Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

A bishop’s tools symbolize his office and responsibilities.

“Which one is the bishop?” a friend asked me recently at a diocesan liturgy. Before I could respond, my coworker quickly answered: “The one with the hat and the stick!”

When at a big liturgy, these very visible and symbolic objects make it easy to spot the bishop in the crowd. Yet they are more than just liturgical decoration. The “hat” and “stick”—actually called a miter and crozier, respectively—are tools of a bishop, symbolizing his office and responsibilities.

To be ordained a bishop means that one receives the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders. Usually, a bishop is assigned as an ordinary, which means he is installed in a diocese to be the shepherd of the local church: to teach the word of God to the people, to govern the diocese administratively, and to sanctify the people by word, deed, and example.

The church provides that the outward representation of the office of the bishop points to this understanding of what it means to serve as bishop. Articles such as the miter and crozier, as well as the bishop’s ring and pectoral cross, are external symbols of the role.

Scholars have found that miters came into practice around 1100 C.E. When a bishop is ordained, the miter is blessed by the ordaining bishop before the ceremony and, in the midst of the rite of ordination, placed on the newly ordained bishop’s head in silence.

A bishop’s crozier looks like a shepherd’s crook to symbolize his role as shepherd of his diocese. The rite of ordination of a bishop says: “Take this staff as a sign of your pastoral office: keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you to shepherd the Church of God.” The crozier also symbolizes spiritual fatherhood: God has entrusted the souls of the diocesan faithful to the care of the diocesan bishop.

The bishop’s ring, worn on the ring finger of his right hand, and pectoral cross are signs of his fidelity to the church. Whereas the miter and crozier are worn only during the celebration of Mass, the ring and pectoral cross are worn both during and outside of Mass.

The rich meaning and symbolism behind the tools of a bishop point to the importance of his role in the life of the church and the deep spiritual relationship bishops are called to have with the faithful of their dioceses.

By: John Grosso

Originally featured in US Catholic.

TRUMBULL—Wednesday, November 4, was the liturgical memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, who served as Archbishop of Milan in the 16^th century, and was one of the truly great pastors and saints in the Church’s history. “The name of St. Charles is especially familiar to us here at St. Catherine’s, because our ‘mother parish’ in Bridgeport—from whose territory our parish was formed in 1955—is named for him,” said Father Marcello, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull. “There is a beautiful stained glass window of St. Charles about half-way along the north wall of the church, on the Blessed Mother’s side,” he explained.

On Sunday, November 8, St. Catherine of Siena welcomed Msgr. Christopher Walsh, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, for a special blessing and dedication at their 11 am Mass.  “When we were doing the Christ at the Center project last year, I wanted to incorporate some tangible link with our ‘mother parish’ as part of that project,” Father Marcello explained. “Earlier this year, Msgr. Walsh gave us a pew that for many decades was located in the lower church of St. Charles. Generations of students of St. Charles School – including my father and grandmother—attended Mass there, and generations of faithful sat, knelt, and prayed there at Masses, Novenas, Adoration and other devotions.”

The pew became available to St. Catherine’s due to the fact that many pews in the lower church of St. Charles were removed years ago to make room for Religious Education classrooms.

Jim Panullo, director of Parish Operations and a skilled woodworker, cut the pew down and refinished it.

“The pew is available in St. Catherine’s Memorial Chapel to provide a place for quiet prayer and contemplation, and as a tangible link with the parish in Bridgeport from whose territory our parish was carved out, and from which so many of our original families came,” said Father Marcello. “I am grateful to Linda Marini and her late husband Enrico for underwriting the cost of the project,” he added.

BRIDGEPORT—“If we wish to be ready to die, we need to learn how to live as Christians every day,” Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said in his homily following the Gospel of Matthew,(22;1-13) “13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

In his online Mass from the Catholic Center chapel on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the bishop said that Christian vigilance in the face of the uncertainty of life is an invitation to live more joyfully, knowing that our final destination as baptized Catholics is in the fullness of God’s love.

