Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

STAMFORD—The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist is hosting a 20th Anniversary Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass for Ignatius Cardinal Kung, March 7 at 12 noon.

The Mass will be celebrated by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke.

Nick Botkins, Basilica Choir Master and Organist along with The Basilica Schola and the Dark Horse Consort will sing Victoria’s Missa pro Defunctis a 6 and motets by Morales, Palestrina, Lassus and Salamon.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Mass. Clergy attending the Mass please contact the Foundation. There will be a reception with Cardinal Burke in Msgr. Nagle Hall immediately after Mass. All are welcome!

About Ignatius Cardinal Kung
Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, a simple Chinese-born Roman Catholic priest and first native-born Bishop of Shanghai, led his people to bear witness to Christ in the world. For his unflinching loyalty to the Pope, the Successor of St. Peter, he endured more than thirty years imprisonment at the hands of the Chinese Communist government. Throughout, Bishop Kung stood squarely to defend his position that he was a loyal citizen of his homeland. He loved China: he was born in China, grew up in China, and ministered as a priest and bishop in China; and it was in China that he hoped to die and be buried. His life of humble witness was not as an enemy of his homeland, but as a Chinese citizen who was also a faithful Roman Catholic, in communion with the Pope. His is the same claim as that of other witnesses to Christ throughout the life of the Roman Catholic Church: one can be both a faithful Catholic and a faithful citizen.
—Rev. Msgr. Stephen M. DiGiovanni, H.E.D.

(Cardinal Kung Foundation email: cardinalkungfdn@cs.com.)

DANBURY—Dozens of people gathered at St. Joseph in Danbury for a celebration of motherhood.

The second annual event was hosted by the Knights of Columbus McGivney Council 29.

“We are here today to sponsor a celebration of motherhood as part of our outreach program,” said Michael Farkas, an officer in the Knights of Columbus. “Our Mother, Mary, was the best and prime example of Motherhood. We are encouraged by your presence here today and introduce you to services and resources available to you in your journey, with Christ, in motherhood.”

The Knights of Columbus is an organization of Catholic men whose first principle is charity. The organization was founded in the late 1800s to address the plight of widows and orphans resulting from the death of Catholic men in the harsh working conditions of the time. The McGivney Council serves eight Catholic churches in Danbury.

Women were greeted by men from the Knights of Columbus as they entered the church, given a candle and escorted to sit in a pew.

“Motherhood is a very high calling,” said Reverend David Franklin, Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph. “All mothers who wish to be true to their high calling only need to look to Mary, Mother of God, who is the true model of motherhood.”

During the half hour prayer service, punctuated with organ-accompanied hymns including, “Immaculate Mary,” the candles were blessed and women were invited to come to the front of the church to have the candle they were given, representing the light of Christ, lit.

Brunch was offered by the Knights of Columbus in the church hall following the prayer service as well as an opportunity to learn about the dozens of services and resources available to help mothers and families.

A list of 35 organizations with phone numbers, websites and physical addresses were provided to all. Representatives from numerous organizations including Safe Families for Children, were on hand to answer any questions.

“So many moms have no one to turn to. They are alone,” said Michelle Montague, director of the Connecticut chapter of the national organization. The mission of Safe Families for Children is to temporarily host children and support families in crisis who have nowhere else to turn by surrounding them with caring, compassionate community. “We build relationships with these moms. We become their family, so they don’t get isolated.”

Carolyn Silliman, the program coordinator for Catholic Charities of Greater Danbury’s Family Loan Program, said every phone call received is an opportunity to connect people with services in their area that they may not know are available to them.

One of the programs offered by the organization and supported by partnerships with local banks, is a small loan program that offers struggling families with a less than favorable credit score, the opportunity to get a loan for a car or to repair a car, which may be just what they need for a safe and reliable car to meet family or work obligations.

The Knights of Columbus provided childcare during the celebration of motherhood event and free coats were available for children through the Coats for Kids program.

