Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

FAIRFIELD—As fall arrives, Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs’ months-long pumpkin patch project is coming to completion. Students have used their observational skills, counting and measuring, some basic botany and, of course, teamwork. The project has helped students become more aware of the seasons and their connection to the growing cycle.

The project is the brainstorm of Patty Loh, one of the Academy teachers. “In summer school I thought it would be fun to study the life cycle of pumpkins,” she said. “I bought the tray of seeds; we planted them, and within a week we had sprouts. The students were all excited.”

The whole school got involved, with each class engaged in various activities. Mrs. Loh’s class started with the basics. What is a seed? When is the best time to plant a seed? How do you help it grow?

She created a bulletin board illustrating the growing cycle and filling in the specific timeline of the Saint Catherine project. Her students worked on their calendar skills, connecting the names of the months with the number of the month on the timeline and identifying the stages of growth from photos.

Mrs. LaPorta’s class conducted some “pumpkin investigation” each Wednesday afternoon, noting what they saw, answering specific questions about size and color, and reinforcing what they saw by coloring worksheets. In Sr. Cheryl’s class, students created Pumpkin Patch journals, in which they recorded the number of plants and blossoms they observed, measured vines, and studied the planting timeline.

Like all scientific experiments, the results do not always come out as hoped. It is likely that we planted our seedlings too late for pumpkins to be harvested this fall. That is great information, and Mrs. Loh plans to talk with her class about what they can do to make sure that we have pumpkins next year.

However, all this didn’t stop a certain parent “Pumpkin Wizard” from dropping off a few full-grown pumpkins in the patch! Just for fun, of course.

WATERBURY, Conn. (CNS) — Msgr. John J. Bevins has been praying a long time that a miracle would be attributed to the intercession of Father Michael J. McGivney and move him one step closer to sainthood.

“I’ve been praying I would live long enough to see it,” he said. “I was elated. We are praying harder now for the second miracle of canonization.”

The miracle needed for Father McGivney’s beatification was approved by the Vatican last May. The founder of the Knights of Columbus will be beatified Oct. 31 during a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut.

He will be the first U.S. parish priest to be beatified and will be given the title “Blessed.”

Msgr. Bevins, who served as pastor of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury from 1991 to 2014, said he holds “great pride” that a man considered for sainthood walked the streets of Waterbury. “I have great pride in the city,” he said. “Here, one of our own was raised.”

Waterbury was once a city of parishes where hundreds of thousands of Catholics attended church and were educated in the teachings of the church — and where many vocations are said to have originated.

One of those vocations was for Father McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants, who was born in Waterbury. He attended local schools and developed his faith at Immaculate Conception Church, now the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where he was baptized, received the sacraments and said his first Mass as an ordained priest.

In the basilica office, Msgr. Bevins proudly showed a copy of Father McGivney’s baptismal record that hangs on a wall and a statue of Father McGivney that used to be located in the now-closed St. Mary School, which merged in 2018 with another Catholic school to form the Catholic Academy of Waterbury.

“Father McGivney was baptized here, which shows that anyone can be a saint too. … This is great for the people of Waterbury,” the monsignor told the Catholic Transcript, the monthly magazine of the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Father McGivney was ordained Dec. 22, 1877, and a few days later, he said his first Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. His first assignment was as assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven. Established in 1832, St. Mary’s Parish is the oldest Catholic church in New Haven and the second oldest in Connecticut.

Father McGivney served at St. Mary’s from 1877 to 1884, and it was there he founded the Knights as a service organization to help widows and orphans.

When they heard the news of the pope had approved this first miracle in his cause, Dominican friars from St. Mary’s Parish gathered at the rear of the church to pray around Father McGivney’s bronze coffin, which is inside a polished granite sarcophagus.

On March 29, 1982, 100 years after Father McGivney founded the Knights and 92 years after he was buried in the McGivney family plot at Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Waterbury, his remains were reentombed at St. Mary’s Church.

The McGivney family gave permission for his reentombment, because that March, during the centennial observance of the official founding of the Knights of Columbus, early plans were made to consider opening his sainthood cause. In December 1997, Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, then head of the Hartford Archdiocese, officially opened his cause.

