Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

NORWALK—Parishioners at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk celebrated public Mass for the first time since mid-March.  But, this time, instead of being in the church sanctuary, Mass was outside in the open air on the church grounds.

Following the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the public celebration of Mass was suspended in dioceses throughout the world. Diocese of Bridgeport Bishop Frank J. Caggiano mandated that all public Masses celebrated in the presence of the lay faithful were suspended in the Diocese of Bridgeport effective March 16.

On May 11, working in tandem with state and local health departments, Bishop Caggiano announced General Guidelines for Resumption of Public Worship beginning May 21, the celebration of Ascension Thursday. This first phase of the plan gives parishes the option of offering outdoor Masses with a limit of 50 people, including priests and other ministers, or a parking lot Mass with a limit of the number of vehicles to be determined by the size of the parking lot.

These Guidelines establish protocols and procedures making sure the safety and health of our faithful and clergy is of the highest importance in whatever parish plan is created. Adherence to appropriate health safety precautions for all who attend is required, including limiting the number of faithful present and maintaining social distancing standards.

The principal celebrant of the outdoor Mass at St. Matthew was parochial vicar Father Sunil Pereira, I.M.S., and concelebrated by pastor Monsignor Walter C. Orlowski, V.F., KCHS.
According to Msgr. Orlowski, “God is good to us, to allow us to gather and worship him.

“People are excited, but they remain cautious. Yet the people of St. Matthew are people of great faith. This is a time for all of us to decide what is our personal comfort zones. Safety is first. Then this allows us the opportunity to come to Mass and getting back to into doing what we must do—not only worshipping together—but putting our faith into action.”

Gene Mensching and Joan Walsh are long-time parishioners at St Matthew. They attended the first outdoor Mass on Ascension Thursday.  During the outdoor Mass, parishioners bring lawn chairs and maintain social distancing protocols during Mass and while receiving Holy Communion.

“This is fantastic,” Mensching said.

“It’s the perfect way to come back for the first time,” Walsh added.

“We are very anxious to be here and receive Holy Communion and to be with all the people we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Liz Reid from Stamford attended the afternoon parking lot Mass.  For the parking lot Mass, worshipers remain in their vehicles and listen to the Mass broadcast on FM radio. Again, social distancing is maintained with regards to how the vehicles are parked and as the faithful leave their vehicles to receive Holy Communion.

“Monsignor and Father Sunil have worked tirelessly to keep faith in everyone’s mind and heart.

“It’s a beautiful day.  I am thankful to God and looking familiar to celebrating Mass with familiar faces, people that I have enjoyed celebrating Mass with over the years,” Reid added. “Most importantly, I was anticipating receiving the Holy Eucharist.

“My mom, Dodi McCollem, came with me to Mass today.  We originally lived across the pond from St. Matthew, but my mom has lived in Florida for the past several years before recently moving back to Connecticut.

“As we approached the church today, she had tears in her eyes.”

The outdoor public celebration of Mass remains optional at the discretion of the local pastor, and is subject to such elements as inclement weather.  Local parishes should be contacted for specifics on the resumption of public Masses.

For more information on the General Guidelines for Resumption of Public Worship, please click here.

NEW FAIRFIELD—The parking lot of St. Edward the Confessor resembled a drive-in movie theater from years ago as Catholics gathered to worship at an outdoor Mass.

The well-orchestrated first mass of its kind at the church offered an opportunity for disciples of Christ to participate in Mass and receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time in more than two months since the state was shuttered due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“I haven’t seen you guys in so long,” Rev. Nick Cirillo said. “I’m so happy to see you all now,” he exclaimed as he stood under the awning of the church entryway to shelter from the persistent rain and occasional downpour. About 60 cars were lined up in the parking lot facing the entry of the church.

Church goers were given a list of instructions when they arrived at the church, walking them through the new procedures including tuning into 87.9 FM to hear the Mass in their cars, how Holy Communion would be distributed and a reminder to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

“My friends these are crazy days,” Father Cirillo said. “When we are willing to do what it takes to be in the presence of Christ, we rejoice that we can be together in this way,” he said.

