felt was inevitable but one we were hoping we didn’t have to make,” said Dr. Cheeseman. ”In keeping with the announcement made by Governor Lamont, our Catholic schools will continue distance learning throughout the remainder of the school year.”

Dr. Cheeseman said it was a difficult decision to make, but one that has been made easier by the cooperation and commitment of teachers, parents and students to continue to Catholic education during the pandemic.
On March 13, Dr. Cheeseman announced that all diocesan sponsored Catholic elementary and high schools would end in-school classes effective March 13 and begin implementing their distance learning instructional plan on Monday, March 16.

Dr. Cheeseman started by thanking teachers for their hard work in making a “mostly seamless” transition to distance learning for the 7,500 students who had been studying in the 30 different school buildings sponsored by the diocese.

Referring to the “herculean effort” of teachers Dr. Cheeseman said that spent hundreds of hours in professional development and online learning communities to make the successful transition.

Speaking directly to students scheduled to graduate from Catholic elementary and high schools in June, Dr. Cheeseman said “This year is certainly memorable, but is not one you deserve. So many milestone you have looked forward to have been affected,” pledging to find a way at a later date to express pride in their achievements.

Dr. Cheeseman said the sudden move to online learning has been a “learning curve” for everyone including parents. He thanked them for their patience and commitment to Catholic education.

“The closure of 30 schools buildings across diocese was never something we imagined we would have to do,” Dr. Cheesman said. “We will continue to work as hard as we can to ensure our teachers have the resources they need so our young people an receive a quality Catholic education.”

He encouraged parents to reach out to schools or use the online help desks if they have any questions.

Dr. Cheesman said that if anything, the pandemic has demonstrated that Catholic education is not simply “defined by buildings that house us but by parents teacher, administrators and students who together create a culture that informs the mind, forms the heart, and transforms the lives of all those lucky enough to be a part of it.”

He said that over the coming months he and his team would be working to ensure a safe, clean and nurturing school environment in the Fall.

For more information on Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport, click here.

WILTON—At a time when many preschools have been shuttered due to COVID-19, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy in Wilton has successfully completed eight weeks of distance learning for its 3- and 4-year-old preschool students.

Pre-K 3-4’s teacher Rebecca Gammardella, known as “Mrs. Della” within the OLFCA school community, is keenly aware that the COVID-19 pandemic arrived at a critical time in the children’s learning. At that point in the school year, students are recognizing letters and numbers, developing fine and gross motor skills, taking more responsibility in the classroom and following multi-step directions—skills that are so important when the children start kindergarten.

Gammardella knew that when the pandemic forced schools to close, she would need to find a way to keep the learning momentum going and deliver a classroom experience to each child’s home. She developed a thoughtful plan to transition her preschool students to a distance learning program.

A key component of her plan involved the creation of carefully curated “activity bags” filled with “academic skill keepers” and hands-on “craftivities.” Each weekly bag contains five individual daily packets containing all the supplies needed for each school day, which might include patterns, construction paper, glue, paint, beads, or any other needed items. The “theme” for each week varies. Gammardella estimates she spends 10-12 hours per week preparing and organizing the bags, which are then picked up each week by parents/caregivers.

Another key component of the distance learning program is a dedicated YouTube channel Gammardella created, where she broadcasts a prerecorded morning “meeting” each day. It might begin like any other morning classroom routine, with greetings, news, a daily calendar and a letter/number flashcard review. The video also includes her reading a story to the class, which pairs with an activity from the daily packet they received.

Gammardella warns that distance learning for a preschool child simply won’t be effective if it is limited to an iPad or a Chromebook. For preschool children, she believes, the hands-on activities are extremely important. “Whether it’s the feel of scissors cutting through paper or a crayon on the paper, applying glue neatly, or keeping their activity supplies in order, it’s important for a pre-k student to keep working on these skills,” she emphasized.

Equally important for preschoolers is social skill development. With assistance from parents/caregivers, Gammardella conducts Zoom sessions (live online meetings) so students can continue to see her and their peers. However, she sees the limitations of the Zoom platform for this age group (especially when it comes to “one at a time” speaking) and has found it works best in small groups. While not part of instruction per se, Zoom allows for some degree of personal interaction. “I can tell them how much I miss them. I miss their laughter, and seeing their families too,” she said.

Those families have always played an important role in the preschool even before COVID-19 (“the Fatima Family” is a phrase often heard within the school community), but Gammardella says their involvement has been critical to the success of OLFCA’s pre-k distance program. In addition to picking up the weekly activity bags, parents/caregivers are needed to help the children plan out their workspace and time, and supervise some activities as appropriate for the age.

Gammardella believes the “bond” between the student, families and the school is the single most important factor in the success of any preschool distance learning program. Without that school-home connection and excellent communication, she believes, any attempt at distance learning will be far less productive.