Representatives from the various organizations including Birthright of Greater Danbury, Alcoholics Anonymous and others also had an opportunity to discuss potential ways to collaborate with each other for the betterment of the community.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good Morning,

Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten journey, a 40-day journey towards Easter, towards the heart of the liturgical year and of faith. It is a journey that follows the one of Jesus, who at the start of his ministry, withdrew to the desert for 40 days to pray and fast, and was tempted by the devil. Today, I would like to speak precisely about the spiritual significance of the desert. What does the desert mean spiritually for all of us, also for those of us who live in cities? What does the desert mean?

Let us imagine that we are in a desert. The first feeling would be that of being enveloped by a great silence: no sound besides the wind and our own breathing. The desert is a place of detachment from the din that surrounds us. It is the absence of words to make room for another Word, the Word of God, that caresses our hearts like a light breeze (cf. 1 Kings 19:12). The desert is the place of the Word with a capital W. Indeed in the Bible, the Lord loves to speak to us in the desert. It is in the desert that he gave Moses the “ten words”, the Ten Commandments. And when the people distance themselves from him, becoming like an unfaithful wife, God says: “So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart…. She shall respond there as in the days of her youth” (Hos 2:16-17). The Word of God is heard in the desert. It is like a soft sound. The Book of Kings says that the Word of God is like a sonorous thread of silence. In the desert one finds a renewed intimacy with God, the Lord’s love. Jesus loved to withdraw daily to deserted places and pray (cf. Lk 5:16). He taught us how to seek the Father who speaks to us in silence. And it is not easy to be silent in the heart because we always try to talk a little, to be with others.

Lent is a favourable time to make room for the Word of God. It is the time to switch off the television and open the Bible. It is the time to separate from mobile phones and connect to the Gospel. When I was a child there was no television but there was the habit of not listening to the radio. Lent is a desert. It is a time to give up something, to distance ourselves from mobiles and connect to the Gospel. It is the time to give up useless words, gossip and slander and to talk to and be informal with the Lord. It is the time to dedicate ourselves to a healthy ecology of the heart, to cleanse it. We live in an environment that is polluted by too much verbal violence, by many offensive and noxious words that the internet amplifies. Nowadays, we insult each other as if we were saying “Good Morning”. We are submerged by the empty words of advertising, of underhanded messages. We have become accustomed to hearing everything about everyone and we run the risk of slipping into a worldliness that sullies the heart and there is no bypass to heal this. Only silence. We struggle to distinguish the voice of the Lord speaking to us, the voice of conscience, the voice of goodness. By calling us to the desert, Jesus invites us to listen to what matters, to what is important, to the essential. Replying to the devil who tempted him [Jesus] said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). We need the Word of God like bread, [even] more than bread. We need it to speak with God: we need to pray. Because only before God do the inclinations of the heart come to light and the duplicity of the spirit cease. The desert is a place of life not of death because speaking to the Lord in silence, gives us life again.

Let us try to think of a desert again. The desert is the place of the essential. Let us look at our lives: how many useless things surround us! We chase after thousands of things that seem necessary and that in reality are not. How good it would be for us to free ourselves from many superfluous realities, to rediscover what matters, to rediscover the faces of those who are beside us! Jesus also sets us an example of this: fasting. Fasting is knowing how to give up things that are vain and superfluous in order to reach the essential. Fasting is not only for losing weight. Fasting is actually going to the essential. It is seeking the beauty of a simpler life.

Lastly, the desert is a place of solitude. Today too, there are many deserts near us. They are the lonely and neglected people. How many poor and elderly people are near us and live in silence, without making any noise, marginalized and discarded!. Speaking about them does not increase the ratings. But the desert leads us to them, to those who were stifled and who silently ask for our help: many silent gazes that ask for our help. The journey in the Lenten desert is a journey of charity towards the weakest.

Prayer, fasting, works of mercy. This is the path of the Lenten desert.