Just as Father Cirillo was saying the blessings over the gifts, the sun began breaking through the clouds.

When it was time to offer a sign of peace, people waved to each other through their car windows and bigger than the enthusiastic waves were the smiles on everyone’s faces; an expression of the undeniable happiness to see one another and participate in the Mass together.

St. Edward’s was the first parish to be founded after the Bridgeport Diocese was established in 1953 and is one of the first to offer drive-in Masses for its parishioners.

Ushers walked through the row of cars indicating an opportunity for people to leave their cars with a face covering on and approach the altar to receive Holy Communion. Communion was brought to cars for the handicapped or infirm as denoted by a yellow magnetic flag placed on the hood of the car upon arrival.

“Because it is Memorial Day Weekend, we want to pray for all those who have died defending our country all over the world,” Father Cirillo said.

At the conclusion of Mass and as the congregants started to drive away, as orderly as they entered, Father Cirillo and Deacon Patrick Shevlin waved to the people in their cars and over the exit hymn playing on the radio, Father Cirillo said, “Many blessings and safety to you all.”

By Kathy-Ann Gobin

BRIDGEPORT—The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t pressing pause on people’s generosity, as many tuned-in to the McGivney Community Center’s virtual fundraiser “The Passport to Come and Grow.”

The fundraiser took place to raise support for McGivney’s after school and summer camp programs.

DJ Allan Lamberti from WEBE 108 was the emcee for the evening, providing a fun and interactive environment. Viewers enjoyed trivia, and recipes for food and drink from around the world.

Those who tuned-in were able to donate by texting their desired amount to a number provided, and donations streamed in throughout the live-stream.

Witnesses to the McGivney Center’s success spoke about the truth behind the center’s tagline: “Kids at McGivney don’t come and go, they come and grow.”

“The McGivney Center is not only a place for my child to learn and grow but it also provides job stability,” said Leslie Carter, a McGivney family member who explained that her family is benefitting from the online resources the center is sending, as well as the weekly family meals being provided.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the McGivney Center has been working to ensure that they are providing for their families and the community.

The center has been able to offer dinner prepared by Vazzy’s, Calise’s Food Market and Layla’s Falafel by social-distancing curb-side pick-up Tuesdays-Fridays through Wednesday, June 3. The center has also been sending online after-school resources to families and has provided WIFI hotspot busses parked at convenient locations for families who need internet access.

“We are doing everything we can to keep our families strong and kids healthy,” said board member Anne McCrory, who spoke about how although McGivney is closed due to COVID-19, they are still providing resources to their families. “These kids step out of their everyday lives and they walk stronger, more confidently and with greater purpose toward something that could show every bit of potential that they have,” McCrory said.

“The McGivney Center provides hope in a very practical and regular way to the people they serve,” said Tom Matthews, board member.

“The McGivney Center is a wonderful example of the mission of the Church hard at work in the city of Bridgeport,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano in a video message. “Even in this time of great challenge, the McGivney Center is providing meals and free WIFI for our families and young people. I come to you with great gratitude in this time—you are truly heroes on the frontline of helping our young people to move forward in confidence and hope,” the bishop addressed those who tuned in.

The McGivney Community Center’s mission for youth is to provide stimulating and enriching programs that foster academic success and self-esteem.

Executive Director Lorraine Gibbons thanked everyone who participated “from the bottom of her heart.”

Donations will help kids attend summer camp, provide healthy snacks, camp activities and supplies. By the end of the night, a goal of $50,000 was reached, with more donations projected to pour in over the following 48 hours!

(For more information on the McGivney Center, to watch the video of the virtual fundraiser, or to donate visit: mcgivneycenter.wixsite.com.)

TRUMBULL—On a glorious Sunday morning, hundreds of parishioners gathered in their cars outside St. Theresa Church in Trumbull for an opportunity they had not had in over two months: the ability to attend public Mass and receive Holy Communion. After weeks of logistical planning to meet the directives of the diocese, Father Brian Gannon said people had a great desire to return to Mass.