While distance learning has been an adjustment for all age groups, Gammardella believes it is especially challenging for preschool programs, where the curriculum includes fine and gross motor development, spatial awareness, self-regulation and social interaction. Importantly, she feels the OLFCA program did not lose “precious time” in the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic; the continuity of learning has been successfully maintained for the preschool students. Even more importantly, Gammardella points out the school is well positioned for the fall, when there is lingering uncertainty about many preschools’ ability to reopen.

In an innovative way of showcasing the program, OLFCA is offering preschoolers a complimentary week of distance learning from now until June 1, 2020. Interested parents may contact the school for more information.

About Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy is co-educational, National Blue Ribbon School offering a Pre-Kindergarten 3 through Grade 8 education model. The Academy’s Personalized Approach to Learning blends classroom and small group instruction with technology to provide learning that is fluid and flexible based on the ability of the student. Multi-age, child-centered classrooms offer continuous learning. OLFCA’s faith-based environment nurtures the whole child and emphasizes strong moral values and respect for self and others. The Academy is located at 225 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897. For more information, contact Principal Stanley Steele at ssteele@olfcatholic.org or visit www.olfacademy.org.

(Editor’s note: Priests of the Diocese of Bridgeport may be separated from their flocks physically, but they are connected to them spiritually during this unprecedented crisis. Their message is a simple one: Christ is with us even in the storm … and he will never leave us. Here are some of their stories.)

Despite COVID-19, a parish stays connected

STAMFORD—As the coronavirus crisis was intensifying, Father John Connaughton, pastor of the Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel, received a call, asking him to anoint a parishioner suffering from COVID-19. When he arrived at Stamford Hospital, the nurse helped him put on a face shield, a mask, gloves and a protective garment, and only then did he enter the room to anoint the man, who was unconscious.

Almost overnight, his ministry changed. Other priests have had to stand by the door to pray with sick and dying patients, and many have only been able to talk with them by phone. When he returned to the hospital a few days later, Father Connaughton was not allowed to administer the anointing of the sick, and he expects he may not be allowed to do so again until the pandemic ends.

“Our biggest challenge has been trying to remain connected with people in the parish since there has been a forcible separation and no public Mass,” he said. “I have been trying to learn from the example of other priests how to maintain that connection as much as I can.”

To stay in contact with his people, he regularly puts spiritual reflections on the parish website, live-streams Mass and prayer services, and sends updates by email and text-message. He also leaves the church open during the week and on weekends so the faithful can visit and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Baptisms and weddings have been postponed, and graveside services have replaced funeral Masses, with the expectation of holding a memorial service when the restrictions are lifted. The sense of loss is great.

“It is a painful thing for people not to be able to receive the sacraments and not come together in community and worship God,” he said. “We are no longer talking about how many people are missing Mass, but how much they are missing Mass. That is one consolation — to hear them express their sadness at not being able to come to Mass.”

At St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel, he emphasizes the importance of coming together to worship God and of developing a relationship with the Lord, two practices that complement each other.

“Part of the suffering right now is that we are not able to do that in a way we are accustomed to,” he said.

A regular part of the pastoral ministry for Father Connaughton and Father Mariusz Olbrys, the parochial vicar, is to reach out to their flock to see how people are doing.

“We are calling to check up on them. We have a big list, so it will take us a while to do it, but I’ve already received messages from parishioners expressing their gratitude for the calls,” he said. “It means a lot to them right now.”

Praying for his parish before the Blessed Sacrament

STRATFORD—On many mornings, Father Peter Adamski, pastor of St. James Church, finds himself on his knees at 3 am in the rectory chapel, praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and asking for the graces his parishioners need to confront the coronavirus crisis.

He also shares Jesus with his parishioners, who are invited to drive through the church parking lot and pray to the Blessed Sacrament, which is visible in the monstrance in a rectory window.

For Father, it is an enduring reminder that God is always with us.

“I know the Lord is not abandoning us,” Father Adamski says. “He can never do that because he is pure love.”

That fundamental fact of faith has made some of the challenges more bearable. Since the restrictions on public gathering were instituted, he has had several deaths in the parish. The first was a dear friend, who was in Bridgeport Hospital. Father was able to hear his confession, give him Viaticum and the Apostolic Blessing. A week later, he died. At the time, he said a funeral liturgy without a public Mass and later performed a graveside service at the cemetery.

There is an intense longing among his parishioners for a return to community worship and the sacraments.

“We have been getting lots of calls from people who have a longing in their hearts to be back in the community and to be able to receive the Blessed Sacrament,” he said. “Some of them are elderly and cannot come to confession.”

He explains to them how to make an Act of Spiritual Communion and an Act of Perfect Contrition, which requires that the penitent promise to go to confession as soon as possible.

“This practice has been done for centuries,” Father said. “You must promise the Lord that you will go to confession after this pandemic is over, when we can gather in the church again.”

