The 16th Annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference takes place Saturday, September 23, at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. Click here for more information.
Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT
Do you enjoy singing? Have you sung in a choir before? Would you like to be part of a new community of faith, friendship and music?
If so, come sing with the Diocese of Bridgeport, which has two exciting choir opportunities available!
The Diocesan Jubilee Choir will sing for the 70th Anniversary Mass of the founding of the Diocese of Bridgeport on Saturday, October 21 at St. Augustine Cathedral. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Cathedral beginning September 16.
The Cathedral Choir will sing for the weekly 10 am Bishop’s Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral beginning in mid-September. The choir will rehearse from 9 to 10 am preceding the weekly Masses and on weeknights as announced.
Both choirs are open to singers of high school age and older. Prior musical experience and the ability to read music is helpful, but not required. All adult participants must be in full compliance with the Diocesan Safe Environments Policy, including Virtus Certification.
For more information contact Dr. William Atwood, Diocesan Director of Music Ministry, at william.atwood@diobpt.org or at 203.368.6777 ext. 22.
The Children’s Art School at the Georgetown Oratory will have two “Come and See” Class Options on September 16th and 30th. Students may attend either or both sessions.
Ages 5-7 will be 9:30 – 10:45 AM; Ages 8-14 will be 11:15 – 12:45 PM
The cost per student per class is $25 with a 10% discount for siblings. To sign up to attend, please email info@jesusguild.org and let us know which classes you would like to attend.
DANBURY- The Second Annual Danbury San Gennaro Festival, a free 5-day event will be held on the CityCenter Green on Ives Street from August 23 through 27.
Danbury San Gennaro is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Proceeds from this event will benefit local charities, churches, food banks, and youth service organizations. Join us and support the greater Danbury community!
The event begins with a Mass and Grand Procession on Wednesday, August 23 at 4 pm at St. Peter Parish. Mass will be celebrated by Grand Marshal Bishop Frank J. Caggiano.
A full schedule of events is as follows:
Wednesday, August 23rd – 5 pm to 11 pm
Music throughout the day by DJ JR
4 PM | Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank Caggiano
5 PM | Procession down Main Street with 15-piece Italian Processional Band
5:30 PM | Welcome Ceremony at Ives Street on the CityCenter Green
6 PM | Vito Lombardo
8 PM | Crossfire Hurricane (Rolling Stones Tribute)
Thursday, August 24th – 5 pm to 11 pm
Music throughout the day by DJ JR
6 PM | Vito Lombardo
8 PM | Uncle Louie Variety Show
Friday, August 25th – 5 pm to 11 pm
Music throughout the day by DJ JR
7 PM | Vito Lombardo
8-9 PM / 10-11 PM | Phil Engel Band
9-10 PM | Laser Light Show
Saturday, August 26th – 1 pm to 11 pm
Music throughout the day by DJ JR & Vittorio DiCarlo, The Graceful Tenor
8-9 PM / 10-11 PM | The Zoo
9-10 PM | Laser Light Show
Sunday, August 27th – 1 pm to 10 pm
Music throughout the day by DJ JR & Vittorio DiCarlo, The Graceful Tenor
7-8 PM / 9-10 PM | Zac N’ Fried
8-9 PM | Laser Light Show
Do you have a daughter who loves to sing?Would she like to learn more about sacred music?The Rector and Community of the Georgetown Oratory is establishing a brand new choir for girls from 3rd to 12th Grade.Girls will meet up to learn sacred polyphony and Gregorian chant with personal tuition from the Rector, Fr. Michael Clark, and other distinguished teachers. Drawing upon the experience of the English Choral Tradition, the Oratory Girls’ Choir will provide an unrivaled opportunity for girls to participate in the Sacred Liturgy.No previous experience is necessary. Vocal tuition and music theory will be taught through a ‘learning by doing’ approach, where enthusiasm for singing is the only requirement.We will be hosting two Town Hall style Parents’ Meetings in the Pryor-Hubbard Hall for you to learn more and to register your daughter’s interest:Wednesday, August 23rd at 5:00 PMSaturday, August 26th at 11:00 AM
Monthly young adult Masses are being offered for the greater Bridgeport and Fairfield area at St. Margaret Shrine on the third Wednesday of the month, so young adults who live there can gather in faith and fellowship a little closer to home.
