Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

BRIDGEPORT— “Even if we’ve gotten out of the boat like Peter and feel like we’re sinking, we can say the same prayer, ‘Lord save me,’” said Fr. Frank Hoffmann in his homily for the Mass for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Fr. Hoffmann, who is diocesan Vicar for Clergy and former pastor of St. John Parish, Darien, was the guest celebrant and homilist for Bishop Frank J. Caggiano’s weekly online Mass from the Catholic Center chapel.

Reflecting on Matthew (14:22-33) “ 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down,” Fr. Hoffmann said the Gospel speaks to us in troubled times.

‘Over the last few months we have reason to be afraid as we face an uncertain future, try to prepare, and don’t know what’s going to happen. Are schools going to open? Are we going back to lock down? There’s a lot to scare us, but we have Jesus,” Fr. Hoffmann said.

Fr. Hoffmann said we are all like the Apostle Peter and sometimes our faith is not as strong as we would like it to be, but Jesus is always there for us if we reach out to him.
Peter in his fear and imperfect faith “gets out of the boat and begins to walk toward Jesus. No one else does that,” said Fr. Hoffmann.

Fr. Hoffmann said the words, “Do not be afraid” appear in all the Gospels and that many times during our lives, we may find ourselves calling out, “Lord save me.”

When we are frightened, the Gospel tells us to ‘Take courage and do not be afraid,” said Fr. Hoffmann, who noted that one of the most common refrains of Saint John Paul II was, “Don’t be afraid. Fear not.”

“We must take courage to do our best and take chances to reach out to the Lord… His promise to us is to put out his hand and pull us back into the boat,” he said.

Fr. Hoffmann said Peter made many mistakes and even grievously denied knowing Jesus, but his faith saved him. He became “prince of the apostles and one of the leaders of the early Church,” because though he called out in fear, he walked in faith.

“There are few prayers as easy for us to say as, ‘Lord save me,” said Fr. Hoffmann.

Before leading the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the end of Mass, Fr. Hoffman thanked those who joined the online liturgy and said he hoped their day and week was filled with many blessings.

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.

On Aug. 6 and 9 the world will observe the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The 75th anniversary raises the question: What does the church teach about nuclear weapons?

Two popes have visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki to highlight the dangers of nuclear war and to mourn its victims. St. John Paul II made the first papal visit in 1981. Last November, Pope Francis made the second.

Since the 1945 bombings, popes have addressed and developed the teaching on nuclear weapons in consistent and increasingly urgent ways. The bishops of the United States have amplified and applied this teaching.

So what does the church teach about nuclear weapons? Its teaching is anchored in a concern to protect human life, an acknowledgement that peace is ultimately built on justice and a need to place strict moral limits on the use of force.

Any use of force must be proportional and discriminating. Force must not cause evils greater than what it aims to achieve. Force must discriminate between combatants and civilians.

In 1954, Pope Pius XII argued that “every possible effort must be made to avert (atomic warfare) through international agreement.”

He condemned “the pure and simple annihilation of all human life within the radius of action.” Pope Pius made the moral argument that the use of force must be limited to “self-defense” within “rigid limitations.”

St. John XXIII built upon this teaching in his 1963 encyclical letter, “Peace on Earth”: “The stockpiles of armaments which have been built up in various countries must be reduced all round and simultaneously by the parties concerned. Nuclear weapons must be banned.”

The Second Vatican Council was equally clear that “any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities … is a crime against God and man himself.” The council maintained that the arms race “is not a safe way to preserve a steady peace.”

Instead of eliminating the “causes of war,” the arms race aggravates them. “Extravagant sums” are spent on weapons and not on the underlying causes of conflict and the “multiple miseries” afflicting humanity.

St. Paul VI called “development, the new name for peace” in his 1967 encyclical letter, “On the Development of Peoples”: “For peace is not simply the absence of warfare, based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by efforts directed day after day toward the establishment of … a more perfect form of justice.”

Pope Paul also inaugurated the annual World Day of Peace (Jan. 1) in 1968. In the first papal Peace Day message, he decried “frightful weapons of extermination” and the expenditure of “enormous financial” resources that “hinder(s) the development of so many other peoples.”

Addressing diplomats in 2003, St. John Paul II was emphatic. “‘NO TO WAR!’ War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity.” He singled out “those who still place their trust in nuclear weapons.”

Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 starkly warned “those governments which count on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries.” He called their viewpoint “completely fallacious.” “In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims,” he added.

Pope Francis has frequently addressed the moral and life-threatening dangers of nuclear weapons. In a message to the 2014 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, he wrote: “Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for … peaceful coexistence among peoples and states.” He decried how expenditures “on nuclear weapons squanders the wealth of nations.”

The U.S. bishops have issued two pastoral letters on the issue, “The Challenge of Peace” (1983) and “The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace” (1993). In the first, they called upon the whole world to “say ‘no’ to nuclear conflict; ‘no’ to weapons of mass destruction; ‘no’ to an arms race which robs the poor and the vulnerable.”

In the second, they asserted: “The eventual elimination of nuclear weapons is more than a moral ideal; it should be a policy goal.”

What about the role of “nuclear deterrence”? In 1983, the U.S. bishops echoed the 1982 judgment of St. John Paul: “In current conditions ‘deterrence’ based on balance, certainly not as an end in itself but as a step on the way toward a progressive disarmament, may still be judged morally acceptable.”

Decades later, the church has reexamined “current conditions.” Nuclear deterrence has not led to “progressive disarmament” and a global nuclear ban. In fact, the nuclear powers are investing heavily in modernizing nuclear arsenals.

Given these conditions, in Hiroshima, Pope Francis declared: “The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral.” Earlier this year, the U.S. bishops’ International Justice and Peace Committee highlighted the efforts of Pope Francis and reaffirmed the longstanding “moral obligation to recommit to the work of ridding the world of nuclear weapons.”

The church’s teaching is clear and compelling. World leaders should work for a mutual, verifiable ban on nuclear weapons and instead invest in peace.

(Stephen M. Colecchi retired as director of the Office of International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2018. He currently serves as an independent consultant on Catholic social teaching and international issues of concern to the church.)

By Stephen M. Colecchi | catholicnews.com

BOGOTA, Colombia (CNS) — The sun was just rising over Bogota, and more than 50 men and women lined up for breakfast on a chilly sidewalk, with their shoulders wrapped in blankets and their faces burned by the cold wind.

After receiving a blessing from Franciscan Father Gabriel Gutierrez, the crowd of homeless people quickly filed by a handful of volunteers, who provided each person with a cup of hot chocolate, a tamale wrapped in plantain leaves and a bag with two pieces of bread.

Father Gabriel, as he is known, tried to keep the line orderly, urging people to wear their face masks and stay a safe distance from each other. He watched for those trying to get seconds before everyone in the group had been fed.

“The streets are not a romantic place” said the priest, who has been providing free meals to the homeless in Colombia’s capital for the past four years. “But this is not a time for us to hide inside our convents or our monasteries.”

Colombia has struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Each day, it reports more than 9,000 new infections and more than 300 people dead from COVID-19.

Social distancing measures and lockdowns, which have been in place for months, have destroyed around 5 million jobs and dragged hundreds of thousands of people into poverty. The nation’s unemployment rate has nearly doubled since the pandemic began and now hovers around 20%.

Homeless people around the country have been hit particularly hard by this situation. In Bogota, Father Gabriel and a group of volunteers are ramping up efforts to help them survive the pandemic.

Their organization, whose name translates roughly to Mercy on the Streets, feeds hundreds of homeless people each day, at four different spots in the city.

“Under normal conditions it’s tough for these people to make an income and get some food,” said the 63-year-old priest. “Now the only food some of them can get are the coffee and bread that we provide each morning.”

A census conducted by Bogota’s city government three years ago found 9,600 homeless people in the city. Father Gabriel said that number now could be closer to 15,000.

Most of these homeless people make a living from recycling trash, the priest said, while some sell coffee on the street, some beg for money and others do random jobs for tips, like guarding parked cars.

But the pandemic has slowed down the economy severely, and now there is less trash to recycle from businesses. The situation has left some homeless people without income.

“I used to watch over shops and I would get some money from that,” said a homeless man who identified himself only as Harry. “Those shops shut down during the pandemic and their owners left, and I’ve been making no money since then.”

Many homeless people in Bogota have addictions, such as crack or alcohol. The pandemic has made it harder for them to manage this dependency.

“Some of the drugs they take have become more expensive,” said Father Gabriel. “For those who can’t afford them, it means going into abstinence, without any sort of therapy or support.”