The last time Father celebrated Mass publicly, he was able to distribute 500 holy cards with a prayer for protection against the coronavirus. They had just arrived that Friday. For him, the timing was providential.

When asked about the pandemic by anxious parishioners, Father says, “God is not punishing us. He is not a vengeful God. He is a merciful and loving God, and we need to turn to him now more than ever. We need to pray like we’ve never prayed before and ask him for his help and his peace.”

‘This is a time to make us stronger’

STAMFORD— God works all things for the good for our salvation … and all things include the coronavirus, Father Joseph Gill, parochial vicar at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, says.

“Everything that God allows is an opportunity to turn back to him with greater fervor. Our lives and our futures are in his hands, and that is something we can often forget in our technological world,” Father said. “Our lives and our world are in the hands of God, and nothing happens without his permissive will.”

Father has been encouraging people to make the best use of their time, and that means prayer, fasting, spiritual reading and growing closer to their families … rather than binge-watching Netflix.

“It should be a time that will make us stronger and a time to turn in on ourselves. People should reflect on their lives,” he says. “I’ve seen incredible spiritual proof that people are coming back to the faith after many years.”

He sees evidence in the confessions that he has heard on the front steps of the Basilica for several hours on Thursdays and Saturdays. Masses are live-streamed daily and on Sundays, which can have as many as 500 people watching from as far away as Ireland and Sri Lanka.

“One thing I have found very edifying is the Eucharistic hunger of people. They are asking, ‘When can we have Mass again? When can we have the Eucharist?’” he said. “I pray that their hunger is stoked and that it can grow.”

It is also a time for priests to reflect, he said.

“All my ministry ultimately flows from my union with Christ, so fasting and prayer for my parishioners is the greatest act that I can do,” he said. “It involves asking for God’s grace upon my people, so I have been spending a lot of extra time in prayer to bring God to the people. I have been getting myself out of the way to allow God to do his work.”

DANBURY—The Coronavirus pandemic while forcing people to keep their distance from one another is drawing communities closer to help others in need.

Mid-way through March when it became apparent that the Coronavirus pandemic was not slowing down, Devon McCormick, a pastoral associate at St. Gregory The Great Church in Danbury decided to organize a donation drive to support her community through this health crisis.

“We will accept anything people are willing to give, cleaning supplies, Clorox wipes, things like that are really helpful now,” she said. A storage container with a hand-made “Food Drop Off,” sign sits outside the parish office door in a building behind the church on Great Plain Road.

McCormick said she started the donation drive as an effort to help the St. Gregory community of parishioners, by collecting and delivering items in need to people who are older or homebound or simply don’t want to go out during this time.

The generosity of the community has enabled donation efforts to also address the needs of the Greater Danbury area.

Donations are being sent to local pantries and food kitchens such as the Daily Bread Food Pantry and Dorothy Day House. Those organizations and many like them, are helping to share the goodwill of others by accepting donations that are collected at various community drives and distributing them to people in need.

“We have some additional expenses during this period but we also have an ongoing need,” said Daily Bread Food Pantry Board of Director, Debbie Landzberg. “The number of households we serve each week has increased by almost 40% in recent months, with many new households showing up each time we open.”

St. Gregory’s has collected almost $1,000 so far and the money is being used to purchase much needed items that have not been donated or are in short supply.

“You always hope for it to be an overwhelming response but you can’t expect that at this time. This isn’t going to be like a Thanksgiving food drive with tables covered with items,” McCormick said. It’s a challenging time. Many people are being told not to come out or be in contact with others, so we’re not seeing a tremendous amount of donations.”

McCormick said all donations are sanitized before they are distributed. “Whatever is given is good. It’s going to help, even if it’s one can. There are families that are food insecure and we are here to help.”

St. Joseph in Danbury has organized an outreach ministry team to connect with parishioners who may need groceries dropped off to their home or a phone call to have someone to talk to during this time.

“This season of Lent has taken on a new meaning,” said St. Joseph Pastor Rev. Samuel Scott. “This time of social separation—a fast from so much of what we enjoy and find meaningful, a wilderness of fear, chaos, and uncertainty—has plunged us into a deeper Lent that we ever dreamed of earlier in the year. We will find our hearts purified anew to be strengthened and be the hearts and hands of our Lord during this time.”

The collaborative effort of individual community drives and well-established organizations such as the Daily Food Pantry, founded in 1984, offers productive ways for people to contribute to easing the burden of others.

Donations from grocery stores are down since stores are struggling to keep shelves stocked during this pandemic.

But besides monetary and food donations, a donation of time is crucial too.

“We are seeking volunteers,” Landzberg said. “We do need more male volunteers to do the heavy lifting of stocking the pantry shelves.” Volunteers, who think they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus, are asked to stay away from the pantry for now, while others follow safety protocols by wearing gloves and covering their faces.