“The interest level has been so high. It’s very inspiring to see so many people here. And the glory of God is shining upon us!” said St. Theresa’s pastor with his hands outstretched to the mid-morning sun. “What a beautiful day that God has given us!”

Though many parishioners routinely watched Sunday Mass through the church’s livestreamed service, the joy of celebrating the Eucharist in community is like no other. Mary Wolpiuk, a longtime parishioner who attended Sunday’s 10 am service, felt privileged to be there. “I have really had a lot of communion with God during this absence [of public Mass],” she said, “but nothing can replace the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.”

In preparation for this opening, nearly 30 volunteers from the parish worked to create the outdoor sanctuary. A storage container atop two flatbed trucks served as the altar with a crucifix hanging in the center and photographs of patron saint Therese of Lisieux on either side. The reconfigured parking lot allowed for scores of cars to face the sanctuary and enable the priests to maintain social distancing while distributing Holy Communion. Though parishioners were required to remain in their vehicles, they could tune into Mass via their car radios through FM 90.9, dubbed by Father Gannon as the “station for salvation!”

As St. Theresa’s adjusts to outdoor celebrations, only three Masses each weekend will be held—a 4:30 pm Saturday Vigil as well as a 10 am and 12 noon service on Sunday. To guarantee a parking space, reservations are made on a week-to-week basis, with priority given to registered parishioners.

During his homily on this Sunday of Memorial Day, Father Gannon often alluded to these challenging times that the Catholic Church and indeed the entire world has faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the very reason for celebrating outdoors.

“God’s greatest message is one of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope,” he said, as leaves rustled above the makeshift sanctuary and car engines hummed up and down the rows. “During the time of this virus, we have been in a period of waiting, and we ask ourselves, ‘Have I prayed more? Or have I used it as an excuse not to?’”

“Wherever we say Mass,” he added, “there are people who desire communion with God—whether it is in St. Peter’s Square, the back of an army Jeep, or outside in a parking lot.”

While some procedures during the Mass varied slightly from the traditional indoor service, Father Gannon and Father Flavian Bejan, associate pastor, took great care to preserve the sacred distribution of Holy Communion, with parishioners receiving just outside their vehicles or reverently at the foot of the sanctuary.

Social distancing protocol prevented friends from greeting each other or offering the Sign of Peace, but for many, just being there was enough. “Seeing the community all together was very special, particularly during these times,” said 16-year-old Kate Barton who attended the noon Mass with her family. “It was an amazing feeling.”

As Mass ended and parishioners exited the lot, Father Gannon waved and chatted briefly with them all. And in thanksgiving for all soldiers on this Memorial Day weekend, the cantor’s chords of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” reaffirmed to everyone in attendance that despite any struggle we face “His truth is marching on.”

By Emily Clark

TRUMBULL—The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena will host another in a series of contact-free drive-through food drives to support area food pantries.  This food drive is timed specifically to meet the increased demand for services always present during summer, together with emergency needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drive-through food drive will take place in the parking lot of the church on Saturday, May 16, from 9 am until 12 noon. All donations of food will be delivered directly to the Trumbull Food Pantry, as well as the following organizations in inner-city Bridgeport: Blessed Sacrament Parish, Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Mary’s Parish, The Convent of Mary Immaculate, The Thomas Merton Center, The Missionaries of Charity. Demand for services at area organizations has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 crisis began. Social distancing guidelines will be followed at all times to protect the health of our donors and volunteers.

Previous events sponsored by St. Catherine’s have been very successful. To date, the parish has delivered more than 150 linear feet of food and more than $7,000 in cash to area food banks. Father Skip of Blessed Sacrament Parish reflects, “We all know that we should try to keep our social distance, but the clients of our food pantry simply cannot resist the temptation to linger after collecting their groceries. For a brief moment, everything looks and sounds normal. From within the safety of our parish house, I hear only laughter and normal conversation. There is joy in being able to provide food for the hungry. God bless you and thank you for that brief moment of joy!”