The city has centers that help homeless people with substance abuse problems, but those centers are only prepared to serve about a third of the current homeless population.

Father Gabriel said he began to work with the homeless in 2016, shortly after hundreds of people were expelled from a crime-ridden street called The Bronx. It operated as a drug market but also provided shelter to homeless people.

“When I arrived in Bogota, I would work like any other priest, helping with religious celebrations,” Father Gabriel said. “But then I found this reality (of homeless people) and it opened my eyes. It reminded me of my vocation of taking the Gospel to the streets.”

The priest and some volunteers from his parish started to set up small meals for the homeless. Slowly more volunteers from universities and from the Franciscan movement joined, now they run an organization that has around 180 volunteers.

The free meals, Father Gabriel said, help them get to know the city’s homeless population and “start a conversation” with them. Once dialogue and trust have been established, the volunteers have been able to help some homeless people enter rehab centers or to get items like recycling carts, with which they can improve their incomes.

Pope Francis “said that the church is like a field hospital,” Father Gabriel said. “We must go out in the streets and embrace these faces that are none other than the faces of God.”

By Manuel Rueda | catholicnews.com

There is an old saying in my parents’ Italian dialect that referred to August as the “head of winter”. For a rural, agrarian society, the meaning was clear. August was the time when preparations began for the coming winter months, to ensure that everything was ready. The first chore was to accumulate firewood that was needed to keep the kitchen fire burning all winter long. Many other preparations followed.

In our modern, urban world, we consider August the apex of the “lazy days of summer.” Ordinarily, these weeks saw many of us take our summer vacations, do some work around the house or simply relax from the frantic pace of life before the start of a new school year. I think it is fair to say that the winter would ordinarily be far from all of our minds.

This year, however, things may be different. In fact, the decisions that you and I now make regarding how to respond to the pandemic will have a profound impact on the shape of the upcoming fall and winter months. The lazy days of summer should not be an excuse for anyone to drop their guard or relax their vigilance against the many ways in which the virus can be transmitted. We must always keep in mind the grave consequences that will result if we disregard the future effects of the actions we take right now.

The safety measures we have been asked to observe are not designed solely to keep us safe. They are also primarily focused on keeping our neighbor safe, especially the vulnerable in our midst, which is a mandate that flows from our Christian belief in the sanctity of all human life.

So it seems to me that past generations have an important lesson to teach us this summer. August is clearly at the “head of winter”, setting the stage for the autumn and winter months ahead.  Let us do what is required of us with cheerful hearts. For to do otherwise will guarantee for all of us a long, cold, and bitter winter.

The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos.

NORWALK—Being a part of a Knights of Columbus Council, you try to establish relationships in your parish and community. Some relationships are expected, and others occur when you least expect it.

On Saturday, June 20 a few members of St. Matthew Council 14360 helped out with a food drive collection at Room to Grow in Norwalk. Grand Knight Anthony Armentano and Past Grand Knight George Ribellino struck up a conversation with a volunteer and she mentioned that her husband is a Knight in another town but would love to be in a council in Norwalk where they live. After telling her about our council and activities she took the paperwork for her husband to transfer. She also mentioned that her children go to Regina Pacis Academy in Norwalk which is an independent Catholic School. She asked if our council would like to establish a relationship with the school and they could use some assistance with projects before they open in September.

“This council does not hesitate when those in the community ask for help. We certainly welcomed the opportunity to form a new and hopefully long term partnership with the school,” said Armentano.

St. Matthew Council 14360 is known for its mission of putting Faith in Action and performing outreach in the community including Coats for Kids, Food Drives, painting and remodeling of the chapel at Notre Dame Health and Rehab, painting and repair work at Malta House and yearly mulching of playground projects at All Saints School and Our Lady Fatima Academy, just to name a few.

“Our council loves to roll up our sleeves and assist with labor. It saves other non-profit dollars that are not there due to limited budgets, said Past Grand Knight and project co-chairman George Ribellino.

The Council met with Principal Kimberly Quatela at the school to assess the project. Eight classrooms and two long hallways needed to be prepped and painted as well as a temp wall splitting a classroom needed to be taken down. Longtime Council member/carpenter and Project Co-Chair Tim “Tool-man” Horne reviewed what needed to be done and said this is something we could do.