The pantry now readies pre-packed bags of food to distribute to families, instead of having families select individual items. This limits the amount of people inside the pantry and adheres to social distancing practices.

In addition to meeting the physical needs of the community, St. Gregory the Great Pastor Michael Dunn, encourages people to cherish this gift of time.

“Use this time, although it’s a scary time, to pray the rosary, take a walk, do something you normally do not have a chance to do in our hectic life,” said Father Dunn, adding that he has been catching up on spiritual books he’s been meaning to read. “It is a time of grace where we can really draw closer to Christ and build our relationship with him.”

BRIDGEPORT—“We are all in this together,” Lorraine Gibbons, director of the Cardinal Shehan Center and McGivney Center, continues to reassure her staff. Although working from home is out of the ordinary for the centers, which offer enrichment programs for youth in Bridgeport, Gibbons says her and her staff are “absolutely pivoting” to make sure they are providing for families and the greater community in this time of need.

From the very beginning of the pandemic, both Shehan and McGivney Centers have stepped up to fill the needs of their members and the greater community.

Gibbons sent out emails to staff and board members, asking them to create resource tool kits to be sent daily to families of the centers. These toolkits provide a wide-range of helpful information, including cooking, literacy and math, just to name a few.

Members of the Shehan Center also have access to basketball tip videos, posted twice per week on Facebook Live, in order for players to keep up their skills and to encourage them to engage in fun, outdoor activities.

Gibbons explains that the Shehan Center, which hosts a sewing program, has partnered with a local tailor to make masks to be distributed to those in need. So far, the center has donated 50 masks to Homes for the Brave, a local non-profit serving Veterans, and 1,300 gloves to a local homecare agency serving senior citizens.

Feeding program is a ‘win-win’
In response to a survey, which was sent out to center families to gauge how they are doing in terms of remote learning, keeping busy with activities and access to food, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and a private donor were able to provide grant money for a dinner service program.

Through this grant, both the Cardinal Shehan Center and McGivney Center are able to offer dinner prepared by Vazzy’s, Calise’s Food Market and Layla’s Falafel by social-distancing curb-side pick up Tuesdays-Fridays through Wednesday, June 3.

Gibbons calls this “a win-win—keeping restaurant employees employed and also feeding our families.” This program is currently able to serve 50 families of four.

WIFI access through mobile hot-spots
Gibbons and her staff were able to make a deal with AT&T to secure three mobile hot-spots. Using two Shehan Center busses and one McGivney Center bus, the plan is to bring WIFI access to those who may not have it, but need it for work and school.

The busses will park in selective locations, where families will be able to drive up, park and use the internet access they need. Larger lots are being scouted out, which should allow for about 8 or 10 cars at a time.

Gibbons and her staff are hoping to being testing by this Friday (May 1), and hope to start providing the service the following week.

“This idea is one way I engage my staff during this time,” says Gibbons. “I remind them that it is a great way to serve our community—where we work, live and serve our kids. Why not further reach out to our families in any way we can.”

The City of Bridgeport’s Lighthouse Program through the Department of Youth Services has offered to cover the costs of the mobile hotspot program.

“This is a beautiful partnership with local community centers, schools, and a wonderful corporation—AT&T,” says Gibbons, expressing her gratitude to all who have stepped up to help during this time.

(For more information on the Cardinal Shehan Center and McGivney Center visit: shehancenter.org and mcgivneycenter.wixsite.com.)

NORWALK—St. Jerome Parish in Norwalk’s Social Concerns committee usually holds a monthly parish food drive, but with the usual schedule on hold due to Covid-19 concerns, parishioners were left wondering what they could do to help.

Meanwhile, Kathy Rohr, administrative assistant and parishioner at St. Jerome’s, also affectionately called the “ring-leader” of the drive-by, began thinking of a way to connect Father David Blanchfield and Father Rojin Karickal with their parish family, while still maintaining social distancing rules.

Thus, the idea for a “drive-by” food drive was born.

Rohr borrowed some cones from All Saints Catholic School and set up a drive through. “At one point we had to establish three lanes to keep cars off the road. It was 35 minutes straight of car after car,” said Rohr. Traffic was managed by Jeff Rohr and Jim Howe. Parishioners made signs and shouted out greetings to their beloved priests, who waved from the sidewalk. Many brought homemade cards for essential workers, which was part of a project for religious education students.

“It was an awesome experience to meet our beloved parishioners with a distinctive spirit, enthusiasm and joy,” said Father Rojin. “The whole event was really uplifting!”

Masked and gloved volunteers were kept to a minimum, although many parishioners offered to help. Food donations were transported by Matt Rohr, Jimmy Howe and Anthony Vayda (three high school seniors from Notre Dame in Fairfield) and Jack Rohr (an NDF alum and current LaSalle University junior).