The food banks’ greatest needs include: soap, toilet tissue, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, pasta, pasta sauce, canned pasta (ex: Chef Boyardee), rice, beans, oil, coffee, sugar, tuna fish, mac & cheese, peanut butter, canned fruit, canned soups, bread, granola bars, energy bars, pop tarts, apple sauce, small cereal boxes, Gatorade, bottled water, juice boxes, etc.  Additionally, the Convent of Mary Immaculate cares for very young children, and is in need of baby food, diapers and formula. (Please no corn, green beans, gravy or stuffing.)

Here’s how it will work: Before leaving home, place food donations in bags in your trunk. Pull up to the front of the Family Center, where food will be collected. No need to leave your car!  Open your trunk from the inside of your car.  (If your car is not equipped with a means to open your trunk from inside the car, kindly step outside the car to open your trunk.)  Volunteers wearing masks and gloves and maintaining social distancing will remove the bag(s) of food donations.

You may also offer a monetary donation for this purpose. In this case, the Social Justice and Charitable Outreach Committee will use all financial donations to buy food which will be divided equally among the three food banks.  Please make any checks for this purpose payable to St. Catherine of Siena, and write FOOD BANKS in the memo line.

The drive-through food drive is organized by St. Catherine’s Social Justice and Charitable Outreach team, led by Salvatore Spadaccino. Other initiatives that the Social Justice & Charitable Outreach Team has worked on include: toiletry drive, school backpack drive, Thanksgiving food drive, annual Parish giving tree, pro-life baby shower and more.

(For more information on the Social Justice and Charitable Outreach ministry at St. Catherine of Siena in Trumbull, contact Salvatore Spadaccino, coordinator for Social Justice and Charitable Outreach, at caritas@stcatherinetrumbull.com.)

REDDING – The St. Patrick Church parking lot, filled with 50 chairs, was a welcome sight to congregants attending the first outdoor mass at the parish.

“Welcome! It’s so good to see all of you,” Rev. Joseph Cervero M.Div, exuberantly greeted parishioners at the beginning of mass to which they responded in kind with a round of applause.

The mass is one of many being held throughout the Bridgeport Diocese to offer Catholics an opportunity to receive the Eucharist.

Parishioners were appreciative of the opportunity to attend mass in-person instead of the alternative of watching a live-stream of it in their homes, which most have been doing since March.

“I’m grateful to come back to church,” said Diane Riccelli, one of the many parishioners attending the outdoor mass. “Things that you took for granted before you really appreciate now.”

The altar for the outdoor mass, which was situated in front of the two-car garage at the rectory with a statue of Mary flanked by potted plants, was the original altar from the 1879 church that is currently undergoing renovations. “It represents the presence of our parish from the very beginning,” Father Cervero told the congregation.

Father Cervero said prayer is the answer to fear and uncertainty, “When we are feeling uncertain or anxious go to God in prayer.”

Prayers were specifically offered for all those affected by the Coronavirus that they may find comfort and healing.

“We needed that,” Al Garavito said as he and his young family were leaving mass.

“It’s time to come to church to see something positive,” his wife Danielle, added. She and her husband are both paramedics and they said the community church service was a respite from their daily work lives.

The chairs at the service were spaced six feet apart to adhere to social distancing, although families could cluster the chairs to sit closer together during the service.

“It was very nice to be able to participate in mass,” Danielle Garavito said. “It’s still important to come together as a town.”

The brilliant morning sun and calm breezes punctuated the service as the sounds of chirping birds accompanied the musical ministry.

“It was so good to see them (the parishioners),” Father Cervero said, adding that many people told him they were overjoyed to be able to receive the Eucharist. “Together as a community, is the best way to get through all of this. Let us return to prayer always; on this journey we are never alone.”