“I knew we had a great bunch of Brother Knights in our Council that could handle this. It is always a pleasure to work with my Brothers so we can assist those in need,” said Horne.

So the Council put on their painting clothes and work books and started on Saturday, July 18 with the prep work, which included taping and covering the floors and some furniture. On Saturday July 25, many members of the council and a few members of neighboring council worked with some school parents and staff to paint all of the classrooms. Tim Horne went during the week to knock down the wall in the one classroom and paint the upstairs hallway.

“Without Brother Tim Horne, we could not take on some of this big projects over the years. His expectations and insight help guide us, said Ribellino.

On August 1, the Council finished the long downstairs hallway and the project was completed. It was a large job but all involved were happy with the outcome.

“A job of this magnitude would cost between 25 to 30 thousand dollars,” said Horne.

The Council is going to continue working with school on outreach project. In addition, they will help run some of the traditional Knights of Columbus youth projects such as the Keep Christ in Christmas and Vocation Poster contests as well as the Catholic Citizenship Essay contest. Principal Quatela will also help recruit some of the fathers in joining the council.

“On behalf of the entire school community of Regina Pacis Academy, I would like to
thank all of the Knights who selflessly donated their time to beautify our
school. This is a tremendous gift to our students and faculty members who
are eager to be back together under one roof this Fall. Thank you for
providing them a fresh, clean and beautiful school to come back to in
September. Please know of our prayers of gratitude for each of you and your families,” said Kimberly Quatela, principal of Regina Pacis Academy.

Regina Pacis Academy is an independent, Catholic classical school located in Norwalk, Connecticut, serving students in Kindergarten through eighth
grade. The mission of Regina Pacis Academy is to achieve academic
excellence, providing a Roman Catholic classical education taught by
teachers loyal to the Magisterium. For more info go to www.reginapacisacademy.org.

The goals of Council #14360 are to perform acts of charity. Providing those in need with a range of support from financial to tactical help in dealing with a wide variety of challenges. Council members work together to foster the founding principles of our order; Charity, Unity, Fraternity & Patriotism. Our goal as a council is to continue to identify specific needs in our community and muster support and help to alleviate these challenges and hardships to the best of our abilities and resources. For more information go to saintmatthewknights.com.

STAMFORD—The Sisters of Life, a religious congregation who take a special a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life, and who has a retreat house located in Stamford, is pleased to announce that the following five Sisters will profess their first vows as a Sister of Life on August 4, 2020, at Annunciation Motherhouse in Suffern, NY. Bishop Gerardo Colacicco, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, is celebrating the Mass of Profession.

Sr. Beata Victoria, 33, graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in Religious Studies; and from the University of King’s College, Halifax in 2011 with a Bachelor of Journalism. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she worked in the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Office of Public Relations and Communications for five years. Previously she interned with the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York and served for one year as a missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is the daughter of Francis and Silvana Loughheed of Ontario, Canada. She has an older brother, Stephen. Throughout her childhood, the Loughheeds worshiped at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.

Sr. Léonie Thérèse, 30, graduated from Lindenwood University of St. Charles, MO, in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.  Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she taught first grade at Sts. Joachim and Ann Catholic School in St. Charles, MO, for four years. She is the daughter of Jim and Catherine Weis of Florissant, MO, near St. Louis.  She is the oldest of four: Elizabeth, Sr. Anne (a Salesian Sister), and Joseph.  The Weises are parishioners at St. Ferdinand of Florissant, MO.

Sr. Anima Christi Rose, 29, graduated in 2015 from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s in Speech and Hearing Science and minor in Psychology; and a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she was a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), serving two years at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is the daughter of Antony and Rogy Chirayath of Lewisville, TX. She has an older sister, Merlyn. She was raised in the Syro-Malabar rite; and with the permission of the Holy See will profess her religious vows in the Latin rite.

Sr. Maria Augustine, 28, graduated from Adelphi University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 2014 and an MA in Childhood Education and Special Education in 2015. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she taught 5th grade at St. Patrick’s School in Smithtown (2015-2016) and 4th grade at Holy Angels Regional School in Patchogue (2016-2017). She is the daughter of Mark and Carol Correa of Smithtown, NY; her siblings are Katherine, Matthew (wife Sarah), and Victoria. The Correas are parishioners at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church of Smithtown, NY.