The Vatican made its announcement about the miracle attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession at 6 a.m. (Eastern Time) May 27, and by 6:45 a.m., Father John Paul Walker, pastor, received a call from Rome for an interview.

“It was elation, many of us had been hoping for this moment and praying for it,” Father Walker told the Catholic Transcript. “There is a sense of confidence now, to have that personal sense given a definitive approval by the church.”

The approved miracle involved the cure five years earlier of a U.S. baby, still in utero, with a life-threatening condition that, under most circumstances, could have led to an abortion. In general, a second verified miracle attributed to the sainthood candidate’s intercession is needed for canonization.

During Mass at St. Mary’s, parishioners have been reciting the “Prayer for the Canonization of Father McGivney” for several years.

“People are thrilled,” Father Walker said. “People are super-excited.”

Father Walker said he prays to Father McGivney for the parish and that he himself may be a good shepherd to the people he serves. “This is a reinforcement of this sense we’ve had that we are living in the presence of a saint,” he added. “He poured himself out for the people he was serving.”

After St. Mary’s Parish, Father McGivney’s next appointment was as the second resident pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, Connecticut, now part of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish. His assignment included a mission church, Immaculate Conception Church in Terryville, that opened for Mass Nov. 5, 1882.

“The legacy he leaves behind is something you keep building on,” said Father Joseph Crowley, pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish. “The shoes are very big to fill. Personal holiness is something you have to work at every day.”

Father McGivney’s presence is not forgotten at St. Thomas or at Immaculate Conception: Both churches are adorned with paintings of him. The churches also each have several registers of baptismal and marriage records signed by Father McGivney that bring him closer to the parishioners.

“I preach about him,” Father Crowley said of Father McGivney, adding the parish is in a unique situation given one of its former pastors is being beatified. “What a great foundation for the church and the Archdiocese of Hartford.”

Father McGivney fell ill with tuberculosis and was later stricken with pneumonia. He was eventually confined to a bed in the Thomaston rectory where he died Aug. 14, 1890, two days past his 38th birthday.

“Standing in the same church he was in is rather exciting,” said Father Gerald Dziedzic, former pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Terryville.

Originally from Terryville, Father Dziedzic said he often wondered how Father McGivney used to travel in a horse and buggy the 3.5 miles up a hill from St. Thomas to Immaculate Conception.

“The fact he had gone up the Terryville mountain, I can relate,” he added.

Currently pastor of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in New Milford, Connecticut, Father Dziedzic remembers praying to Father McGivney often during his time at Immaculate Conception Church about 13 years ago.

“A number of times I’ve asked for his intercession for people who have been sick,” he said.

Father Dziedzic, himself a member of the Knights of Columbus, calls him a “great parish priest” and said he is not surprised he is on his way to sainthood.

By Karen A. Avitabile | Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The mission of the church and of all Christians is to proclaim and live the Gospel in daily life, Pope Francis said.

“Each one of us, by virtue of baptism, is called to be an active presence in society, inspiring it with the Gospel and with the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Before reciting the Angelus prayer Oct. 18, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading (Mt 22:15-21) in which the Pharisees sought to trap Jesus with the question about whether it was lawful to pay a tax to Caesar, the leader of the Roman Empire, which had control over the Mediterranean region.

Aware of the Pharisees’ evil intentions, Jesus asked them to observe whose image was on the coin and because it was Caesar’s, he said, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Pope Francis said this shows how Jesus not only avoided their trap but also describes “the criteria for the distinction between the political sphere and the religious sphere, and gives clear guidelines for the mission of all believers for all times, also for us today.”

“Paying taxes is a duty for all citizens, just as is complying with the just laws of a nation,” he said.

But at the same time, “it is necessary to affirm God’s primacy in human life and in history, respecting God’s right over that which belongs to him,” the pope said.

Christians are asked to be engaged in society “with humility and, at the same time, with courage, making their contribution to building the civilization of love, where justice and fraternity reign.”

The pope prayed Mary would help “all of us to flee from all hypocrisy and to be honest and constructive citizens. And may she sustain us, disciples of Christ, in the mission to bear witness that God is the center and the meaning of life.”

After the formal prayer, Pope Francis reminded everyone that the church was celebrating World Mission Sunday, a day on which Catholics are asked to show their support of missionaries around the world through prayer, reflection and material contributions.