FAIRFIELD—Fairfield University student volunteers celebrated the 50-day milestone of their community outreach project last week by announcing the donation of their 1,000^th piece of custom-designed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). More than halfway to their GoFundMe page fundraising goal, they hope to continue production through the summer.

FAIRFIELD—Ali Famiglietti discovered spiritual direction during her senior year at Fairfield University in Connecticut. She needed course credit to fulfill her religious studies requirement, so she enrolled in “Students’ Ten-Week Ignatian Experience,” offered by the Murphy Center for Ignation Spirituality. The semester-long course provided an overview of the Spiritual Exercises and included spiritual direction.

Six years later, Famiglietti has resumed spiritual direction at the Murphy Center. She’s now a graduate student at Fairfield, studying for a master’s degree in secondary education to teach Italian. Famiglietti has tried to explain spiritual direction to her friends — she describes it as a “spiritual therapy” — but she finds that her peers usually don’t get it. In the midst of tumult caused by COVID-19, though, Famiglietti says she’s especially grateful to have this spiritual foundation, and to be able to continue spiritual direction virtually.

“Covid felt like everything was torn asunder,” Famiglietti says. “Spiritual direction has given me structure and a way to evaluate what I’m really feeling. Just knowing that and cultivating that sense of self-awareness makes me feel like the world is not going to fall apart every second.”

Separate from campus ministry, the center offers programming that invites the students, faculty and staff at Fairfield into a deeper understanding of Ignatian spirituality. They offer retreats, diocesan programs and spiritual direction for 200 to 300 people at any given time, including 50 to 75 students. The center is currently working with Bridgeport Hospital to respond to the pandemic by offering spiritual direction and spiritual care to health care professionals virtually and free of charge.

In this time of COVID-19, the offerings have expanded even further. While the center’s leadership long wanted to offer digital programming, the shelter-in-place order spurred them to finally start.

“The closing down of programs within the diocese and on campus led us to do something we knew we were needing to do for a long time — that is, to offer programs in digital forms,” Jesuit Fr. Gerry Blaszczak, Fairfield’s vice president of mission and ministry, told NCR.

Blaszczak worked with Marcy Dolan Haley, assistant director of the Murphy Center, to construct an eight-week Ignatian Pilgrimage Virtual Retreat. Originally planned to be a diocesan program, the virtual retreat opened instead to the wider public: From March 24 through May 12, participants met on Zoom for one hour each week on Tuesday afternoons. Only Haley and one priest were present in the physical building of the Murphy Center to respect social distancing rules.

The format of the retreat was straightforward: They opened with prayer, a Jesuit offered a 30-minute teaching on an element of Ignatian spirituality, and then Haley led a 10-minute prayer practice. Topics included contemplation, love of God, freedom and attachment, and magis, a Jesuit concept of doing more for Christ and others. Prayer experiences covered suscipe, an Ignatian formulation of radical self-giving, and other contemplative practices such as centering prayer, imagining prayer, and lectio divina, a way to reflect on the Scriptures.

Participants attended with their devices muted and their cameras off until the end when they had the option to unmute their devices and share with the larger group.

Attendees flooded in — 150 people registered, and around 75 devices (with couples behind some of them) logged on each week from Connecticut, California, Florida and even Italy and Ireland.

“Not least now in the pandemic, people are searching for an immediate, direct experience of God’s presence,” said Blaszczak. “The hunger is immense. The response that we have had affirms the importance of paying attention to this deep spiritual hunger. We don’t claim to have esoteric knowledge. We don’t have a magic key. But our programs focus on the reality that God is already present in and acting in people’s lives.”

For Lyn Brignoli of Greenwich, Connecticut, the virtual retreat has been a space of equal parts community and spiritual nourishment. At 75, Brignoli lives alone; her adult children and grandchildren live with their families out of state. Aside from an aide who comes to help her run errands, texts from her friends in Ghana, and FaceTime chats with her grandchildren, Brignoli is largely in solitude.

Most of the time, she doesn’t mind. She’s a writer by nature, and she considers herself a contemplative. However, when she received the invitation to the retreat, she immediately subscribed even though she had never been to a program at the Murphy Center before.