When:
August 16, 2023 @ 7:00 pm
Where:
St. Margaret Shrine
2523 Park Ave, Bridgeport CT 06604
NORWALK – The St. Matthew Church Carnival is back August 2-5 with fun for the whole family – exciting rides, games, bingo, burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza fritte, ice cream, cotton candy, beer & wine, gyros, souvlaki, empanadas and more! Wednesday-Friday: 6-10 pm; Saturday: 2-10 pm; 216 Scribner Avenue, Norwalk, CT.
Plus, don’t miss our $10,000 Cash First Prize Raffle! You can even go online to buy a chance right now: https:/osvhub.com/stmatthewnorwalk/forms/2023-carnival-raffle. Proceeds to support our community programs.
For those who want to skip the lines, all-day ride bracelets are available for purchase. Admission is free and parking is available at Norwalk Community College, with shuttle bus.
For more information, contact: StMatthewNorwalk.org or 203-838-3788, ext. 120.
After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Carnival of Fun has been re-imagined and is returning this summer! The new carnival will still have plenty of rides, games and traditional Pizza Fritte, and now, a variety of local food vendor tents will be onsite to choose from. We will also have a new nightly 50/50 Cash Prize Raffle!
Where: St. Catherine of Siena-St. Agnes Parish
4 Riverside Avenue, Greenwich
When: Wednesday, July 12th through Saturday, July 15th, 2023
Beginning at 6:00 PM
As in the past, all carnival activities are run by volunteers and we need nearly 200 over 4 days to make it all happen. Please consider volunteering this year by reviewing the available time slots and clicking on your selected time in our SignUp Genius link HERE.
Thank you in advance for your support in bringing back this cherished community event—we look forward to seeing you there!
WESTPORT- Join LymanAID Connecticut for a Ukraine Fundraiser on Sunday, July 9 from 1 to 7 pm for a family-friendly day of celebration and support for Lyman, Ukraine, Westport’s sister city.
The event will be at the Ukrainian American Club, 279 Kings Drive in Southport. To learn more, scan the QR code.
The Office of Safe Environments, Victim-Survivors of abuse and family members will host a special Day of Healing and Recollection on Thursday June 29th, 2023 for anyone who has been wounded within the Church. We hope that any person who has left the Church because of the abuse crisis or for other concerns will consider attending.
St. Margaret Shrine
2523 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
Feel free to join us at any point in the day. You are welcome! There is no fee to attend.
Schedule (Thursday June 29, 2023)
8:15 Mass and Rosary
9:30 Courageous Conversations with Survivors
10:30 Stations of the Cross –The Way
11:30 Courageous Conversations with Survivors
12:30 Lunch and Closing Prayer
FAQ
If I am not a victim of clergy sexual abuse, is this for me?
Yes! This day is for anyone who has been abused or has been wounded within the Church. We have had participants in our group in the past who were abused by family members, clergy, religious, doctors, coaches, family friends and others. You will not be taking a spot from someone else who needs it, YOU need this and we are here for you.
Will I have to talk about the details of my abuse?
You may share your experiences if you choose in a safe environment, however, this is not required. There will be social workers, members of the clergy, survivors of abuse and family members of victim-survivors who are available to meet or speak with you.
Will I be able to keep my information confidential?
The staff are considered Mandated Reporters which means we will handle your information with a high level of confidentiality at all times however, there are legal limits to confidentiality concerning abuse or risk of harm. You control how much you share in this setting and we can help you make a report to D.C.F. or Police when you feel ready. We encourage everyone to report early concerns and all incidents of abuse to civil authorities.
To register or for more information, please contact Erin Neil, L.C.S.W, Director of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance Coordinator with the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Phone: (203) 416-1406
Cell: (203) 650-3265
Email: eneil@diobpt.org
BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will celebrate the holiday of Juneteenth on Monday, June 19 at 6 pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish, 275 Union Ave. in Bridgeport. All are invited to attend.