Sr. Chiara Madonna, 28, graduated in 2015 from Benedictine College with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and a minor in Business. Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in September of 2017, she served the Church in a number of it ministries and missions: humanitarian relief, marriage and family, women’s health, and religious freedom, in settings as varied as Geneva, Switzerland; Washington, DC; and her home Archdiocese of St. Louis. She is the daughter of Patrick and Carrie Judd of St. Louis, MO.  She is the oldest of six: Meghan, Annie, Patricia, Katie and Joe. The Judds are parishioners at St. Clement of Rome in St. Louis, MO.

The following two Sisters will profess their solemn vows as a Sister of Life on the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2020, at Villa Maria Guadalupe in Stamford, CT. The Mass of Profession will be celebrated by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

Sr. Virginia Joy, 39, graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  She is currently the Director of the Respect Life Office for the Archdiocese of New York. As a Sister, she has served in the New York City Visitation Mission, through which she accompanied women whose pregnancies created a crisis in their lives, seeking to bring them the spiritual, emotional, and temporal support they needed to choose life for themselves and their children.  She assisted the Sisters of Life Vocations Director from August 2012 until 2015.

Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in 2009, she served as a Residential Counselor at St. Anne’s Maternity Home in Los Angeles; as a Residential Counselor at Trinity Teen Solutions in Wyoming; and as Director of College Counseling at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, SC. 

She is the daughter of Timothy J. and Mary E. Cotter of Greenville, SC. She has two older siblings, Dave Cotter (Bethany) and Ellen Cotter.   The Cotters are parishioners at Our Lady of the Rosary; Sr. Virginia Joy was baptized at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, both in upstate South Carolina (Greenville, and Simpsonville).

Sr. Naomi Maria Magnificat, 34, graduated from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland with a BSc in Occupational Therapy in 2007.  Prior to entering the Sisters of Life in 2012, she worked in a children’s retail clothing store, and participated in and contributed to the New Evangelization in her home country.

As a Sister of Life, Sr. Naomi has served in the Visitation Mission in New York City, exploring life-giving options and providing resources and practical support to women experiencing unexpected pregnancies or adverse prenatal diagnoses; and in the Holy Respite Mission serving vulnerable human life in the persons of mothers-in-need and their infants, born and unborn, who are guests of the Sisters of Life at Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent.

She is the daughter of Helen Collins and the late Hugh Collins of Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, Ireland. Her siblings are Lorraine (Sean) Woulfe, Kevin, Sr. Fiona Mary of Grace (Ware Carmel, England), Clare (Mike) Hawes, Siobhan, Mark, Sinead (Rory) O’Connor, Louise (Gordan) Noonan, Bernadette, Katie, Eleanor, and Kelly. Her family worships at the Church of the Assumption in Abbeyfeale, County Limerick.

The Mass of Perpetual Profession may be viewed via live streaming on the Sisters of Life website, sistersoflife.org; or through their YouTube channel.

BRIDGEPORT— One of the great spiritual challenges we face as people may be to accompany others when they wrecking their own lives, said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano during his weekly online Mass from the Catholic Center chapel.

Reflecting on the account of the Loaves and Fishes in his homily at Mass for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the bishop said we must always walk with those who are suffering, even if they have brought it on themselves.

Bishop Caggiano began his homily by recalling the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared.” He said he grew up in a household where he left the house ready for school each day, and if he was not prepared or he made a bad decision, his father would remind him, “You made your bed, now lie in it.”

The bishop said the gospel of the loaves and fishes is very much about the same feeling. A crowd comes out to hear Jesus and stays the entire day, but the people are unprepared to feed themselves and the disciples urge Jesus to send them off.

“This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” (Matthew 14:15).”

“The Lord’s response is very different. He does not ask them to leave but through pity and compassion for the crowd, he feeds them. They came unprepared but he was willing to walk with them in their need.”

The same is true in our own lives, he said.

“We all know people who have made awful mistakes and have messed up their lives royally,” he said, and we are tempted to respond like the disciples in the gospel and tell them to “Dig yourself out. Move on.”

The bishop said that through the eyes of faith, we are able to summon the pity and compassion to accompany those who are suffering and lost.

“Pity is that great gift that allows someone to recognize the misery of the person before us, but not in a judgmental way.”