He said the awareness that death could come any time should not lead to “morbid preoccupation with dying, but a reminder that death is part of our life and the way we find passage to a new and greater life. It is the promise of our destiny as baptized members of the Mystical Body of Christ.”

The bishop began his homily by remembering an April afternoon he and his mother returned from his family’s country home in Pennsylvania. His father was at the table playing his usual game of solitaire, and the bishop, who needed to get back to the parish, asked him to drop his clothes off at the dry cleaner.

“It was a day like any other, except it was a day like no other,” the bishop recalled. Shortly after arriving at the parish he received a phone call urging him and his mother to go to Coney island Hospital, where they learned that his father had died suddenly coming out of the dry cleaners.

“I’ve never read these lines of the Gospel the same way since that day,” said the bishop, emphasizing that none of us knows the time or place of our own passing.

“That was my father’s day. I pray he was prepared and ready. All of us have similar stories when death, the great mystery, appears in in an unexpected way– at a time not of our own choosing–to friends, neighbors and someone dear to us. The Church asks us to give it consideration; that you and I have a destination which takes us before the Lord, the moment when we offer back to him the great gift of the life he has given us.”

The bishop said that last week’s Gospel of the beatitudes offer a road map for how to live in the fullness of life during our journey on earth.

“We will be prepared for death and should have no fear of the hour, if we are about the work of faith to make love real, live hope in concrete ways, and proclaim the truth in and out of season. if we are willing to live what we believe as best we can each today to use the time before us,” he said.

“Our eyes should not be fixed on the moment or the place where death comes, but fixed on living every moment of living life well in the grace of the Holy Spirit, and else falls into place.”
The bishop issued his weekly spiritual challenge to those who prayed with him by noting that St. Francis of Assisi, his patron, admonished his followers “to live each day before the sun sets as if it were your last without another one to follow.”

“If you and I did that, how many grudges would we no longer carry? How many times would we say the words we were meant to say? How many times would we find time to reach out to those we’ve been meaning to see?” he asked.

“St. Francis’s insight prepares us not only for our death but for life in the mind and heart of Jesus,” he said.

Before the final blessing the bishop invited all to join in the Sunday Family Rosary “particularly at this time that continues to be challenging. We hope the Lord will hear and answer our prayers.” To participate in the Sunday Family Rosary at 7:30 p.m. visit: https://formationreimagined.org/sundayfamilyrosary/

The Bishop’s Sunday Mass is released online every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and available for replay throughout the day. To view the Bishop’s Sunday Mass, recorded and published weekly, click this link or visit the YouTube Mass Playlist.

WASHINGTON – Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following statement on the 2020 presidential election:

We thank God for the blessings of liberty. The American people have spoken in this election. Now is the time for our leaders to come together in a spirit of national unity and to commit themselves to dialogue and compromise for the common good.

As Catholics and Americans, our priorities and mission are clear. We are here to follow Jesus Christ, to bear witness to His love in our lives, and to build His Kingdom on earth. I believe that at this moment in American history, Catholics have a special duty to be peacemakers, to promote fraternity and mutual trust, and to pray for a renewed spirit of true patriotism in our country.

Democracy requires that all of us conduct ourselves as people of virtue and self-discipline. It requires that we respect the free expression of opinions and that we treat one another with charity and civility, even as we might disagree deeply in our debates on matters of law and public policy.

As we do this, we recognize that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has received enough votes to be elected the 46th President of the United States. We congratulate Mr. Biden and acknowledge that he joins the late President John F. Kennedy as the second United States president to profess the Catholic faith. We also congratulate Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, who becomes the first woman ever elected as vice president.

We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of this great nation, to intercede for us. May she help us to work together to fulfill the beautiful vision of America’s missionaries and founders — one nation under God, where the sanctity of every human life is defended and freedom of conscience and religion are guaranteed.

STAMFORD — When Sharon MacKnight was a young girl growing up in Pawcatuck, Conn., her mother would dress her up in her finest clothes on Sunday morning so she could go to 6 a.m. Mass with her father at St. Michael the Archangel Church. It was the highlight of her week, and years later, the source of many fond memories.