He also expressed his joy and gratitude for the liberation of Father Pierluigi Maccalli, a member of the Society of African Missions, who had been kidnapped in Niger in 2018. He and three other hostages were released in Mali after being held captive for more than two years.

Pope Francis said, “Let us keep praying for missionaries and catechists and also for those who are persecuted or abducted in different parts of the world.”

By Carol Glatz | Catholic News Service 

WESTON—The Women’s Guild at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Weston recently hosted internationally acclaimed Catholic evangelist, author and biblical scholar Jeff Cavins and his “Activated Disciple Seminar.”

Jeff Cavins was born and raised Catholic but later left the Church and became a Protestant minister for 12 years before returning to the Catholic Church and the story of his faith journey is chronicled in his book My Life on the Rock.

“People are chosen by God to be like God and enter into his mission in the world today,” Cavins said. “This not about our comfort or making me the best me. Instead it’s about becoming like Christ and turning our will over to Him to accomplish His purposes.”

“We must commit ourselves to transforming us to be like Christ,” he said. “But this will never happen until we put our faith into practice.”

St. Francis Pastor Father Jeffrey Couture explained why Cavins was invited to deliver his message to the parish family. “His experience as a former Protestant pastor is important,” said Father Couture. “Many people question the similarities and differences between Catholicism and Protestantism and why someone would choose one faith over the other. He brings a very unique perspective to people that ask these questions.”

Father Couture explained that the parish observed all COVID-19 protocols and restrictions including sanitizing and observing social distancing requirements.

“I am so thrilled that we had this opportunity to share with Jeff Cavins,” said Anita Field, a 25-year parishioner of the parish. “It was an amazing experience and it’s important that we hear this message at this time.  So much is going on in our world at this time.  We need it. Our Church needs it.”

Chris Trueax and his wife Sofia are parishioners at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul in Philadelphia.  Although currently living in Philadelphia, Chris grew up in Trumbull, attending St. Catherine of Siena and graduating from St. Joseph High School.

“I’ve done a few of Jeff Cavin’s studies, starting with Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible and they’re really changed my life,” Sofia said.  “Our family has learned how to read the Bible and really understand the story of Salvation. When we heard that Jeff was speaking near Chris’s hometown, we knew we wanted to come. Now we feel really blessed that we were able to hear Jeff talk about mission and helping re-energize the Church to go out and evangelize.”

St. Francis of Assisi Women’s Guild President Kathleen Failla explained the purpose of the Guild. “The organization has a mission of bringing women together to service our community spiritually and provide programs such as this and to assist in whatever way we can.”

She explained that the proceeds from the Jeff Cavins’ seminar are going to a college scholarship for a graduating high school senior. The guild presents the scholarship in June after school is out.  The latest scholarship recipient is a graduate of Fairfield Prep who is currently attending Boston College.

“In order to be eligible, the graduating senior must be a parishioner of St. Francis and the recipient ideally has served the Church and the community and is ready to spread Christ’s mission and His word when they go off to college and the world.”

(More information on the Women’s Guild and the Scholarship Fund can be found by going to:  www.stfrancisweston.org/womens-guild. Jeff Cavins recently launched “The Jeff Cavins Show” which addresses the everyday life of a modern disciple of Christ.  The show can be found at www.jeffcavins.com/podcast.)

BRIDGEPORT—Beginning in January, 2021, college seminarians and pre-theologians of the Diocese of Bridgeport will undertake their formation and studies at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano announced the change in seminary formation on September 16, in a letter he sent to all priests of the diocese.

“Given that fostering vocations and supporting our seminarians is a unique obligation that I possess as bishop and a successor of the apostles, I have made this decision because I am convinced that it will be to the great benefit of our seminarians and their future priesthood.”

The bishop made the decision following an in-depth review and analysis by ad hoc committee of curial officials who examined the long term viability of Saint John Fisher House of Discernment. The Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors were also involved in the process.

“In order to fulfill my ministerial responsibility to provide men aspiring to the priesthood the best opportunity to be formed in the mind and heart of Christ, a few months ago I authorized the analysis,” the bishop said.

“After further analysis, I recently received the final recommendation that our collegiate seminarians and pre-theologians would be best served by attending the formation programs offered by St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.”