Compassion is the decision not to turn them away, “but to walk with them, suffer with them, and guide them so they may understand the consequences of their decisions… And then to go beyond that; to learn to be healed and to hear the word that will grant them in belief a way to find Jesus and follow him to eternal life.”

The bishop said in a world where we all makes mistakes—sometimes big mistakes— we don’t have to give up on each other.

“Through the gift of Eucharist and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will help us to follow his example and bring them to greater life.”

Before giving the final blessing the bishop said he was praying for the faithful and their families and asked to be remembered in their prayers as well during these difficult times.

“May they also be times of opportunity for growth and renewal in our personal life and in the life of the Church.”

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.

When she was 5 years old, Joenette Mansel Franklin was woken up in the middle of the night because her family had to flee their home in North Carolina. Her father’s life had been threatened.

“It happened one day when my father went to buy a loaf of bread at the store, and they made him wait 90 minutes while the white people were served first,” she recalled. “He told them, ‘I am next’ and they said to him, ‘We are paying you a visit at your household.’ They planned to lynch my father, mother and me, but the neighbors gave us money to leave.”

Joenette told me her story a year ago. She said her father took his family south to Charleston, where right in the center of town was the “hanging tree.” But there was also refuge. They were cared for by nuns who belonged to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

“The nuns took us in and even though I am 83 years old, I can close my eyes and still see that room and the little pallets they made for us to sleep on,” she recalled.

In our troubled times, we often hear about “white privilege.” Celebrities, whose commitment to social justice is often limited to hashtags and Twitter commentary, use the term often. The woman who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament understood “white privilege.” She was an heiress, the daughter of investment banker Francis Anthony Drexel, who in the late 19th century was one of the richest men in America.

His daughter Katharine Mary, born in 1858, truly understood the privilege that comes with wealth. She rode in a private railroad car, traveled the world, received an excellent education from private tutors and had a grand debut into Philadelphia society.

There was another education she received — in kindness. Three times a week, her family opened their home and distributed food, rent money and clothes to the needy, and if they knew someone in a desperate situation who was reluctant to visit them, they would go to them to offer assistance.

During her travels, Katharine saw firsthand the deprivation that Native Americans and African Americans suffered. Instead of marrying, she decided to enter the religious life and work with the poor and disenfranchised. The banner headline in the Philadelphia Public Ledger announcing her decision proclaimed, “Miss Drexel Enters Convent — Gives Up Seven Million!” (Today, her father’s estate would be worth $400 million.)

Katharine professed her first vows in 1891 and was committed to working with African Americans and Native Americans. Along with 13 other women, Mother Drexel began her congregation of sisters, educating and opening boarding schools across the country. They eventually started 145 missions, 12 schools for Native Americans and 50 for African Americans, including Xavier University of Louisiana, the only black Catholic college in the United States.

Joenette Franklin was educated in these schools.

Her family later moved to Cleveland because her father feared the Ku Klux Klan would find them. Even though they lived near St. Timothy’s Church, Joenette could not attend its school because she was black.

“I had to take two buses and a street car and another bus to go to St. Edward’s School across town, where the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament taught,” she said.

When she moved to Connecticut in 1953, she would attend church services in downtown Hartford. “If I sat next to a white person, they would get up and move,” she recalls. “They don’t do that anymore. When you go in now, people are very kind.”

“The Sisters instilled a love of God in me and taught me not to hate,” she says. “They told me to love everybody. They taught me a wonderful thing. They taught me to love and not look at skin tones. As for people who are racist, you pray for them.”

The Sisters, however, had one peculiar rule.

“The nuns wouldn’t use my name because they said it wasn’t a saint’s name,” Joenette recalled. “So they called me by my middle name.” What was it? Katherine.

By Joe Pisani

Since August 1, 1885, the chain of perpetual adoration of the Holy Sacrament at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre in Paris has continued uninterrupted, including during the 1944 bombing and the coronavirus crisis.

Pictured: The Benedictine sisters have prayed non-stop for 135 years at the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in Paris. (interior photos, Sophie Lloyd; archive photograph, AHAP; exterior/dome photos, Stephanie LeBlanc/Unsplash)

PARIS—As the health crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic immersed the whole country into a long period of lockdown March 17, Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, which had to close its doors for the first time in its history, nonetheless remained an unflappable beacon of prayer in France.