When Sharon made her First Communion, her aunt Marion gave her a statue of Our Lady of Grace, which she still has after 70 years.

“She’s got a few bumps and bruises, but she’s still with me,” Sharon said. “Wherever I’ve lived, from Connecticut to California, she has traveled with me. From the East Coast to the West Coast, and now she’s in my bedroom on my bookcase, watching over me.”

For the past eight years, she has instilled that same love for holy articles in families and young people at St. Mary of Stamford Parish at 566 Elm Street. Each week, as part of her ministry, Sharon sets up a table after Mass and sells rosaries, medals, bracelets, Bibles, spiritual books and statues, many of which she has brought home from pilgrimages to Marian sites such as Fatima and Lourdes and the Holy Land.

She purchases the items with her own money, sells them and donates all the proceeds to the parish, as an act of love and gratitude.

“This is a way of thanking Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary for watching over me in my professional career and my private life,” Sharon says. “I always wanted to be a wife and mommy, but that wasn’t in the plan. The reason I can do this is I have no family, and I’m a saver. My parents, George and Helen, grew up in the Great Depression, and from the time I was a little girl, I learned to save and that’s what I did.”

“Our parish community is blessed to have a parishioner like Sharon MacKnight. She has consistently given of herself for the benefit of our community,” said Fr. Gustavo Falla, pastor. “We thank God for Sharon’s commitment and pray that many will be inspired by her dedication.”

He said that Sharon “gives 100%” to the parish and also in her work at the Bennett Cancer Center in Stamford.

“At St. Mary’s, which is now officially merged with St. Benedict’s, Sharon is not just the religious goods sales lady, but also the photographer, the shopper and the friend.”

After graduating from Stonington High School, Sharon enrolled in Colby Junior College in New London, NH, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree to become a registered medical technologist.

“Over 48 years, I worked in labs at different hospitals, and the reason I am doing what I am doing now is to thank the Lord for guiding me every day of my life because I dealt with people’s lives every day and helped physicians make the right diagnoses for people,” she says.

During her career, she worked at Hartford Hospital, Mercy Hospital in San Diego, and for 42 years at Stamford Hospital, where she was the supervisor of the hematology department.

Sharon is also the church photographer for the St. Mary-St. Benedict parish, where she has been a member for 35 years.

“When I asked Father Falla if I could bring my religious articles in the back of the church, I had no idea what would happen,” she says. “People coming into church have to walk by me. I sell statues, rosary beads and Bibles, and I believe I have helped people increase their faith in the Lord. You just can’t imagine. One Sunday alone, I sold five statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes.”

And many of her statues come from pilgrimage sites around the world because Sharon loves to travel and goes often to Portugal, Spain, France and Israel.

“I purchase religious articles wherever I go and donate everything to St. Mary’s,” she said.

She often goes on pilgrimages with Fr. Arthur C. Mollenhauer, J.C.L., the judicial vicar of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Bridgeport, and assists him in arranging the tours.

“One year ago, I was in Lourdes, France and a few days before that in Fatima, Portugal, and then we traveled to Barcelona and visited Our Lady of Monserrat,” she said. Last February they began a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to cancel a trip to Oberammergau, Germany, to see the famous Passion Play which has been held every decade since 1634.

Over the years, she has developed a clientele among parishioners, many of whom come back and ask if she can find a particular item for them. Each week, she can have up to 20 customers. In addition, she is responsible for a religious articles display at the parish center with items in a glass case. When people come in during the week, they are able to purchase items through the parish office, which is particularly important since there are no longer any religious stores in the area.

“Sometimes people want something, but don’t have the money yet,” she says, “so I say ‘Take it and give me the money when you can.’ Nobody is going to cheat the Lord. I don’t even write it down because I know when they have the money, they will give it to me. I trust them.”

Spanish Bibles are very popular, along with gifts for First Communion, Confirmation, weddings and birthdays. With Christmas approaching, there will be a selection of nativity scenes and holiday items from the Holy Land.