The bishop said the study team was given the charge to examine every collegiate formation program east of the Mississippi River, and to provide him with a detailed oral summary of the strengths and weaknesses of seven programs of formation.

St. Charles Borromeo seminary was chosen because of its strong academic and formation program which serves 65 seminarians from 14 U.S. dioceses and six religious congregations. Likewise, 78 percent of college seminarians and 61 percent of its pre-theologians go on to major seminary formation.

The bishop said the larger number of seminarians and the cultural and racial diversity of its population (35 percent of all seminarians) along with St. Charles’ strong emphasis upon human and spiritual formation (seeking to form “Men of Communion” with Christ and His Church) were all factors in his final decision. He also appreciated the possibility that a pre-theologian can earn a master’s in philosophical studies.

The seminary also has a self-contained faculty comprising of two full-time spiritual directors, a full-time psychologist and counselor and 16 full-time priests.

The bishop praised St. John Fisher House of Discernment, which has provided nearly two generations of priests. However, he said the program faced increasingly difficult obstacles to fulfill its formational object lives.

He said the diminished number of candidates residing in the house has made fostering basic human formation challenging, since peer interaction is essential to such formation.

“There are also increasing difficulties to maintain a philosophy faculty available to train our men in collaboration with Sacred Heart University. Finally, the escalating cost of training our men in our own collegiate formation program cannot be discounted in the current financially challenged situation that we face as a Church,” he said in his letter to priests.

The bishop offered his gratitude to all those who have supported St. John Fisher and diocesan seminarians, both past and current.

“I am especially appreciative of all the work that the rectors have provided the seminarians who were entrusted to their care and for all our faculty, board members and donors who have supported our men during their time at Fisher.”

In a letter to donors, the bishop thanked them for their generosity said that there is an ongoing need for prayers and financial support as the seminarians continue their formation and seek “to grow in virtue and deepen their discernment.”

Funds that have been donated and were raised at St. John Fisher events such as the Rector’s Dinner will continue to support diocesan seminarians.

The bishop told donors that the decision to move the seminarians to a larger seminary program meets “the conditions we must consider for the appropriate human, spiritual and pastoral formation of the men who will one day minister in the diocese. We must consider both their lies as they enter formation and the challenges of proclaiming the Gospel today.”

All current seminarians have been made aware of the decision and will soon travel to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary to meet their new formators and community. “Please pray for them as they prepare to make this important transition,” the bishop said.

Founded in 1989 by Most Rev. Edward M. Egan, the third Bishop of Bridgeport, the St. John Fisher House of discernment was created to provide young men with a place in which they could deepen their relationship with Christ Jesus while discerning a vocation. Since its inception, nearly 100 men have been ordained who spent some time at Fisher during their priestly formation. During its 31 year existence, St. John Fisher House has been located on Daniels Farm Road in Trumbull and its current location of 894 Newfield Avenue in Stamford.

BRIDGEPORT—Christians cannot run away from the world; rather they should engage it and seek to transform it, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said during the online Mass from the Catholic Center chapel for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

“We as believers do not run away from the kingdom of Caesar but enter into the public square and the larger culture recognizing its faults and bringing to it a message of hope and transformation.”

Bishop Caggiano said we effect change by bearing personal witness to the “integrity of Christian life” and by becoming a “Holy Reproach” to the larger society that often fails to live up to Gospel values.

Reflecting on the Gospel of Matthew (22: 15-21) when the Pharisees try to trap Jesus into a statement that will lead to his death, the bishop said that the Roman tax on the Jewish people was oppressive and held them in bondage.

If Jesus answered, No, to their question, he would be speaking against his own people. If he opposed the tax, he would be charged with insurrection, the bishop said.
However Jesus turns the tables on the Pharisees when he responds, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Translating that statement into our own lives is the challenge that we face today as we seek to bring the message of the Gospel to the public square, the bishop said.
The bishop said that no one likes paying taxes, that there are “many Caesars” in the world today and that all systems of rule “are troubled and broken and do not follow example of the Kingdom Christ has come to inaugurate.”

He said that Christians at some cost to themselves must become “a holy reproach to systems that create no place for God, and for his mercy and for the dignity of human life.”
At the same time, many social structures do not allow “all of God’s children to live in peace and prosperity.”