Enthroned at the top of the emblematic butte Montmartre, the highest point of the city, the basilica is particularly prized by tourists and art lovers for the purity of its Roman-Byzantine architecture and its rounded shapes.

It is, after the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the second-most-visited monument of the City of Light.

But this high place of world tourism, as a “Sanctuary of Eucharistic Adoration and Divine Mercy,” is also one of the most important religious sites of France.

Day and night since August 1, 1885, the Body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament has been exposed and adored inside the basilica (except for Good Friday), whatever the external conditions, even the most extreme. This is remarkable, as the history of France hasn’t exactly been calm since that time, including for the Catholic Church, which is also facing an unprecedented wave of secularization at every level of society.

“The adoration hasn’t stopped even for a minute, including during the two world wars,” Sister Cécile-Marie, member of the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre and responsible for the nights of adoration at the basilica, told the Register. “Even during the 1944 bombing, when some fragments fell right next to the basilica, the adorers never left.”

Adoration in the Time of COVID-19

And the recent quarantine period was, of course, no exception. While, usually, many lay or religious people come from outside and take turns in perpetual adoration, this unprecedented situation necessitated the 14 nuns of the community to reorganize their daily life in order to keep honoring the special tradition of the sanctuary, which stayed closed to the public for more than two months, until May 31.

“It was obvious to us that since we were not touched by the coronavirus, as long as we were still on our feet, we had to act and adapt quickly to this new situation,” Sister Cécile-Marie continued.

Each nun had to pray in adoration one hour twice a day to ensure a 24/7 presence, including during meals. “We never leave the Lord alone, and one cannot leave before the next person arrives, which could be pretty difficult at night when one of us didn’t wake up on time!” she said, adding that this has also been an opportunity for them to focus more on prayer and thus reconnect with the very essence of their rule of life.

However, she confessed, the lockdown also created a totally unusual sense of emptiness within the church, usually crowded with pilgrims and visitors. In her view, the most difficult thing to handle when the basilica suddenly emptied was the sight of all the candles slowly going out.

“It was a very sad vision, but, miraculously, we immediately started receiving requests of intentions of prayer from people via email; so, eventually, there were always at least one or two candles burning, and when they were about to extinguish, we would suddenly receive another request, which was so comforting.”

And the Benedictine community was quickly joined in prayer by a multitude of adorers who prayed with them remotely, following an online table for intentions of prayers.

“It was a beautiful experience: We were alone in the basilica, but we felt we were always connected with the adorers that were in spiritual communion from where they were,” Sister Cécile-Marie recalled. “We couldn’t help people by wearing white coats, but we fought the epidemic our own way: through prayer.”

A Place of Reparation

The construction of the basilica wasn’t even completed when perpetual adoration was initiated. The historical context in which the building project was born was particularly sensitive and painful for the French nation.

Indeed, the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War following the Siege of Paris in 1871 left a strong sense of hopelessness among the population and was often associated in the collective mind with a weakening of the faith as a consequence of the French Revolution.

It was then, as an act of reparation designed to instill hope in the nation’s heart, that two laymen, Alexandre Legentil and Hubert Rohault de Fleury, initiated and developed the ambitious project to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the support of a large network of friendships.

And the place chosen by the then-archbishop of Paris, Joseph-Hippolyte Guibert, for the construction owes nothing to chance: It was in Montmartre, which literally means “Mount of Martyrs,” that the first Christians of Paris, including St. Denis, were killed in hatred of the faith in the third century.

“The foundress of our community, Mother Adèle Garnier, heard about the project and received soon after a divine call to establish perpetual adoration in this new church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and she submitted this idea to the archbishop of Paris,” Sister Cécile-Marie said.

But the building process, started in 1875 and completed in 1914, was particularly arduous because of the sand sub-base, which made the site unstable. Therefore, divine assistance was sought through the creation of a provisory chapel so that people could pray and meditate even during the work. “Times of adoration of the Holy Sacrament were already organized there, and the first pilgrims came, giving the first financial contributions for the building site,” Sister Cécile-Marie continued.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux herself was among the first contributors to the basilica, which could only augur a glorious future for the site. During a visit to Paris on her way to Rome with her family and a group of pilgrims, on Nov. 6, 1887, young Thérèse attended Mass at Sacré-Cœur and decided to offer her gold bracelet for the basilica’s monstrance.