Very often, little children come up to her table and are mesmerized by the display, especially the statues of the Blessed Mother. They also love the St. Benedict bracelets and rosary beads.

“People often sacrifice to buy things, but it helps the church during the pandemic because collections are down,” she says.

Most importantly, she says, “Religious articles are a way for people to worship Our Lord and honor the Blessed Mother. It encourages them to pray to God, especially during our troubled times.”

STAMFORD—Adapting to coronavirus restrictions, Catholic Academy of Stamford was able to offer a virtual open house to prospective students.

Families were able to log-in at times that were convenient for them, making it accessible to those who may not have been able to attend in person.

In anticipation of this virtual event, Catholic Academy developed a video promoting the Academy and all it has to offer.

About Catholic Academy of Stamford

Since 2017, The Catholic Academy of Stamford has served the Stamford area community. And as our Mission Statement says:

We form and nurture our children–grades Pre-K 3 through grade 8- in the Gospel values of our Catholic Faith. We educate in a superior academic environment where we challenge our children to discover and fully develop their unique talents and abilities. We encourage our children to love God, love learning…and love one another.”

“One of the first things you notice when you visit our school is the environment,” says Patricia E. Brady, head of school. “Here on Newfield Avenue in Stamford, our students are taught in safe, nurturing environments that markedly improve students’ ability to learn.

Our small class sizes are optimized for learning in an effective socially distanced environment. This will continue to allow teachers to help build strong foundations for life-long learning. Indeed, we DO build strong foundations at The Academy.

Our students are formed in the Gospel values of the Catholic faith. Here, your child enjoys a transformative faith-filled experience where our students become whole and giving citizens who, when they graduate, leave us knowing God, loving God, and desiring to serve God in the world that is now open to possibilities for them.

Our students are provided with a superior academic experience. Your child will be challenged through rigorous, personalized learning, advanced robotics, sciences and STEM courses throughout their school experience.

Our students and their parents and grandparents form a family of faith where relationships begin as young as 3 years old and often last a lifetime.

I’ve been an educator and administrator for nearly forty years. I truly believe The Catholic Academy of Stamford is a tremendous value for your family, and an option worth looking into for your child’s education.

And so, I invite you to see for yourselves everything the Catholic Academy has to offer. Come, take a look!

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano has re-promulgated the Diocesan Safe Environments policies and practices for the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

In a formal decree, issued on October 30, the bishop said the new policy and handbook will become effective immediately and available online in its entirety.

“As Catholics, we share a sacred obligation to protect all of God’s Children, especially the children, youth and vulnerable adults who are entrusted to our care,” the bishop said.

Printed copies of the revised Safe Environments Handbook along with information for reporting suspected abuse in the Diocese of Bridgeport will be posted in a central location in all Churches and Schools, where they can be easily accessed and a copy of the Safe Environments Handbook should be made available on all school and parish websites.

“As our society and the Catholic Church face new challenges when it comes to the problem of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse, we must continue to strengthen our response to this problem to ensure a safe environment, therefore we are issuing our third update to our policies and procedures relating to our implementation of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in the Diocese of Bridgeport,” said Bishop Caggiano.

The bishop said he is grateful to Erin Neil, director of Safe Environments, to members of the review board and to all staff and volunteers who worked on the report and participate in the program.

“Our diocese has shown great leadership in the areas of early detection, reporting and prevention of abuse and I am grateful for the support and cooperation of our ongoing efforts to safeguard children, youth and vulnerable adults,” he said.

Erin Neil said the diocese remains fully committed to upholding the highest standards set forth in the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Neil said that key changes contained with the 2020 Safe Environments Handbook are outlined below and the full policy may be found here.  (Click here for Spanish)

• A list of numbers for reporting allegations of abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult are now located on the front cover of the Safe Environments Handbook
•  A third party-reporting hotline option for victims
•  Procedures for reporting abuse of a vulnerable adult
•  Procedures for reporting an allegation of abuse to police in addition to the CT Department of Children and Family Services
•  Procedures for reporting an allegation of abuse involving a U.S. bishop or cardinal
•  Procedures for reporting suspected boundary violations and grooming behaviors toward minors and vulnerable adults

The new handbook also updates training information on identifying early warning signs and grooming behaviors in offenders of child sexual abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults and the definition of vulnerable adult, makes changes to the Sexual Misconduct Review Board process to include the review of allegations against deceased clerics, and updates the definition of a Credible Allegation.