Dear brothers and sisters, God made his promise through the voice of the Prophet Isaiah: “Behold I am doing a new thing; … I will make a way in the wilderness” (Is 43:19). A new path opens up in the desert, which takes us from death to life. We enter the desert with Jesus and we will leave it experiencing Easter, the power of God’s love which renews life. It will happen to us just as it does to deserts that blossom in spring, suddenly sprouting buds and plants “out of nothing”. Take courage, let us enter this Lenten desert. Let us follow Jesus in the desert: with him, our deserts will blossom.

VATICAN CITY—The message of the Holy Father to young people for the 35^th World Youth Day 2020, which will be celebrated on a diocesan level throughout the world, focuses on the theme of: “Young man, I say to you, arise!” (cf. Luke 7:14) The text, signed by the Holy Father on the memorial of Our Lay of Lourdes, is the first in a series of three messages dedicated to young people on the way between WYD Panama 2019 and WYD Lisbon 2022.

The key word which connects young people with these three stages on the Church’s itinerary is the verb “arise,” present in the three themes chosen by the Holy Father for the successive World Youth Days.

In his address Pope Francis reminds young people that this verb “also assumes the meaning of resurrection, of reawakening to life,” and he proposes reading the passage of the Gospel on the resurrection of the young man of Nain as a personal invitation to take the decisive step in following Christ: “The Gospel does not tell us the name of that boy resurrected by Jesus in Nain. This is an invitation to the reader to identify with him. Jesus speaks to you, to me, to each one of us, and says: ‘Arise!’ We know very well that we Christians also fall and that we must always get up again. This is why we must welcome the intervention of Christ and make an act of faith in God. The first step in accepting Christ is to arise,” says the Holy Father.

Pope Francis also recalls how the invitation to arise appears various times in the post-synodal Apostolic exhortation “Christus vivit.” And so, he underscores the link between the synodal process dedicated to young people and the journey of World Youth Day, and invites the young people themselves, as well as those involved in youth ministry, to strengthen their commitment to carrying out this exhortation, together with the Final Document of the Synod, in their daily pastoral work and in the journey towards the next World Youth Day celebrated worldwide.

The next international World Youth Day will take place in Lisbon in 2022, on the theme of “Mary arose and went in haste.” (Luke 1:39)

Click here for the original article.

WILTON—Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy is pleased to announce the OLF Theater Group has selected  The Wizard of Oz for its upcoming spring musical production.  Performances are planned for Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, 2020.

The show will be under the direction of Mara Fleming, who is also the music teacher for the school.  “OLF has a long tradition in the performing arts, and The Wizard of Oz will be one of our most ambitious shows,” she said, pointing out that the scripts and scores were sourced from Tams-Witmark, one of the premier musical theater licensing companies in the country.

Mrs. Fleming revealed that the selection of The Wizard of Oz was very deliberate. “We considered doing a number of shows this spring, but we chose Oz because it’s the one play where absolutely everyone, from the older kids to the youngest in our school, could be a really meaningful part of the production.”

OLF Catholic Academy includes preschool grades through 8^th grade.  “At OLF we have an amazing preschool program and we wanted to include them in the show.  Our pre-K kids might be small, but they have big spirt!” said Mrs. Fleming.  “This is a show where they aren’t just included, but they are able to really shine,” she added, referring to their roles as Munchkins and other small-sized characters. “While our leads may have some performance experience—and this production really showcases their talents— we can also give our youngest students an experience that will inspire them with a love of the performing arts.”

In addition to 22 preschoolers, the cast includes 45 students from kindergarten through 8^th grade. Sofia Pace will play the role of Dorothy, while Abby Jones will play the Wicked Witch of the West.  Justine Bonafide, Chloe Thompson and Connor Bowron will play the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man roles, respectively.

Mrs. Fleming emphasized that this is an entirely student-led production, including set design, props and backgrounds. “It is very exciting to see so many kids get into something so creative.  They’re running with it creatively, and producing things far better than we could have bought.”