It wasn’t until 1919 that the building was finally consecrated by Archbishop Guibert, five years after the completion of the work, as ravages of the Great War forced him to postpone the ceremony.

One century later, as the basilica’s first jubilee coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit chose this emblematic place to conduct an extraordinary blessing ceremony of the French capital with the Holy Sacrament, on Holy Thursday, to seek God’s protection for the city and its inhabitants.

“Sacred Heart of Jesus … from this basilica, day and night, your mercy shines on this city, France and on the world, in the sacrament of the Eucharist,” Archbishop Aupetit said in his prayer raised from the basilica’s portico. “Assist all those who are suffering the consequences of the pandemic and support those who, in so many ways, put themselves at the service of their brothers and sisters. Give health to the sick, strength to the medical staff, comfort to the families and salvation to all those who have died.”

By Solène Tadié  |  ncregister.com

WESTON—On September 11 and 12, Jeff Cavins will be speaking at St. Francis of Assisi in Weston CT and his talks will be live streamed.

Jeff Cavins is a much sought after Catholic inspirational speaker. He is an author, and biblical scholar. Cavins is the creator of the popular Great Adventure Bible Study program where he unlocks how to read the Bible in a way that is understandable and relevant in today’s world. It helps readers discover the story of salvation history and how we fit into God’s plan. Cavins was also the founding host of the television show “Life on the Rock” on EWTN and the Morning Air radio program on Relevant Radio.

On Friday, September 11, from 7 pm to 8 pm, Cavins will give an engaging talk on his conversion story, ‘A rebel returns to his faith’.

On Saturday September 12, from 9:45 am to 2:15 pm, Cavins will conduct a seminar entitled ‘The Activated Disciple: Taking your faith to the next level’. As he says in his book, “Practice Is Over. It’s Game Time.” Cavins will talk about moving beyond believing and practicing to becoming an activated disciple. His real-world message inspires people on how to imitate God in order to become an instrument for him to transform the world.

“We are excited to be hosting Jeff Cavins”, said Rev. Jeffrey Couture, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, “We are especially pleased to open this to all faith communities in Fairfield County. We hear from many people that they are hungry to renew and reactive their faith. This is a unique opportunity for all of us to do that.”

The cost for both events is $75 and includes the cost of his book, The Activated Disciple. Registration is required by August 28. Proceeds go towards the St. Francis of Assisi Women’s Guild Scholarship Fund.

Online registration is at www.stfrancisweston.org. Once registered, a password-protected link and information on how to pick-up the book will be emailed seven days in advance. If you have any questions, please contact WomensGuildSFA@gmail.com. This event is sponsored by the St. Francis of Assisi Women’s Guild.

Click here for flyer.

NEW HAVEN—The Connecticut State Council of the Knights of Columbus are looking for strong Catholic Men to answer the call to lead with faith, protect our families, serve others and defend our values. Today joining the Knights of Columbus is easier than ever before. You can sign up on-line for a special rate of $15. Promotion runs until August 31, 2020.

To join or get more information, go to kofc.org/joinus

Use promo code CTKOFC for this special promotion

Any questions, contact membership.west@ctstatecouncil.org

* Membership fee normally $30

The K of C was founded in 1882 by Venerable Father Michael McGivney, a parish priest, in New Haven, Connecticut. The organization was formed to provide charitable outreach and care for the financial well-being of Catholic families, focusing on the protection of widows and orphans, and on strengthening the faith of its members. It has grown to include over two million members worldwide.

With around 2 million members worldwide, The Knights of Columbus stands as the strong right arm of the Church and challenges members to grow in their faith through programs, fraternity and vital resources such as our award-winning magazine, Columbia, and many other exclusive member communications.

As Catholic men, we are called to do more. The Knights of Columbus can help you answer that call. Your membership connects you with opportunities to make an impact in your community and gives you access to resources to help you grow deeper in faith and stay informed about the issues Catholics care about. You’ll also have exclusive access insurance and financial planning products to help you protect your family.

“Gain over 23,000 CT Brothers for $15 and put your Faith into Action, we need you to assist those in most need during these challenging times,” CT State Deputy Gary McKeone.

In 2019 the over 23,000 members of the Connecticut Knights of Columbus donated over $1 million dollars to various local charities while volunteering over 250,000 hours of community service. Now more than ever, with the current pandemic, there is a need for more Catholic men to serve in our communities and parishes.