The evening, sponsored by The Apostolate of Black Catholics of the Diocese of Bridgeport will begin with a Holy Hour from 6 pm to 7 pm. The program and reception will follow from 7 pm to 8 pm in the parish hall.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. In June 2021 President Joe Biden signed legislation that made Juneteenth a Federal Holiday.
Bishop Caggiano will offer a reflection during the program and will be joined by Father Reginald Norman, Episcopal Vicar for Black Catholics, and pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Wilton, and Janie Nneji who will also speak.
Janie Nneji, a member of St. Mary Parish in Ridgefield is a convert to Roman Catholicism, having been raised as a daughter of Presbyterian parents. She is an Usher and Greeter, Reader, Hospitality Lead, and member of the Black Catholic postolate and Diocesan Pastoral Council. She and her husband, Dr. Bernard Nneji, are the parents of four children.
“After the death of George Floyd, I dove into learning more about roots of structural racism in our society and within the American Roman Catholic Church and co-facilitated a parish discussion group based on Bishop Emeritus Edward K. Braxton’s pastoral letter, The Racial Divide in the United States: A Reflection for the Word Day of Peace 2015. My favorite mottos are ‘Be Bold, Be Catholic’ and ‘Baking fixes everything!’ she said.
Proclamations from every town in honor of Juneteenth will be presented to Bishop Caggiano during the ceremony.
The program will begin with African Drummers, ancestors dressed in Kente Cloth, a Gospel choir singing a medley of freedom songs, and liturgical dancers.
Juneteenth derives its name from Maj. General Gordon Granger of Texas, who, on June 19, 1865, issued the proclamation announcing that all slaves were free. A few months later, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the final four states not subjected to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier.
“The recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday is an important step in the continued healing of racial divisions in our country,” Bishop Caggiano said. “We must do all we can to root out the sin of racism and bigotry wherever it can be found. To do that, we must continue to study the causes of racism in all its forms and make a concerted effort to avoid this sin in the future.”
In July 2020, Bishop Caggiano formed a Racial Justice Committee, which continues to meet and offer suggestions to diocesan officials about formation and programming aimed at helping the faithful understand the role we all play in bringing about peace in our homes, our communities, and our country.
The observance is being planned and coordinated by Father Norman; Valerie Bien-Aime, Diversity Program Manager of the Diocese of Bridgeport; and the Black Catholic Apostolate including members Ina Mariano, Arlene Parks, Teri Carson, Debbie Sims, Jackie Soares, John Soares, Janelle Hemming and Karen Soares-Robinson. For more information contact Valerie Bien-Amie: Valerie.Bien-Aime@diobpt.org
DANBURY – Parishioners of Saint Joseph Church and members of the greater Danbury community are welcome to participate in a musically healing remembrance concert for loved ones who have passed.
The concert, “Remembrance: A Concert of Sacred Vocal Masterpieces,” to be held at the Robinson Avenue church on Sunday June 11 at 3 p.m., will feature the musical masterpieces of composer Gabriel Fauré.
“There have been a significant number of funerals here due to the pandemic, in part, but also our central city location has brought many from all over the country to request a Funeral Mass here for their loved ones,” said Pastor Fr. Samuel Scott.
Fr. Scott said he and Music Director and organist Robert Fertitta were meeting regularly to address the needs of people grieving for loved ones and decided to host a concert of remembrance and healing.
“We both sensed the need for our Parish family to be united in our grief and sacred choral music could bring us that unity and peace in healthy and holy ways,” Fr. Scott said.
Registered, active parishioners received invitation letters in the mail to submit the name of loved ones to be remembered at the concert. Additional envelopes for name submissions were available at the side entrance of the church. More than 300 names have been submitted and will be included in the program.
Fertitta has curated the afternoon program that will include 12 vocalists and selections of Fauré’s work including Cantique de Jean Racine (1865), Ave Verum Corpus (1894), Ave Maria (1871) among others and most notably his Requiem (1890), which was composed between 1887 and 1890.