The parish’s Sewing Brigade, which has been making masks and surgical caps for various hospitals, nursing homes and agencies, passed out masks to parishioners in need. Masks were distributed by Aimee Russo and Daniela O’Callaghan.

Parishioners also had the opportunity to make monetary donations to both Person-to-Person Agency in Norwalk, whom the food donations were for, and the parish itself.

The event collected over 1,000 food items weighing in at 1,275 pounds along with $2,592 in cash and checks for Person-to-Person. “St. Jerome’s Social Concerns Committee has worked with this local agency for years,” says Rohr, who sorted donations along with Dina Howe. “They are a pillar of the community in caring for the needs of our neighbors.”

“Last Saturday when a parade of parishioners in cars came by to drop off food for the hungry and wave to Father Rojin and myself, it felt like Easter,” shared Father David. “The community came alive in Christ to feed the needy and it was all done in the bright, warm sunshine. Alleluia!”

By Elizabeth Clyons

BRIDGEPORT—Catholic Charities programs throughout Fairfield County have moved outside and online during the pandemic as staff and volunteers struggle to meet growing needs for food, shelter and counseling services.

“This is a moment when our clients need us the most, and we have seen increased demand for our services in almost every program,” said Mike Donoghue, Executive Director of Catholic Charities.

Donoghue said the agency has been able to provide some services online while at the same time safeguarding the health and safety of those who continue to deliver services in person. Staff and volunteers are practicing social distancing as they all pitch in to serve the most vulnerable.

“Our employees on the front lines at our soup kitchens/ food pantries and those delivering meals to homebound seniors are doing heroic work to help our neighbors in need,” he said.

Merton House in Bridgeport, New Covenant Center in Stamford, and Morning Glory in Danbury, which normally would be serving lunch communally, have moved the food outside, where guests are given take-out breakfasts and lunches.

The needs have increased overnight, with many people who had never experienced hunger suddenly finding it difficult to feed themselves and their families, said Donoghue.

Donoghue said that New Covenant Center in Stamford has been distributing between 500-700 meals a day, up from 175 last year, while Merton Center in Bridgeport has jumped from 150 to 300 meals daily. Both centers also feed large numbers through their food pantry services, which provide grocery supplies to low-income families.

Charities “Meals on Wheels” program for seniors has also seen a jump up to 700 meals daily from its 450 per day pre-crisis total. Seniors also receive an additional 14-day supply of emergency meals in response to the COVID crisis.

All of Catholic Charities congregate sites have been closed and drivers “are doing heroic work” to home deliver the meals, Donoghue said.

Likewise, the Catholic Charities “Room to Grow” early learning center in Norwalk, which suspended classes in mid-March, has transitioned to daily online learning after providing teachers with tablets.

Room to Grow has also pivoted to assist families with nutritional needs because half of the families served by Room to Grow are now unemployed, and they need help to feed their children. In response, Room to Grow has collaborated with Filling in the Blanks, a local non-profit to provide more than seventy families with groceries 4-5 days a week for curbside pickup. That effort has been assisted through a grant from a generous private donor.

While much of Catholic Charities work has been involved in the growing number of hungry and food-insecure individuals and families who are visiting their soup kitchens and food pantries, the agency has also been able to reach out through case management services and its new telehealth counseling sessions.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to more anxiety and depression, and a greater need for counseling. With telehealth we can now provide these services to anyone in the Diocese,” Donoghue said.

He said the transition to online groups and more virtual counseling has worked well and is covered by most third party payors.

“We’ve seen fewer cancellation with telehealth, and clients have responded well to virtual counseling and group therapy for Covid-19 related anxiety/depression,” he said.

Catholic Charities has also has created service plan modifications that allow for more remote and virtual services to clients in its housing and community support programs.

The agency is now conducting Case management services (which help people to live independently) remotely with some face-to-face contact with clients on a limited basis to advocate for and help to create access to health care and housing. Its New Heights program has provided telephone outreach to over 1,000 clients who benefit from its wellness and recovery center programs.

Donoghue said that while Catholic Charities has been trying to stretch resources to benefit the growing number of clients, it has also begun working with parishes and volunteers to serve people in need.

“Parishioners are looking for ways to help people in need and it turns into a fun community building at a time when Churches are closed for public worship,” said Donoghue of the growing number of food drives.

Catholic Charities recently teamed up with St Thomas More Parish in Darien to hold a food drive for New Covenant Center.

To learn more about Catholic Charities programs along with information about volunteering and support their work, visit: www.ccfairfield.org.

The new coronavirus hit fast, and hard. Immaculate’s teachers were given one day to move everything online. Here’s what happened…

DANBURY—Everyone is talking about how tough it’s been for local students to suddenly switch from real classrooms to distance learning during the new coronavirus crisis. Not so many are talking about what it took for the teachers to pull it off.