The bishop said we are all members of God’s kingdom by virtue of our baptism and that we are challenged to become “the eyes and ears, hands and feet and heart of Jesus” as we call the world to conversion and change.

“In the end, there will be only one King– the King to whom we owe everything– and that is Christ. We his subjects must allow his presence to rule our lives. We must give to God what is God’s. Without God, we have nothing. In the end, there will be no Caesar,” the bishop said.

The bishop said that St. Thomas More set the example for all Christians by “dying as the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” When in conflict with Henry VIII he sought to continue to serve the King, but realized he owed God “a pure conscience and fidelity to the truth. My friends, can you and I say the same?”

In remarks before final blessing, the bishop noted that as pandemic endures there are reports of resurgence of the virus as well as signs of hope. He urged all the pray for the end of the crisis and join in the weekly Family Rosary, every Sunday at 7:30 in the evening.

For more information on the Sunday Family Rosary, visit: https://formationreimagined.org/sundayfamilyrosary/

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.

One year ago, even before the unthinkable effects of the pandemic and the social unrest and division that we are now witnessing, a piece in the New York Times stated: “The world we live in now is one in which no place is safe, no lives really matter, when it comes to violence” (9/2/19). This statement was prompted by the tragedy of repeated mass shootings in our country. To this we must now add the outbreaks of random violence and the deaths that have prompted outrage and have called into question the level of force employed by law enforcement in some cases, especially with regard to people of color.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), written by Pope St. John Paul. He urged the world to uphold the sacred value and inviolability of human life rather than giving way to a culture of manipulation and choice in life matters, as evidenced in abortion, euthanasia, biological engineering, ecological destruction and unnecessary recourse to the death penalty. Violating the right to life, the Pope stated, only results in the destruction of values that are fundamental not only for the preservation of the lives of individuals and families, but of society as well. This message has been strongly echoed by Popes Benedict and Francis.

Amid all the ominous polarization, acrimony and even violence that are increasing in our country, we would do well to ponder Pope St. John Paul’s teaching. He said that respect for innocent human life from conception until natural death is a “transcendent truth” that surpasses any one religion, philosophy, law code or system of government. Religion can and should serve that truth, but it does not create it. If there is no God-given higher truth about the human person than the one we feel free to create, then everything degenerates into competing views of personhood and life itself; the “force of power” prevails, and the inalienable God-given meaning of the human person, and his or her dignity and right to life, are trampled.

Until recent times the religious beliefs of the vast majority of Americans did acknowledge the transcendent truth that all innocent human life is to be respected as inviolable. Indeed, the first thing that struck the French observer Alexis de Tocqueville about the United States in 1831 was its “religious atmosphere.” He wrote: “… while the law allows the American people to do everything, there are things which religion prevents them from imagining and forbids them to dare.” Religion taught virtuous behavior, which is essential if liberty is to be ordered to the common good. By bringing a moral dimension to issues, religion also helped ensure that majority rule not deteriorate into an immoral tyranny. Religion in America also created an allegiance and devotion among its adherents that counteracted the tendency of government to swallow up all aspects of life.

Today the withering away of respect for the transcendent truth about the right to life, and for traditional religious teaching about the sin and crime of taking innocent human life, has created what Pope St. John Paul called a “culture of death.” It is reflected in the words we cited from the New York Times that “the world we live in now is one in which no place is safe, no lives really matter, when it comes to violence.” In his new encyclical Fratelli tutti Pope Francis speaks of a “throwaway” world in which “persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected” (n. 18). Hopefully the 25^th anniversary of Evangelium vitae will be an inspiration for all people of good will to work for a “culture of life” that cherishes, serves, defends, and protects human life from conception until natural death.

Local pro-life leaders across the world are currently conducting an annual 40 Days for Life campaign that runs through November 1. Walking with Moms in Need is a year of service where Catholic parishes and communities “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need. And then there is Project Rachel, a network of caregivers, including clergy, mental health professionals and others who provide one-on-one care to those struggling after involvement in an abortion. The church continues to advocate strongly for hospice care for the dying, not death imposed by others or by suicide, and for an end to the death penalty because it is no longer needed to protect society.