“It was a knee-jerk response, I didn’t have to think about it,” Brignoli said.

Brignoli misses her church on Sunday mornings, filled with people and colored with beams of light streaming through the stained glass windows. As she attended the eight sessions of the retreat, she felt herself transported from her home.

“When you connect virtually, there are limitless possibilities,” said Brignoli. “It takes me beyond just my little neighborhood here. Now I’m in Fairfield!”

Although Brignoli is a convert to Catholicism and only vaguely knew about St. Ignatius and the Spiritual Exercises, she said that she found the “very deep and very exquisite” retreat to be a not-too-technical introduction.

“The whole experience was one of feeling very connected,” Brignoli added. “We were all feeling something very deep together.”

William Deigan, also 75, found the retreat to be a meaningful experience of delving deeper into his own spirituality. Deigan and his wife, who live in Fairfield, also attended all eight sessions. Before COVID-19, the pair attended weekly Mass at Fairfield University’s Egan Chapel.

Deigan first learned about the Murphy Center from pamphlets in the back of the chapel, but he hadn’t participated in any programs before the retreat.

“The thing that made it very relevant was the theme of the presence of God, that God is very present with us particularly in this time [of the pandemic],” Deigan said. “God is present everywhere; he’s present within us, around us, in individuals, and in nature. In that presence is the presence of love.”

For Deigan, being more aware of this presence meant acknowledging others in the grocery store, extending grace to those who seem to be in a rush, and appreciating nature around him while he’s on morning runs in a nearby park.

The university’s study abroad office is housed in the David J. Dolan House, the same building as the Murphy Center, but Maddux wasn’t able to participate in programming that was held there in-person. When she saw that the Ignatian retreat was offered online, she thrilled at the opportunity to attend.

“I can actually do that,” she said. “It’s on Zoom!”

“That was very helpful given the repercussions of the pandemic,” Deigan added. “When you think about living in the present moment, you value each day.”

For Joanne Maddux, program director of the Fairfield University Florence study abroad program, the retreat launched at just the right time. The first wave of COVID-19 had just hit in Italy where she has lived since 1991. She was experiencing family issues. And she had been yearning to deepen her faith for the past few years.

Maddux has been employed by Fairfield University since 1997, and she has felt very connected to Fairfield University’s Connecticut community during her tenure there.

“It felt very much like an invitation, which made me feel very comfortable,” Maddux said. “It wasn’t necessarily sitting down to doctrine. It was a very good balance between moments of prayer and reading and brief explanations. I found it very inclusive.”

The first installment of the Ignatian Pilgrimage Virtual Retreat ended on May 12, and Haley initiated a second Ignatian retreat with new content. Its first session May 19 had Jesuit Fr. Tom Fitzpatrick offering a Zoom presentation on sexuality and prayer. This current retreat pilgrimage lasts through June 30. (People can sign up for one or all remaining sessions here.)

Moreover, the Murphy Center has ambitions beyond the Tuesday afternoon series. Haley dreams of bringing the Ignatian Pilgrimage Virtual Retreat to people in assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers.

“Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to provide this to people who are not able to leave their rooms, and yet desire to have a deeper connection with others and with God,” Haley said. “That’s a real opportunity for us. This is something that we see that really works.”

As Haley wrote in an email to participants, “We began this virtual adventure not knowing if or how it would work but we knew God was calling us to be creative and reach out.” Eight weeks later, with high attendance and rave reviews, Haley feels that the program was successful.

“We are a ministry that thrives on being in person with each other, and this has been an opportunity for us to see if God could break through isolation and see if God could meet us in our own homes,” Haley said. “We discovered that God transcends physical place and time.”

For anyone who’s interested in joining from anywhere in the world, Haley says that the virtual door of the Murphy Center is open.

“I hope people realize that you’re not alone out there,” Haley said. “We’ll find you. We’ll get you connected.”

by Gina Ciliberto | National Catholic Reporter