OLF Academy prides itself on the particularly strong sense of community that exists among its students and families.  As Mrs. Fleming explained, “You hear people talk about ‘the Fatima family’. This show really celebrates that family.” As if on cue, she added, “And there’s no place like home!”

The shows will take place at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy, 225 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT.  Advance tickets will be available in mid-March.

About Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy is co-educational, National Blue Ribbon School offering a Pre-Kindergarten 3 through Grade 8 education model. The Academy’s Personalized Approach to Learning blends classroom and small group instruction with technology to provide learning that is fluid and flexible based on the ability of the student. Multi-age, child-centered classrooms offer continuous learning. OLFCA’s faith-based environment nurtures the whole child and emphasizes strong moral values and respect for self and others.  The Academy is located at 225 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897.

(For tours and admissions information, contact Stanley Steele, principal at ssteele@olfcatholic.org.  Phone: 203-762-8100; www.olfacademy.org.)

TRUMBULL—Father Steven Roth, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD, will lead a Lenten Mission at the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena (220 Shelton Road, Trumbull) from Sunday, March 22 through Wednesday, March 25. A Parish Mission takes place over the course of a few days, a time especially dedicated to growing in faith.

Each event of the Mission will begin at 7:00 pm in the church, and will last about an hour. Father Roth will also be preaching at all Masses on the weekend of Saturday, March 21 & Sunday, March 22. The theme of the Mission will be a quote from St. John Paul II: “Lent is a time for truth.” At each evening event, Father Roth’s homily will be the Mission conference.

Sunday, March 22 – Vespers for Laetare Sunday
The opening evening of the Parish Mission will offer the experience of Vespers (sung evening prayer) for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday. Sung Vespers is an ancient and beautiful form of prayer.

Monday, March 23 – Communal Penance Service
An essential part of living Lent well is experiencing God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This evening of the Mission will begin with a Liturgy of the Word; several guest priests will be present to hear individual confessions.

Tuesday, March 24 – Mass for the Solemnity of the Anniversary of the Consecration of the Church
This day will mark one year since the Consecration of St. Catherine of Siena Church. There is an especially beautiful Mass which is celebrated in the consecrated church on the anniversary of its consecration.

Wednesday, March 25 – Mass for the Solemnity of the Annunciation
The final evening of the Mission, will be the beautiful Solemnity of the Annunciation, which takes place nine months prior to Christmas. This feast celebrates and gives thanks for Our Lady’s “yes” to the Angel’s message, which made possible the Incarnation of Christ, and our salvation.

The weekend Mass schedule at St. Catherine of Siena is Saturday: 4:00 pm and 7:15 pm; Sunday: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:00 noon. Everyone is welcome. Call 203.377.3133 for information.

Father Steven Roth is the Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and a noted speaker and homilist. Prior to this appointment, he served as chaplain of Baltimore’s Legatus Chapter and was pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Carney, Maryland. Prior to entering the seminary, Father Roth earned a Masters Degree in counseling and worked as a university professor in the counseling field. Father Roth often draws on his counseling background to good effect in his priestly ministry.

The Parish of Saint Catherine of Siena warmly welcomes anyone who is new to our area, anyone who is searching for the truth, or anyone who is looking for a spiritual home. We are joyfully and faithfully Roman Catholic in belief and practice – a community of faith, worship, service, and formation—and with open hearts we invite all our brothers and sisters into a living and saving friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ, in the communion of His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are conveniently located at 220 Shelton Road in the Nichols area of Trumbull.

HARTFORD—Thousands of pro-life advocates of all faiths are expected to march on the State Capitol in Hartford on April 15 in a demonstration against abortion, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

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Recently two visiting Sacred Heart nuns from the Congo and Mexico who serve in Central Administration in Rome visited the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport on the St. Augustine campus in Bridgeport. They sought to understand the educational mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart worldwide and more closely in the tri-state area.