At Immaculate High School in Danbury, teachers were given one day of “professional development” to move their show from the blackboard to the cloud. That may sound like a tall order, but it was really only an incremental jump.

Immaculate’s policy of regularly scheduling “e-learning” days whenever school was cancelled due to bad weather not only obviated their need to make up for snow days at the end of the year, but also laid the groundwork for their online work in the virus crisis. On snow days, Immaculate teachers use Google Classroom as the means to distribute assignments, grade work, and send students feedback.

But to Mary Maloney, the school’s president, the anticipated long haul at home which the new coronavirus promised meant Immaculate needed to step up their online game a bit more.

Immaculate added Microsoft Teams to their e-learning toolbox in March. The online collaboration software, released in 2017, is the successor to Microsoft Classroom, and allows for real-time teaching and visuals, using computers’ and tablets’ built-in cameras.

“This is virtual and live,” is how Maloney described her new online classrooms. “Students sign in at the beginning of their regularly scheduled day and spend the entire day with their teachers, logging in live with each one of their classes.”

Teachers have had to incorporate videos, and materials from the non-profit online learning resource Khan Academy, to compensate for missing classroom resources such as labs.

“The teachers have had to create ways to be able to engage students in group work, creating satellites, or off-shoots, of their virtual classroom for students to engage in group activities,” said Wendy Neil, Immaculate’s principal. “They had to come up with ways to assess students virtually, and change how an assessment might look. It might not just be essays, it could be some other type of activity to demonstrate mastery.”

The most creative efforts by Immaculate educators may have been those directed at taking attendance. Try to sneak out in the middle of Algebra while inside a real classroom, and you’ll get nailed pretty quickly. Ducking out of a virtual classroom, by comparison, seems a lot more doable.

One of the requirements for the students at Immaculate is that they have their computer’s camera on, and their face is in the frame, at all times.

“The teachers have found apps that help them, through a lottery system, call on students, to ensure they are engaged,” Neil told Patch. “The teachers are constantly shuffling through the kid’s images to make sure they see their faces on screen.”

The online school day at Immaculate is as long as its in-person counterpart. The teachers are teaching in their virtual classrooms for the full 55 minutes of class, and then they are providing “office hours” after school for extra help, just as they did pre-pandemic.

Even many of the after school activities are still being run. Neil cited the Engineering Club and the Rosary Club as examples. The Honor Society, whose members help classmates with homework, is still tutoring other students, albeit virtually.

The whole deal sounds pretty sweet. And brick-and-mortar is pretty expensive. Who needs it, right?

Everybody, according to Maloney, but especially the students: “They miss school. They miss the socializing. There is an element to being at school, the personalization, is not the same online as it is in the building.”

“If anything else, this experience has taught the students and the teachers how much they appreciate being together,” Neil said.

It’s not just the students who need to be kept engaged, Maloney said.

“For the past three or four days, we’ve been having ‘virtual’ coffee chats with parents, three sessions every morning, just to see how parents are doing and see how we can better support what’s going on in the house and the homes. And it’s been very positive, so we believe that they’re pleased with what’s happening.”

Gov. Ned Lamont has closed the schools through at least May 20, and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has said he didn’t think school would come back in non-virtual session until the fall. But Maloney says Immaculate is not working under that premise.

“We are staying positive,” she said, hopeful they will be able to “have a few weeks at the end of the school year.” Although pragmatically they are beholden to the State’s schedule for their bus transportation needs, they will ultimately take their cue from the Diocese of Bridgeport.

High school, particularly for seniors, is about more than Precalculus.

“We pushed everything to the last week of May, a couple of weeks ago, thinking that would give us plenty of time,” Neil said. “So their Class Night, the senior prom, baccalaureate awards event, and graduation are all ganged up one day after the other in the final week of May.”

Keep your fingers crossed.

By Rich Kirby  I  Patch Staff

BRIDGEPORT—It was an unconventional Easter celebration at the height of the coronavirus crisis. An Easter celebration with a doctor, a priest, a deacon and a hospital administrator, who brought Christ to hundreds of people in their units, their rooms and their labs on the day the Son of God rose from the dead.

The group of four started on the 10th floor of St. Vincent’s Medical Center and worked their way down through every unit, singing, praying and preaching in a celebration that reminded people of an ancient message: the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

“It was an incredibly moving experience on Easter Sunday for the people who were on the front lines taking care of pandemic patients,” said Bill Hoey, vice president of mission integration at Hartford Healthcare, St. Vincent’s Medical Center. “We gathered people around the nurses’ stations for the service—housekeepers, nurses, nurses aides and doctors joined us.”

For him, the service was an example of bringing the Church to the people, and it was inspired by a long-held desire of Dr. Jemi Samuel, the medical director of the hospitalist service, who believes prayer can change the world.