With the publication of the new handbook the diocese also provides the CT Department of Children and Family Services updated definitions of abuse. It also updates training and criminal background check requirements for visiting members of the clergy.

Many of the changes and new procedures have been made in response to the recommendations included in the historic 2019 Accountability Investigation and report conducted by Judge Robert Holzberg.

“The judge’s recommendations were designed to further strengthen our efforts to address the ever-growing challenges we face as a Church and as a society to prevent abuse and assist victims. The bishop has incorporated them into the policies of the diocese,” Neil said.

In 2015, the bishop issued a revised set of policies relating to the implementation of the Charter in our diocese which are to be reviewed every five years.

Neil said the renewal of criminal background checks and Safe Environments training related to the policies contained within the revised 2020 Safe Environments Handbook will continue for all members of the clergy, lay employees, tenants, vendors, independent contractors and volunteers.

The changes include volunteers who do not have scheduled contact with children,  every five or 10 years based on their ministry, utilizing VIRTUS, Protecting God’s Children for Adults program and the VIRTUS database for parishes and school to track completion of these items.

Safe Environments training will continue annually for all students enrolled in a Catholic School through virtual or live instruction utilizing The Child Lures Prevention Program, Think First and Stay Safe and Personal Safety Training utilizing the Netsmartz.org program for middle school and high school students.

Parishes will make available Safe Environments training for parents and children enrolled in religious education programs using online instruction through the Netsmartz.org and Kidsmartz.org videos in order to complement the training that children receive through their public school.

“Parents may choose to teach this at home and opt-out of Safe Environments training at a parish or school by placing their request in writing. Training materials are publicly available and located on our diocesan website,” Neil said.

Printed copies of the revised Safe Environments Handbook along with information for reporting suspected abuse in the Diocese of Bridgeport must be posted in a central location in all Churches and schools where they can be easily accessed and a copy of the Safe Environments Handbook should be made available on all school and parish websites.

Beginning in November for tracking purposes, VIRTUS will have the revised policies and procedures uploaded to their website. Parish employees and volunteers may log into their VIRTUS account and sign these electronically or your parish Safe Environments coordinator will be able to quickly log receipt of the handbook into a parish VIRTUS database by searching a person’s name.

(For assistance with this step, contact Astrid Alvarez, VIRTUS training and Development Specialist 203.416.1407 or aalvarez@diobpt.org.)

BROOKFIELD—Parishes throughout the diocese have found creative and socially distant safe ways to continue fundraising efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.

The St. Marguerite Parish Annual Fall Festival, a tradition for the past three decades, is virtual for the first time this year.

“It started as a small craft fair by ladies at the parish and it has kept growing and growing,” said Mary Ellen Tiernan, Faith Formation director. “There were 45 vendors last year and we ran out of space.”

This year, space was not a problem since vendors agreed to participate virtually.

“It’s not a big fundraiser for us but we wanted to keep the connection with our parish members,” Tiernan said. “We want them to know, “We are here and we want you to stay involved.’”

Over the past 30 years, the Fall Festival has become quite an event for the community and she and others didn’t want to skip a year because of the pandemic.

Tiernan said she sent a letter to vendors who participated for the past two years and asked if they would be amenable to trying something different and showcasing their wares virtually.

Parish families lent a helping hand by making signs for front lawns to alert people to the virtual fair.

Vendors donated $30 to participate and sent a description of what they would like on the flyer and Tiernan went to work creating the flyers to post online.

The flyers, posted on the parish website and social media, contain a hyperlink for shoppers to see what vendors have to offer and potentially purchase items.

The virtual Fall Festival Vendor Fair has turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. “We are able to get information out to hundreds of people,” said Tiernan, adding that people beyond the immediate community can participate.