For well over half a century the U.S. Bishops have spoken out nationally as a body about the evil of racism, most recently in 2018, calling yet again for Catholics and all Americans to take to heart in particular the lived experience—past and present—of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Without equal respect and opportunity for the life and dignity of each and all we cannot hope to have a nation at peace with itself.

Likewise, Pope Francis has dramatically and urgently spoken of the plight of refugees, immigrants and all those who are vulnerable and at risk across the world. Our Church strives to uphold the life and dignity of every person by providing education, health care and works of charity on a large scale, and by advocating for economic justice, immigration reform, and the alleviation of the desperate plight of so many of the world’s migrants, near and far.

These are just some of the ways the Catholic Church is working to promote a gospel of life. We invite you to join us, so that, in the words of Pope St. John Paul, “together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love.”

BRIDGEPORT—The Leadership Institute’s Family Bible Challenge gathered more than 2,500 families to engage in Scripture.

Families tuned in from around the diocese as well as from the dioceses of Dallas, Orange, Rochester, Brooklyn and the archdioceses of Newark and New York.

Now…Family Bible challenge is going national!

In a recent USCCB mailing, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano shared a letter inviting families around the country to participate.

“There is a strong desire of people to learn about their faith,” said Dr. Patrick Donovan, director of The Leadership Institute. “We want people to open their Bibles.”

The Family Bible Challenge takes place seasonally, usually three to four times per week. During each challenge, a theme is adopted.

With a goal of engaging both families and individuals in the Bible, The Leadership Institute sends an email each Sunday (in English and Spanish) with a passage to read and discuss. Quizzes on the material follow on Wednesday.

Seasons usually run six to seven weeks and families can join at any time and all reflections and quizzes are archived online for easy access.

The next season begins on October 18, 2020, and focuses on the beauty of God’s many creations. Drawing on passages from Genesis, Psalms, Daniel, Matthew, and St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, families will be challenged to reflect upon how we care for creation in its many forms.

The Leadership Institute held several trivia nights last spring and has been partnering with Catholic high schools to encourage students to assist with writing future questions. Also benefitting from the Family Bible Challenge are religion classes at diocesan elementary schools.

“St. Jerome tells us that, ‘ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,’” reflects Bishop Caggiano. “I would add that amidst all the uncertainty in the world today, Scripture is one place we can find hope.”

“I strongly encourage catechists, parents, Catholic school teachers, and my brother priests and bishops to help spread the word about this great resource,” said the bishop.

(Visit familybiblechallenge.org to learn more and to sign up.)

TRUMBULL—The Social Justice and Charitable Outreach committee at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull will be hosting a hat, coat and sweater drive this weekend.

There are five ways to donate:

1. Contact-free drive through: Sat., Oct 17, from 9 am-12 noon, & Sun., Oct 18, from 11 am-12 noon at the McClinch Family Center
2. At All Masses: Oct 17 & 18
3. At St. Catherine of Siena School: Fri., Oct 16 AM drop off & PM pick up at the McClinch Family Center
4. Religious Education classes: Tue., Oct 13, Wed., Oct 14 & Sun., Oct 18 during Rel Ed Classes at the McClinch Family Center
5. Financial contributions are also welcome!

Please join the parish in supporting their annual hat, coat and sweater drive that will provide warmth and clothing for families in need at Blessed Sacrament Church and Thomas Merton House in Bridgeport. The group are collecting hats, winter coats, sweaters, gloves and scarves for men, women and children. They request that all items be in new or good condition (please, no rips, stains or soiled items), in order to respect the dignity of those individuals who will be receiving gifts. All donations are appreciated! Please, no summer clothing. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

(For more information contact Salvatore Spadaccino, Coordinator for Social Justice and Charitable Outreach at Caritas@stcatherinetrumbull.com.)

As the academic year gets underway, school communities have faced unexpected changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic that have challenged the way they educate their students. St. Theresa School in Trumbull, however, embraced not one but two significant changes this fall as it welcomed both a new principal and a new model of education.

Pamela Fallon, former director of education at St. Joseph Academy in Brookfield, replaced Salvatore Vittoria as principal in August, bringing with her a love for Catholic education and an excitement for this long-established school. While at St. Joseph, Fallon oversaw the day-to-day functions of the academy and implemented curriculum, all which prepared her well for a smooth transition to St. Theresa.