A number of years ago, she was moved by the biblical story of Hannah in the Book of Samuel, who in her barrenness pleads with God for a son and gives birth to the prophet Samuel. Hannah’s prayer praising God for this miracle is one of the most moving in the Old Testament.

Hearing that reading, Dr. Samuel wondered what she could do for the glory of God, and during this Holy Week when churches had no celebrations, she realized they could bring Easter to the frontline staff at St. Vincent’s. Dressed in her scrubs, she even visited patients in isolation units while singing hymns of praise that included “In Christ Alone” and “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.”

The group comprised Dr. Samuel, Hoey, Father Hyginus Ndubueze Agu, chaplain, and Deacon Timothy Bolton, manager of the pastoral care department.

The itinerant service included hymns, prayers and blessings by Father Agu, a reading from the Book of Psalms by Hoey, and the Gospel of St. Matthew and a homily by Deacon Bolton.

Dr. Samuel greeted the staff and said: “Blessed Resurrection Sunday to all. This is an unusual Easter Sunday for all of us. No church gatherings, fear and anxiety all around us and an uncertain future ahead of us. Remember that the first Easter was celebrated by very few in front of an empty tomb, who were hiding from Romans and were unsure of their future and security. The Resurrection of Jesus gave them hope, and they were assured of their future in heaven.”

Deacon Bolton’s homily asked, “How do we know Jesus is risen? What is the manifestation? It is right here in front of us as each and every one of you do God’s work.”

After Father Agu led everyone in a closing Hallelujah, the group moved on to the next unit, the laboratories and the kitchen. Dr. Samuel went alone into the five isolation units for COVID-19 patients and sang hymns.

“The staff was amazed and deeply grateful to see us on Easter Sunday walk onto their unit and lead them in a prayer service,” Hoey said. “This year, Easter had the same meaning but a different observance at St. Vincent’s for the people in the trenches who are caring for the sick and the dying. To me, it represented the Church at its finest.”

Hoey believes people will long remember the celebration and be able to say, “That year, the Church came to me.”

In his role, Hoey is responsible for ensuring compliance with Catholic healthcare doctrine, which, he says, sets St. Vincent’s apart from secular hospitals.

“We have an agreement between Hartford Healthcare and Bishop Caggiano to remain a fully Catholic ministry,” he said. “We are the only Catholic hospital in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and we think that is critically important.”

Fundamental to that, St. Vincent’s fully adheres to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services, promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The 77 directives define how a Catholic hospital must conduct itself and make clear the procedures and medical interventions that should not be provided, such as abortion and assisted suicide, Hoey said. The mission of Catholic healthcare is based on reverence for every human being and access to care for the poor and underserved, the uninsured and the underinsured, children, the unborn, single parents, the elderly, those with incurable diseases, racial minorities, immigrants and refugees.

“Simply put, we don’t turn anybody away,” he said.

In addition, there is a sacramental presence at St. Vincent’s made possible by four priests, three deacons and almost 40 extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.

“We provide a full array of Catholic sacraments at a time when people are open and receptive to receiving them,” he said, “including Communion, sacrament of the sick, confession and baptism for newborns who are in danger.”

Hoey, who has been at the hospital for more than a decade, said its Catholic identity is firmly established. There is morning and evening prayer, daily Mass that is broadcast into the patients’ room and the pastoral services of priests and deacons.

He said that one of six patients in America is in a Catholic hospital, in large part due to women religious who from the mid-to-late 1800s started to build a vast network of hospitals across America.

“In 1903 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, if you were not a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, you could not go to the only hospital in the city, so a group of doctors approached the pastor of St. Patrick’s Church and asked him to open a hospital that would treat everybody.”

Father James Nihill traveled to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and enlisted the services of Sister Laura Eckenrode and six young Daughters of Charity, who came to Bridgeport and in two years raised $250,000 to build St. Vincent’s Hospital.

“Where are the people who are not going to Church going to be reconnected?” he asked. “When you have a life-altering diagnosis or a life-shattering event and you end up in the hospital, what a wonderful opportunity to see the Church in action. The more we can get our priests and deacons visiting people in the hospital, the better. What an opportunity to reconnect with people. When does evangelization take place? When people are in crisis … when people are in need.”

DANBURY—At a time when many are searching for reassurance and yearning for connection, the clergy at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Danbury are offering just that.

Father Michael Dunn and Father Christopher Ford have recently begun holding “Fireside at 4” live chats on Facebook, during which parishioners can ask questions and engage in virtual conversation.

The idea came about after a conversation between Father Ford and Father Dunn. They discussed wanting to open up an opportunity for casual conversation to parishioners. Devon McCormick, pastoral assistant at St. Greg’s, had the idea that they structure it in a way similar to “Theology on Tap” events, where people send in questions for the clergy members to answer.