Some vendors automatically ship to buyers, others with large items that may be too costly to ship, agree to send the items to the school where they may be picked up.

“The buyers come to the parking lot to an assigned spot and a runner goes to deliver the item to the buyer,” Tiernan said. “Everything is socially distant.”

The virtual fair also has another benefit. The one-day SAVERS drive, held in conjunction with the fair, could now be expanded.

“Since we are not meeting on the premises (due to coronavirus concerns), we have a lot of space,” Tiernan said. “Instead of doing a one-day drive we set aside a month.”

Bags of clothing can be dropped off at the Candlewood Lake Road parish and parish families sort the items into categories. Tiernan said parishioners with large vehicles volunteer to drive back and forth to bring the hundreds of bags and dozens of boxes of items to SAVERS on Federal Road. SAVERS support the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization.

“There’s no way I could have done it this way, if we had the fair,” Tiernan said, adding that the children of the parish are an integral part of the process. Many of the children are Confirmation candidates and incorporating Corporal Works of Mercy into their lives is essential.

“It’s an important message for kids to see parents involved, too.”

Note: The St. Marguerite Parish Annual Fall Festival concludes on Friday (Nov. 6).

BRIDGEPORT—Foundations in Faith is thrilled to announce the second year of Youth in Action Grant funding. We have expanded our reach and increased the funding based upon the tremendous success of the first-year projects. Things to know:

• The 2021 YIA Grant Application is now live. All applications must be submitted online and by November 13, 2020.
• We are inviting young Catholics in the Diocese of Bridgeport representing:
  • 1) Catholic High Schools
  • 2) Parish High School Youth Groups
  • 3) Young Adult (ages 20-35) Catholic Groups aligned with Diocesan Priest or sponsoring Parish to apply for up to $5,000 in funding.
• The projects that receive grant funding will run from January-December 2021
• Project ideas are “by youth and for youth” to deepen and enhance their Catholic faith formation experiences. Adult mentor(s) will be a part of the team to help guide and support the youth leaders in the design and execution of their project
• Projects must incorporate 2 or 3 of the following elements:
  • 1) Evangelization
  • 2) Collaboration
  • 3) Justice and Equity

Youth in Action Application

Youth in Action Budget template

View Only- Youth in Action Application (Applications must be submitted online. No hard copy or print outs of the  “view-only application” will be accepted)

Submit your application by November 13. Foundations in Faith Grant Review Committee will review your grant requests and make recommendations for funding to the Board of Trustees in early December. Awards announced in late December and funded project launch in January 2021.

(For more information contact Kelly Weldon at: kelly.weldon@foundationsinfaith.org.)

BRIDGEPORT— The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC) of the United States voted on Tuesday, July 24, 1990, while meeting in convention at Fordham University in New York, to establish November as Black Catholic History Month. The reason behind the selection of the month of November was the number of important dates to Catholics of African descent that fell within this month.

The first celebration of Black Catholic History Month began in November of 1990 in various cities in the United States with the celebration of St. Martin de Porres feast day. The liturgy celebrated the 350th anniversary of St. Martin’s transition from this life to eternal life. In Detroit on this day in 1990, Archbishop Adam Maida, the local Archbishop, was the celebrant for the Mass. Also present was the President of the NBCCC, Bro. Roy Smith, OSC. The Mass was held at St. Anthony Church.

In the world today there are 200 million people of African descent in the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world.

In observation of this month in the Church, The Leadership Institute has included resources on its website to help us learn more.

Links include opportunities to learn about different Black Catholics and initiatives.

Learn more about Father Augustus Tolton, the first Roman Catholic priest in the United States publicly known to be black. A former slave who was baptized and reared Catholic, Tolton studied formally in Rome and was ordained in 1886.

Learn more about the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first successful Roman Catholic sisterhood in the world established by women of African descent.

Learn more about the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, The Josephites, a religious community of Catholic priests and brothers, committed to serving the African American community through the proclamation of the Gospel and our personal witness.