A young fourth-grader who had just left a refugee camp in the Congo to live with relatives in Bridgeport chatted away happily in Swahili with the sister from the Congo. Two seventh-graders spoke in English and Spanish with the sister from Mexico. It broke my heart.

They asked the students, “What are you afraid of?” The seventh-grade boy held a reflective pause then spoke. “I am afraid of getting shot.”

“My parents won’t let me go out much from the house because I can get shot. I love coming to this school because I am safe here. All the teachers know me and take care of me.”

We know from surveying our parents that one of the key reasons for coming to the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport is that their children are safe. And by “safe” they do not just mean physical safety, but the safety that comes from being love. Of being known by name.

Returning from Bridgeport to our community in Harlem where the visitors were staying, we reflected on the statement “I am afraid of getting shot.” The visitors commented that in another school in lower Fairfield County, when students were asked the same question, the answer was “Global Warming.” There is no judgment intended. But how can it be that schools 40 minutes apart in one of the finest states in the country, we can have such disparity, such structures of classism, race, separation and uneven economic realities that a child has to worry about being shot?

There is no blame game here. Not the fault of the police or the government or illegal guns or dysfunctional families, drugs, dropouts or addictions. Together we are all co-responsible for the inequity created by ZIP codes. We are not haunted by and kept up at night by the inequality of it all. Let us just remember that young boy: “I am afraid of getting shot.”

Sister Joan Magnetti is former executive director of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport and former Headmistress of Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich. Originally appeared in the Connecticut Post.

Some have contacted the Diocese seeking directives related to the Coronavirus and asking about preventative action to avoid any potential spread of sickness, especially when people are gathered for worship. Therefore, effective today, I am asking all Pastors to take the following steps until concerns related to the Coronavirus have dissipated:

1. Suspend offering the Precious Blood of Christ at all Masses. Be sure to have low-gluten hosts available for those who have an allergy and normally receive only the Precious Blood.
2. Instead of shaking hands at the Sign of Peace, invite parishioners to use some other gesture (e.g., a nod of the head, a smile or a spoken greeting). Another option is to omit entirely the call to exchange the Sign of Peace.
3. Ask parishioners not to hold hands during the Our Father, if that is the practice of the parish.
4. Replace the Holy Water in the church more frequently and make sure that handrails, restrooms and the tops of pews are properly disinfected and that hand sanitizer is available at all church entrances.

Please remind your parishioners that if they are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, they are not obliged to attend Sunday Mass.

Also, please remember to pray for an end to this illness and to keep all those who have died from and who are adversely affected by the Coronavirus in your prayers.

Thank you for your cooperation in implementing these measures.

DANBURY—Immaculate High School, a college preparatory Catholic high school that provides a modern STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) educational program and community service component to students in Danbury and surrounding towns in Connecticut and New York, announced its Honor Roll for the first semester of the 2019-20 school year.

“Students at Immaculate are intellectually diverse; we are proud of each of them as they strive to achieve academic excellence.  We commend especially our honor roll students for employing their God-given talents and recognize them for the exceptional efforts that they have demonstrated in order to excel academically while balancing extracurricular and personal commitments,” said Mary Maloney, President of Immaculate High School.

Students who met the criteria for Distinguished Honors (4.3 GPA and above), High Honors (3.9-4.2 GPA) and Honors (3.5-3.8 GPA) are named below:

SENIORS

Distinguished Honors:

Kate Banks, Victoria Bono, Francesca Coppola, Molly Coyle, Michelle DeMotte, Keelan Doherty, Kieran Doolabh, Ian Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Flaherty, Brigid Gage, Douglas Goetz, Gregory Gruerio, Sean Guiry, Olivia Hynes, Hunter Kirkman, Ryan McNerney, Drew Mitchell, James Mok, Emma Mortara, James Nogueira, James O’Keefe, Mackenzie O’Rourke, Lauren Oskam, Lauren Petta, Michael Pinero, Ross Relator, Analiese Seaman, Madeline Suarez, Brendan Taylor, Camille Vail, Xiaoyu Wang, Xuanbing Zhang