“Really, we just wanted another way to reach out to our community,” McCormick explains. “Both Father Dunn and Father Ford have such a wonderful relationship with our parishioners—they are seen as approachable and accessible in a way that I think is really special, so we knew that we needed to give the parishioners an opportunity to talk with them as they normally would at any of our events.”

McCormick explains that the response from parishioners was immediate. After getting the word out early in the week, the fireside chat had over 900 views total, with over 100 tuning in for the live conversation. Views came from all over, including Massachusetts, Indianapolis, Ohio and Texas.

“The truth is, most of our parishioners typically only see us at Mass or for very brief moments afterwards,” explains Father Ford. “So, I think we see this as an opportunity for two things. First and foremost, for us to be able to minister to our people in whatever way we can, even if that’s electronically. We certainly have to be creative in these challenging times to make sure our people know their shepherds are still there for them, still caring for them. But at the same time, it’s also a chance for us to share with them a little more about who we really are—as priests, as men and as fellow pilgrims on this journey to heaven.”

“A reason why we did this is that people are hungry right now,” says Father Dunn. “Being home bound, unable to come to Mass and with little to do, they are looking to be nourish and fed spiritually. Proof of this is the great amount of people that are tuning into our live streaming Masses, Stations, Divine Mercy and others. We have a great opportunity right now to evangelize a captive audience, and an audience that because of the pandemic, is turning to God and looking for something more, looking for God in all this. At the same time through the “Fireside at 4,” we can minister from home and nourish our own souls as well.”

After an opening prayer, Father Dunn opened up the conversation by commiserating with the viewers that this has been a very difficult time for us all. “But it can also be used as a very fruitful time,” he said.

Father Dunn and Father Ford discussed that they have tried to turn this time into a more grace-filled one by enjoying the extra time for rest, taking time to read and get outside. Both priests expressed that spending time in prayer and spiritual reading has helped them remain joyful during this difficult time.

They then opened up the question to parishioners, curious as to how everyone was doing. Suzanne Cura, principal of St. Gregory the Great School was available to film and read questions aloud.

Father Ford explained that the hardest thing for him as a priest is that most of what they do is centered around people, and the way that they have had to do that has radically changed. They are ministering to people more over the phone, rather than in person, which presents a challenge.

“Being able to minister to people and serve people is what feeds us,” said Father Dunn, “and although we’ve been able to feed our priesthood in other ways, not having that aspect is very difficult.”

When asked how one can find God in all of this, Father Ford reassured listeners that God can bring the good out of any situation, no matter how dire. “Faith, hope and love are always available,” he said, “they are always choices that we can make no matter what is going on around us.”

Father Dunn shared, “my hope is that when this is over, maybe this can serve as a rebirth for our faith and Church.”

Both Father Dunn and Father Ford shared books that they are reading during this time, and parishioners requested they share a list of the books, along with a synopsis and what they liked about them.

Parishioners were glad to see that both Father Ford and Father Dunn were able to maintain their good sense of humor despite the current climate.

Rest assured, these chats will continue every Sunday at 4 until public Mass is reinstated.

(“Fireside at 4” chats will be available to view on St. Gregory’s website: www.stgregdanbury.org.)

GEORGETOWN—It was a message of hope at a time when people needed hope the most.

With public Masses suspended, Father David Leopold, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Georgetown, offered parishioners a “drive-thru” blessing on Easter Sunday, complete with music provided by the Folk Group.

“After the suspension was extended beyond Easter, we decided to acknowledge the arrival of Easter with an outdoor blessing from 10 am to noon that abided by the restrictions,” Father Leopold said. “Each time cars came through, I tried to bring the spirit of hope that Easter evokes, asking for God’s blessing. People need hope in the uncertain times in which we are living.”

While Father said the prayer, Father John Inserra, parochial vicar, blessed the cars from a distance with holy water.

Members of the folk group provided music and performed on the lawn nearby.

“I was so grateful that they volunteered and stayed the whole time,” Father said.

Some of the more than 50 cars had family members and a few bicyclists also came through. Several non-parishioners who witnessed the blessing decided to stop by, which made the event evangelical. The morning began with a few cars but toward the end, the entry was backed up. The priests stood by a table with lilies, daffodils and hyacinths, and a basket was set up, where people could make a donation to the church.

In a letter to parishioners titled, “We Sure Could Use a Little Good News Today,” (from a song by Anne Murray), Father wrote, “We have and always will have the best news possible—Christ Has Died, Christ Has Risen, Christ Will Come Again!”

“Easter season is just brimming with good news,” Father said. “The parishioners were appreciative and had their spirits uplifted that they were able to come out and receive the blessing and know that the church is open every day for private prayer from 7:30 am to 8 pm.”

(To see a slideshow of the Easter blessing, visit Sacred Heart of Georgetown’s website at www.sacredheartgeorgetownct.org.)