Learn more about Black Catholic Saints and Martyrs from the National Black Catholic Congress, Black Catholics whose cause for sainthood is now in process, and the timeline of U.S. Black Catholics presented by The National Black Catholic Congress.

The Leadership Institute’s Black Catholic History Month webpage also links to the recent webinar series “Conversations About Race,” a seven-week series hosted by The Leadership Institute, the diocesan Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism and the Apostolate for Black Catholics.

(To view these resources and more visit: www.formationreimagined/black-catholic-history-month.)

BRIDGEPORT—Sometimes calling each other names is a good thing, particularly when the name is “Saint,” Bishop frank J. Caggiano said in online Mass celebrating the Solmenity of All Saints.

In his homily on the beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (5:1-12A) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven,” the Bishop said that early Christians called each other “saints,” not because they were perfect or sinless but to encourage each other in the path toward holiness.

“They addressed each other with a name, a title that was an aspiration, an encouragement. In the act of calling one another saints, they are reminding each other of the destination their life was headed.”

The bishop began his homily from the Catholic Center chapel by noting that most children at some point regrettably engage in name calling, usually in a cruel way to put others down and hurt their feelings. He said adult society hasn’t improved on that behavior.

“In a world that has almost perfected the art of tearing down each other and calling each other the most horrible names as if we were children again, don’t you think it’s time to give the world a different path?” he asked.

The bishop said we need the courage and conviction to urge each other toward holiness, and that we have much good example because the saints of the Church—men, women, and children– have come from every tribe and land and have spoken different languages, but have achieved “union with God through the grace of Christ.”

“The church sweeps them all up today and remembers that their arrival is still our destination, and that we together must encourage each other in pursuit of holiness to join their company. We should not be afraid to ask for their help and intercession,” he said. “Many before us have arrived in glory and their prayers and intercession can help us arrive at our place in heaven. “

The bishop said that this week’s Gospel is an invitation to meditate on the beatitudes or “blessings, ” which form the catechism of eternal life.

Describing the beatitudes as “Words from the mouth of Our Savior that concretize God’s love in the world,” he said, “ You and I are his instruments. If we wish to see God, to live in glory, we are to be his instruments in this life. That is the disciples’ definition of holiness—to find his will and have the courage to do it.”

The bishop said that we’ve all known living saints in our lives, yet none of the saints “were perfect and sinless except Our Lady.”

In issuing his weekly challenge to the faithful, the bishop encouraged us to “live the virtues of the beatitudes” by becoming detached in spirit from material possessions and by having compassion for those who are suffering,

He urged the faithful to “be righteous and seek a purity that brings people together rather than divides them,” and to develop a meekness of heart in order “to remain open to the surprise of God” in our lives.

“How do I strive for great holiness? The lord has shown us the journey,” the bishop said, showing us the way by living in the spirit of the beatitudes.

Before the final blessing the bishop reminded people that Monday is the Feast of the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed and asked them “to spend All Souls Day in remembrance of those who have died to life and have been entrusted to the merciful love of God.”
Bishop’s Online Mass: The Bishop’s Sunday Mass is released online every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and available for replay throughout the day. To view the Bishop’s Sunday Mass, recorded and published weekly, click this link or visit the YouTube Mass Playlist.
For information on the Sunday Family Rosary every Sunday at 7:30 p.m. visit: https://formationreimagined.org/sundayfamilyrosary/

NEW HAVEN, CONN. – The Catholic Church today declared Father Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, “blessed.” He is now one step from canonization as a saint.

Father McGivney was given his title through an apostolic letter from Pope Francis that was read by Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, as part of the Mass of beatification at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. A tapestry of Father McGivney’s portrait was unveiled in the cathedral sanctuary after the letter was read.

Pope Francis credited Blessed Michael McGivney for his “zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel and generous concern for his brothers and sisters,” that “made him an outstanding witness of Christian solidarity and fraternal assistance.”

The pope concluded that the Connecticut priest “henceforth be given the title blessed.”