High Honors:

Nathalie Andrade, Caroline Brown, Alissa Brugnatelli, Gillian Chapleau, Zhenyu Chen, Tristan DiNatale, John Doran, Abigail Gleissner, Alison Harco, Rachel Iannarelli, Patrick Iannetta, Peter Johnston, David Kallberg, Olivia Kent, Nicolas Lepore, Michael Malgieri, Gia Massoni, Arthur Michaelsen, Abigail Mill, Sandra Morquecho, Valerie Quish, Hans Reelick, Joseph Rios, Andrew Riotto, Gabrielle Rynne, Xiaofei Tan, Elizabeth Varda, Melissa Weiner

 Honors:

Sarah Almeida, Amanda Bittner, Helen Bruce, Alexander Butera, Kelly Chieffalo, Christo Cianflone, Jr., Kevin Curry, Andrew Doering, Diego Echavarria, Madison Flamme, Bolong Hao, Olivia Heineken, Shuning Hong, Elisa Lifrieri, Yu Liu, Sophia Mingachos, Erica Penny Angelina Radeschi, Finnian Sawitsky, Stephen Sedensky, Alexa Villega, Evan Walker, Xinyi Wang, Alexander Werdann

JUNIORS:

Distinguished Honors:

Jack Benzing, Alexis Demko, Joseph DiMaria, Ailene Doherty, Caitlin Fanella, Adelina Fardella, Grace Garvey, Ethan Goodman, Elias Haddad, Quy Nguyen, Nicholas Iannetta, Nicole Kolitsas, Meryl McKenna, Zachary Meyerson, Alexa Pannese Kaitlyn Segreti, Spencer Squitieri, Brooke Squitieri

High Honors: 

Aleksandra Box, Abigail Calame, Alyssa Campo, Remy Chila, Jason Dennison, Thomas Fahey, Gianna Fanelli, Sarah Fields, Aidan Finnegan, Vincent Fontenelli, William Foye, Alexys Garden, Perry Ghosh, Abby Giansiracusa, Giulianna Goncalves, Emma Halas, Nicholas Lenz, Logan McAloon, Peyton McKenzie, Joao Pedro Miranda, Celia Preveza, Lauren Pruner, Mark Radigan, Siobhan Reidy, Stella Sabo, Alyssa Suarez, Andrew Talarico Alexandra Terzis, Gavin Wainwright, Shelby Weed, Zijing Zhou

 Honors:

Mia Arcario, Brianna Barnett, Ethan Beaulac, Madison Bidetti, Angelina Ciatto, Zachary Clark, Gianna Font, Jiaxiang Gao, Julia Goodwin, Lorena Jara, Alexis Johnson, Rhiannon Lauer, Chengze Li, Devin McGovern, Christopher Mezzetta, Kolbe Mosher, Matthew Riggs, Jackson Sahl, Nicole Solano, Thiago Teixeira, Grace Tirado, Jenna Vieux, Emma Walker, Yubo Zhang

SOPHOMORES

 Distinguished Honors: 

Stephanie Antonios, Mairin Bremner, Katerina Crowe, Sarra Darby, Isabella Desintonio, Caitlin Doherty, William Doran, Anna Flaherty, Aidan Gage, Paulina Garcia, Jesse Hanniger, Carolyn Jandura, Hope Johnston, Qianhui Liao, Sara MacKinnon, Kiera McCoy, Kennedi Muller, Conor O’Keefe, Gabriela Ortiz, EliseQuartaro, Susan Radliff, Matthew Reeves, Laura Rettus, Lynn Sanchez, Thai Sapenter, Magdalena Swierczek, Caroline Tucker, Amanda Tureaud, Julong Williams, Jason Williams, Jake Windas, Zifeng Zhan

High Honors: 