Requiem, often heard at a Catholic Funeral Mass, has seven movements which are said to illustrate the sadness of death of a loved one while also offering hope that after death the deceased had gone on to eternal life with God.
“Heavenly harmony, gorgeous melody, soothing textures are the perfect mood for the words that are being set by this master composer,” Fertitta said, noting how it moves from somber to triumphant.
There is a special connection to Fauré’s music for Fertitta. During his musical studies, as a young 20-something, Fertitta was a student of then 84-year-old Nadia Boulanger, an accomplished French composer and conductor who studied with Fauré.
“She taught the philosophy of life through music,” he said, adding one of her most notable quotes include, “Do not take up music unless you would rather die than not do so.”
Among her many students were important composers, soloists, arrangers, and conductors, including Lennox Berkeley, Aaron Copland and Quincy Jones.
“This memorial concert will include prayer and recognition of all of our deceased relatives and friends through Faure’s soulful modal melodies and colorful harmonic language,” Fr. Scott said.
Fertitta agreed.
“The beauty of all of this music is exquisite,” Fertitta said. “We hope people will walk away with peace, fulfillment, optimism and joy.”
The concert is free. Donations are welcome.
NORWALK—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will bless the new Catholic Cemeteries headquarters building, 154 East Avenue in Norwalk, today, Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 4 pm.
The completely renovated three-story building is also the home of the new John Paul ll Communications Center of the Diocese of Bridgeport, which includes Veritas Catholic Radio (1350 AM and 103.9 FM).
The bishop will be joined by invited guests who will attend the blessing and tour the three-story building. The blessing ceremony will also be covered live on Veritas Catholic Radio.
Catholic Cemeteries Executive Director Dean Gestal said the new Cemeteries headquarters location will bring management functions under one roof, improve communications with families, and enable the introduction of new services such as its recently launched Bereavement Ministry.
“I am very grateful to Cemeteries Executive Director Dean Gestal for his leadership and vision, and for the efforts of his entire cemeteries team to coordinate the beautiful renovation and create office space for our Communications efforts,” said Bishop Caggiano.
The John Paul II Communications Center is a collaborative effort with Veritas Radio, under the direction of Steve Lee of Ridgefield, and the Diocesan Office of Communications to provide a comprehensive resource for individuals and organizations seeking to share their messages through various forms of media.
The Catholic Cemeteries ministry serves people of all faiths and offers many services and options at its nine active cemeteries across Fairfield County. It also manages four historic cemeteries bringing a total of almost 700 acres under cemeteries management. In addition to the new main office, there are also six cemetery sales offices located at St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery/Greenwich, St. John Cemetery/Darien, St. John Cemetery/Norwalk, Gate of Heaven Cemetery/Trumbull, St. Michael Cemetery/Bridgeport-Stratford and St. Peter Cemetery/Danbury.
For information on Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport, call Joe McCurdy at 203-610-3414, email info@ctcemeteries.org or visit ctcemeteries.org (For more information on the New Day program, email Killian at bereavement@ctcemeteries.org
We are so very excited to bring Dove Award winning, singer-songwriter, Mark Schultz to Connecticut for a concert. Mark will perform at Fairfield University’s Quick Center on May 5, 2023.
Mark Schultz is from Nashville with over 2,000,000 albums sold. His music speaks of faith, family and home and he has numerous songs that will resonate and inspire all those who can attend. The performance will begin a 7:00pm and there will be two, 45-minute sets with a 30-minute intermission.
Tickets are on sale now! Tickets are $50 & $60 and can be purchased by calling 203-254-4010 or visiting this website: https://quickcenter.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0F6S00000m1IfXUAU.
Mark Schultz Biography
Perseverance, creativity and a strong will are qualities that have served Mark Schultz well throughout his career. A native of Colby, Kansas, Schultz moved to Nashville to pursue his musical ambitions and found inspiration and encouragement while working as a youth pastor. With the support of the congregation, he booked a show at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. The show was a sell out, an unheard of feat for a fledgling artist that earned him a deal with Word Records.