The apostolic letter also announced that the liturgical memorial of Father McGivney will be observed annually in the Archdiocese of Hartford on Aug. 13 — the day between Father McGivney’s Aug. 12 birth and death on Aug. 14. Votive Masses in honor of Father McGivney can also be celebrated by priests for Knights of Columbus gatherings with the permission of the local bishop on any day when not superseded by another observance on the liturgical calendar.

Afterwards, Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair offered words of appreciation to the pope.

The coronavirus pandemic necessitated that participation at the Mass was by invitation-only with the faithful able to watch the event on television or online.

Known in his day as a holy parish priest of the then-Diocese of Hartford, Father McGivney labored tirelessly to improve the condition of his 19th-century immigrant community in Connecticut. He founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 to provide financial support for widows and orphans and to keep Catholic men and their families close to their faith at a time of widespread anti-Catholic bigotry.

The fledgling Knights of Columbus soon became a major force of evangelization, charity, racial integration and the defense of religious freedom. Today there are 2 million members in more than 16,000 K of C councils located in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, as well as in recently established councils in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, France and South Korea.

“Nearly a century before the Second Vatican Council, Father McGivney’s vision empowered the laity to serve the Church and their neighbors in a new way — through a greater commitment to charity — and to build effective cooperation between laity and clergy,” said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Today’s beatification serves to encourage that vision of lay leadership and fellowship.”

The Vatican announced on May 27 that Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Father McGivney, paving the way to beatification.

The miracle involved the healing of Michael Schachle, now 5-years old, from a fatal case of fetal hydrops, which causes a dangerous accumulation of fluids throughout the body of an unborn child. Michael’s parents, Daniel and Michelle Schachle of Dickson, Tennessee, responded to the seemingly hopeless situation by asking friends, family and Knights to join them in prayer for the intercession of Father McGivney. Michael’s subsequent healing had no medical or scientific explanation. Daniel and Michelle named their son Michael McGivney Schachle in thanksgiving for their son’s survival.

An additional miracle attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession will be required for canonization.

In August, the Knights announced that their Museum in New Haven, Conn, will be transformed into the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center to serve pilgrims who travel to New Haven to learn about Father McGivney and pray at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, where Father McGivney’s remains are entombed.

Photos courtesy of the Knights of Columbus

About Father McGivney
Born of Irish immigrant parents in 1852 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Father McGivney was a central figure in the dramatic growth of the Church in the United States in the late 19th century. Ordained in Baltimore in 1877, he ministered to a heavily Irish-American and immigrant community in Connecticut. At a time of anti-Catholic sentiment, he worked tirelessly to offer practical solutions to their many problems — spiritual and temporal alike. With a group of the leading Catholic men of New Haven, he founded the Knights to provide spiritual support for Catholic men and financial resources for families that had suffered the loss of their breadwinner.

Father McGivney died of pneumonia on Aug. 14, 1890 — two days after his 38th birthday — after falling ill amid a pandemic. Recent scientific evidence indicates that the pandemic — like the current one — may have been caused by a coronavirus.

Known by his contemporaries for his devotion to the faith and his embodiment of the characteristics of the Good Samaritan, Father McGivney remains an important role model for parish priests around the world.

In March 2008, Father McGivney was declared a Venerable Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI, who during his visit to New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral cited the “remarkable accomplishment of that exemplary American priest, the Venerable Michael McGivney, whose vision and zeal led to the establishment of the Knights of Columbus.”

Two recent books tell the story of Father McGivney and his legacy: Parish Priest (2006), his biography; and The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History (2020).

More information is available at www.FatherMcGivney.org.

About the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is one of the world’s leading fraternal and service organizations, with 2 million members in more than 16,000 parish-based councils. During the past year, Knights around the world donated more than 77 million service hours and $187 million for worthy causes in their communities. The organization also offers extensive life insurance services to members and their families, resulting in more than $114 billion of life insurance in force. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors offers investment services to individuals and institutions in accord with Catholic social teachings. From helping children in need, to providing wheelchairs for the disabled, to helping stock food banks, to offering top-rated and affordable insurance products to its members, the Knights of Columbus has supported families and communities for more than 138 years.