“My faith has called me to learn and to serve,” said Fallon, also a former teacher and assistant principal. “I teach with the lens of my Catholic faith and always want to share the ‘good news.’”

Fallon’s arrival at St. Theresa coincided with the school’s shift to a Catholic liberal model of education, a philosophy that places Jesus at the center of all learning, affecting not only what is taught but how. Such a model engages children in a love of knowledge and, like a traditional education, encourages them to discover the fundamentals of history, science, math, and English composition and grammar but on a deeper level for a stronger relationship with God. According to Father Brian Gannon, pastor of St. Theresa Church, this is achieved by recognizing that God is the purpose for everything we do.

“He is the order in biology, the magnificence in geography, the beauty in poetry,” said Father Gannon. “We are renovating educational opportunities for kids based on the strengths of our current structure and giving them the tools to integrate the body and the soul.”

“A child’s mind is so sharp,” he continued, “and we want to fill it with truth, beauty and goodness.” These building blocks of knowledge, said Father Gannon, are also the foundation of this classical model of education.

For Fallon, part of the draw of St. Theresa was this new philosophy. “I believe in this classical model. It integrates so much of what I stand for—connecting curricular areas as a coherent whole. There is a tremendous difference in this versus a traditional curriculum,” she said.

To assist St. Theresa in making this three-year transition, a curriculum director was hired to help guide the building of the curriculum and instructional practice and to provide ongoing support for teacher and families. In addition, the administration sought the expertise of Colleen Richards, director of school services at the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, who spent two days in August at the Trumbull school leading professional learning workshops for teachers and staff. Equating this model to the telling of a great story, Richards commented that students respond so well because they are engaged by history.

“We are restoring history—ancient, medieval, American and modern times,” she said. “We are renewing the mission in the church’s own tradition. Kids are happy because they study meaning and purpose, and that’s what feeds their souls.”

When first and second graders study ancient Greece and Rome, they have a greater understanding of the founding of American democracy in grade five. When third graders embark on a guided pilgrimage around the school through a modern day Canterbury Tales, they are learning social studies and religion in an integrated way.

“This whole self-engagement through the lens of faith further engages the story,” said Fallon, adding that new lesson plans, resources and tools recommended by Richards will be implemented in this inaugural year.

As the transition moves forward even in the midst of a pandemic, safety precautions remain in place at St. Theresa School, with masks, disinfectants, cohort groups and a remote learning academy for children who choose to study at home. Fallon believes, however, that even some of these measures will enhance the classical model. With “specials” such as music and art now occurring within the students’ homeroom classes, teachers can better incorporate them into the core curriculum. “It’s a benefit,” she said, “and everyone is on board.”

With a new principal and a new model of education complemented by the strong foundation of its Catholic faith, St. Theresa School has much “good news” to share.

DANBURY— Immaculate High School Principal Wendy Neil announces that senior Meryl McKenna has been named a Commended Student in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Meryl was one of only 34,000 students across the nation who received the Commended Student recognition for “exceptional academic promise.” Entry into this competition was gained through taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists and Commended Students for the National Merit Scholarship Competition make up 50,000 of the more than 1.5 million students that took the 2019 PSAT/NMSQT.

School Principal Wendy Neil describes Meryl as a very kind, humble student who excels in all that she does in the classroom, on the field and when serving others. “We are extremely proud of Meryl and her accomplishments as an Immaculate student. Her academic mastery, hard work ethic and self-motivation is most deserving of this honor.” Immaculate High School is a private, non-profit Catholic college-preparatory institution serving students from 28 communities in Connecticut and New York. Founded in 1962, Immaculate High School allows students to focus on academic excellence, spiritual development, personal commitments and service to others. Located in Danbury, CT, Immaculate High School is part of the Diocese of Bridgeport’s parochial school system.

RIVERSIDE—Generous donations arrived today to the weekly Tuesday morning Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food and Essentials Drive at St. Catherine’s sponsored by the Social Justice Committee.

Donations filled three trunks and two back seats. Volunteers and staff sent out a heart-felt thank you to all who participated. The need continues!

Food Items Needed: peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, canned meats (chicken, chili, Vienna sausages), Chef Boyardi ravioli, tuna, canned fruit, black or red kidney beans (dried or canned), cereal, rice, soup.