Since then the Dove Award winning artist has become one of Christian music’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters. Schultz, now a resident of North Carolina, has also tasted success on the mainstream adult contemporary charts with such hits as “He’s My Son,” “Letters from War” and “Walking Her Home.” “Back in His Arms Again” was named BMI’s Christian Song of the Year in 2003, “Letters from War” was the centerpiece of the Army’s “Be Safe-Make It Home” campaign and Schultz has flooded radio with nine No. 1 songs, such as “Remember Me” and “I Am the Way.” He’s also earned the top spot on Billboard magazine’s Christian Adult Contemporary Songwriter list and has been featured on the national TV programs, 48 Hours, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, CNN and more. His 2005 release, Mark Schultz Live…A Night of Stories & Songs, sold RIAA certified Platinum and garnered Schultz his first GMA Dove Award.
In crafting songs for the new record, Schultz co-wrote with some very accomplished friends, among them Matthew West, Mercy Me’s Bart Millard and Barry Graul, Joy Williams and Bernie Herms, who is one of the producers on the album. “I’ve always done a record with one, maybe two producers and this one has four on it,” says Schultz, who worked with Herms, Shaun Shankel, Paul Mills and Brown Bannister. “It’s my 10th year to have done this and it feels like I’ve just started. I thought â what a great way to say it’s been a great 10 years.’ Let’s open it up to a few different producers who I’ve worked with and a few new ones, just to create a very diverse record.”
As he always does, Schultz pulled from real life experiences to create the songs on the new record. “He Is” was inspired by two different stories. “Payton Cram was a girl who came to one of my concerts in Michigan with her dad,” recalls Schultz. “She had cancer and I was really amazed at her maturity for her young age. When it started to get bad, I flew up and spent a day with her and prayed with her and her family. She was a beautiful girl. She was never going to blame God for it. She never asked â Why me?’ She just always knew there was a bigger purpose in it.”
During the same time Payton was battling cancer, Mark’s wife came home and told him about a missionary family whose fourth child was born on a Friday and on Sunday they found out the mother had terminal cancer. “The father of the family said, â well we can’t praise God on Friday and curse him on Sunday. He’s the same God on Friday as he is on Sunday. We have to trust that He knows what’s going on,’ and that’s when the idea of â He Is’ was born,” says Schultz. “It really encapsulated Payton’s story and that family’s story too. He is, he was and always will be. It’s been a special, special song for me and I hope people really enjoy it. It’s a pretty important messageâ ”no matter what kind of rough road you are riding through to be able to say â the same God who has given me so much is the same one that’s in control today through this rough stuff.’ It’s a pretty strong thought.”
Another poignant song on the album, “What It Means to Be Loved,” is “the only song I’ve ever played in concert that received a standing ovation before the end of the first chorus was over,” recalls Schultz. Kate was again a source of inspiration for the song: “My wife said to me, â Since you are adopted, I think we should adopt kids too. I think we should adopt kids with special needs…maybe someday we adopt kids with special needs that doctors know are only going to live for a year or two,'” recalls Schultz. “I replied, â Honey, why would we do that?’ She answers, â Because, before they go to heaven, I want them to know what a great Christmas is like and what a great birthday is like and let them know they were loved well before they get to heaven.’ That’s the kind of wife I’m married to.”
This conversation was sparked by the story his wife told him about a family who was expecting a child and were told that tests revealed health issues that meant the baby probably wouldn’t live long. Although the doctors suggested terminating the pregnancy, the mother decided she would love the child as long as she could. Schultz channeled those emotions into the “What It Means to Be Loved” lyrics: I want to give her the world / I want to hold her hand/ I want to be her mom just as long as I can and live every moment until that day comes/ I want to show her what it means to be loved.
“As Christians, we are called to be love,” says Schultz. “If that means loving a baby that will be here seven minutes or 70 years, it doesn’t make any difference.”
The song is a powerful work of art, teeming with emotion. Schultz’s clear, compelling voice conveys the sense of sadness, yet shares the spirit of hope and abundant love that lie at the heart of the song. It’s his ability to capture life’s most fragile moments in song, and lead people closer to God by revealing His glory in every situation, that make Mark Schultz such a gifted artist.
It has been 10 years since Schultz sold out the Ryman Auditorium and embarked on this creative journey. It’s not always an easy road, but he has no doubt he’s exactly where God wants him to be. “I think the surest that I’ve been in the last 10 years is when I rode my bike across the country,” says Schultz. Learning to lean ever more closely on his heavenly Father, many of the songs on Come Alive were inspired during that bicycle trip that raised over $250,000 to benefit the James Fund, which provides assistance for widows and orphans. Along the way he learned much about himself, the human condition and God’s sovereignty. Those revelations reverberate throughout his new album.
“I would hope that when people listen to this CD they can identify with the struggles within the songs, but at the same time know that God is the same God through the struggles as he is during the triumphant moments. Christ, who began a good work, will finish a good work. It may not be on your own timeline or not even the way you imagined it, but he promises he will. There’s a bigger picture out of our control, but God has made these promises and I want to hold onto that.”
Mark Schultz FlyerFAIRFIELD,—Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare (HHC), and Richard A. Robinson, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, will deliver this year’s keynote addresses for Sacred Heart University’s undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies.
The ceremonies will take place Sunday, May 14, at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport. Flaks will speak to 1,484 graduates at SHU’s 57th undergraduate commencement ceremony at 3 p.m. Robinson will address 1,341 graduate students at their commencement at 9:30 a.m.
Both speakers will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters, honoris causa.
As president and CEO of HHC, Flaks is one of healthcare’s most progressive leaders, transforming care delivery over the course of nearly three decades. As president and chief executive officer of HHC, he leads a $5.4 billion enterprise caring for more than 1.7 million patients and customers with a clear focus on transforming health care to ensure every patient receives the highest level of care that is more accessible, more equitable and more affordable.
A Connecticut native, he sits on several boards and councils and has been recognized numerous times for his dedication to the community and the health care industry.
About RobinsonRobinson started his career as Stamford’s legal counsel. A Stamford native, he was appointed to the state superior court in 2000 and served in that position until 2007, when he was named to the state appellate court. In 2013, he was appointed to the state supreme court. Robinson made headlines in 2018 when he became the first African-American Connecticut Supreme Court chief justice.
Before working in the state courts, Robinson served in other public and judicial positions. He worked with such organizations as the NAACP, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness. He’s earned numerous honors for his work, including Ebony magazine’s Power 100 Award, the Quinnipiac University Black Law Students Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award and the Connecticut Bar Foundation Distinguished Service Award.
With graduation so close, students are looking back on their experiences at SHU.
“The last three years at SHU have been amazing,” said senior Jackson Tse, a marketing and management double major with an honors minor. “Despite beginning my career at SHU during the pandemic, I immediately felt supported and put in a position where I could succeed. The professors, faculty, staff and students on campus have made SHU truly feel like a second home. Some of my favorite times at Sacred Heart were spent with my friends, whether we were hanging outside Bergoglio Hall, attending athletic events or sledding by Scholars Commons.”
The 20-year-old Burnt Hills, N.Y., resident plans to attend graduate school. His goal is to work in marketing for a professional sports organization.
Elizabeth Coyne ’22 from Wyckoff, N.J., has spent the last year in SHU’s graduate strategic communication and public relations program. Coyne, 22, has been engrossed in Photoshop and InDesign courses. She learned about social media integration, perfected her writing skills and mastered branding and marketing techniques. She even interned for the British magazine, Mission.
“My time at SHU has been so rewarding,” Coyne said. “The year I’ve spent in the graduate program has allowed me to exercise my capabilities as a young professional, expand my portfolio and closely connect with my fellow graduates. I have been so inspired by the talented faculty chosen to teach me and my peers, many of whom I owe a great deal of thanks for my new set of skills. I feel prepared to leave SHU and begin my career after spending this past year on campus. I am so proud to call myself a Pioneer.”