Non-Food Items Needed (which cannot be purchased with food stamps): toilet paper, toiletries, paper towels, sanitary products, cleaning products, etc. and brown paper grocery bags.

Until further notice, there will be a car or SUV with an open trunk in the parking lot across from St. Catherine’s church on Tuesdays from 9- 11 am. Please drop your bagged grocery donations in the trunk, and we will take them to Neighbor-to-Neighbor.

(For more information visit www.stc-sta.org.)

MANHATTAN — A new statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini now overlooks Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and other New York City landmarks associated with immigrants, concluding a long effort by Catholics and others who objected to her exclusion by a city commission.

“We hope that people who visit this memorial will recognize that history should be repeated, that there was a care for the outcast and marginalized which Mother Cabrini understood, and we need that same care today,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn said Oct. 12. “This is not just history, we want to make history with a new understanding of how we take care of people.”

Bishop DiMarzio had co-chaired the Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission, founded after a New York City program drew strong criticism last year for not accepting the most popular nominee, Mother Cabrini, as a subject for a new city-funded statue series intended to raise the profile of women and minorities.

In response, Bishop DiMarzio organized a fundraiser and advocacy effort to build a statue of the saint. In the 2019 New York City Columbus Day Parade, the bishop rode on a parade float with a statue of Mother Cabrini. When the parade finished, Gov. Cuomo said New York State would work with the Brooklyn diocese and the parade sponsor, the Columbus Citizens Foundation, to create a permanent memorial for the saint.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was the founder of the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and opened and operated many schools and orphanages in New York City. She was born in Italy in 1850, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1889. She was canonized in 1946, becoming the first naturalized American citizen to be declared a saint. She is venerated as the patron of immigrants.

The new Mother Cabrini statue was unveiled Monday, Columbus Day, in lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City overlooking New York Harbor, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. It shows Mother Cabrini, a young boy and a young girl in a paper boat sailing on water. The nun holds a book in her hand, while the boy holds a suitcase and a wind instrument invented in Italy.

The statue was designed by Jill Burkee-Biagi and Giancarlo Biagi, sculptors based in New York City.

“Our goal was to create a statue that would represent the perseverance spirit of an extraordinary woman in realizing her childhood dream, the dream of helping people in need around the world,” said Burkee-Biagi, NBC New York reports.

“I am so happy that there were so many people who supported this effort and I am happy with the unique design which shows Mother Cabrini in motion and taking care of children,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “I know for the artists it was a work of passion, and this statue does her justice.”

Gov. Cuomo, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony, linked Cabrini’s life to contemporary troubles.

“Today the lesson of Mother Cabrini is even more vital because of the difficulties we are facing,” he said at the unveiling. “We all know these are challenging times, but as we also know in the book of life it is not what one does when the sun is shining that tests…but it is what one does in the fury of the storm.”

“Mother Cabrini only had two assets, but they were powerful assets,” he said. “She had her culture and she had her faith.”

John Leo Heyer II, a member of the Mother Cabrini Memorial Commission, said the statue “recognizes both her contributions as an Italian immigrant woman, as well as those of all Italian American and immigrant women.

“She is a shining symbol of what it means to care for the other person, the sick, the uneducated, the economically challenged and the stranger, always putting the needs of society’s most vulnerable above her own,” said Heyer.

“I hope that people will see this heroic statue, ask questions, learn about her outstanding life and work to imitate it as we all build New York’s future together,” he said.

The Diocese of Brooklyn has raised funds to build a Mother Cabrini monument in Brooklyn. Details about this monument will be announced later, the diocese said.

A Mother Cabrini statue became a point of controversy after Mayor Bill de Blasio commissioned a study into existing statues and monuments in the city, then set aside $10 million to craft new monuments better representative of the city’s ethnic and gender diversity.

Of the 150 statues in New York City at the time of the study, only five featured women. The city-run program She Built NYC received $5 million to build new monuments.

The She Built NYC program opened nominations to the public to help the commission decide on new statues.

Mother Cabrini was by far the popular favorite. She received 219 nominations, more than double the number received by the runner-up candidate, journalist and urban activist Jane Jacobs.

However, the selection committee, chaired by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife Chirlane McCray, decided not to choose Mother Cabrini for the statue series, drawing objections from admirers of the saint.

By Catholic News Agency