Patrik Backus, Madison Bourque, Walter Brady, Chao Chiang, Diana DiVestea, Calista Dudas Jaclyn Durkin, Joseph Falcao, John Gibowicz, Jack Gunzy, John Christoper Karle, Ernst Koch, Richard Lawlor, Lauren Manning, Ryan Marici, Courtney-rae McCormack, Grace McLoughlin, Sadie Mellen, Caroline Merritt, Anish Nanda, Kayla Ondy, Mario Perez, Sophia Pertoso, Arianna Petta, Walker Previdi, Audrey Quish, Mia Romano, Christopher Suarez, Alexis Walsh, Joseph Wilson, Yajie Zhu

Honors:

Justin Acevedo, Tatiana Amaral, Nikolas Badinelli, Allie Bellone, Gavin Buttafuoco, David Chomiak Gabriella Cowf, Xingyan Da, Yuzhi Fan, Danielle Garcia, Nicholas Garcia, Chloe Gleissner, Jennifer Hanley, Frederick Hubbard, Wyatt Jarboe, Xinchen Liu, William Murphy, Ashley Nicoletti, Steven Reese, Giselle Rodriguez, Angelo Salazar, Caleb Salguero, Melanie Seaman, Ryan Tappan, Oona Tuccinardi, Nathanial Varda, Lilly Zuccala

FRESHMAN

Distinguished Honors:

Sofia Caballero, Julianna Chronakos, Julia Cirone, Caitlin Conley, Aiden Doolabh, Olivia Esposito, Alyssa Hartnett, Anna Kopec, Michaela Martin, Shaun McKenna, Kayla O’Marra, Angela Pacheco, Abbe Radigan, Connor Sahl, Olivia Sallaberry, Grace Soltis, James Toscano, Kerry Tuccinardi

High Honors:

Colleen Blackman, Keelin Bremner, Catherine Carboni, Dominic Chila, Carina Clark, Margaret Crowley, Angela Devine Chase Dietter, Jie Du Thomas Fanelli, Michael Fisher, Benjamin Gasparrini, Alexander Godino, Michael Green, Frances Hanley, Amanda Hoyt, Sadie Jarboe, Patrick McKenzie, Talia Pereira, Seamus Reidy, Cole Ross, Michael Spaziante, Sarina Steinerd, Sarah Tallaksen

Honors:

Julia Babcock, Tyler Bean-Crooker, Lucas Erikson, Mary Grace Fontana, Declan Foye, Daniel Goetz, Michael Iannetta, Kyle McGuinness Getzinger, Cooper Nieminen, Edison Ortiz, Luana Paulichi, Jeffrey Peterson, Anthony Reyes, Lily Sweeting, Jude Vail, Ava Viola, Sofia Vitarelli, Zhiyun Xie

BROOKFIELD—The Blooms Benefit was held on Saturday, February 29 at the Fox Hill Inn, Brookfield.  St. Rose School honored Dr. John and Mrs. Nancy Murphy for their dedication to Catholic education and community service.

Dr. and Mrs. Murphy’s four children attended St. Rose School between the years 1992 and 2007. They were extremely active in the school during those years and continue to be active parishioners and community members. Their children went on to Catholic high schools and universities and are all doing well in their careers.

In receiving the award the Murphys spoke so genuinely of their time at St. Rose School—of the wonderful education, the faith-filled environment and the lasting friendships that were forged.

A love of St. Rose School filled the air as parents, past and present, parishioners and community members shared their belief in this education.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School is a Christ-centered community committed to academic excellence in an atmosphere that nurtures the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical and moral development of each child. The dedicated staff partners with families to prepare students to be responsible leaders in a global society by fostering integrity, service and respect. By creating a sense of family where all are welcome, we encourage each child to develop his/her gifts and to become Christ’s compassionate heart and hands in the world. It centers its community of learning around four core values: respect, integrity, academic excellence and service. Its spirituality is fostered through a close connection with St. Rose of Lima Church. Students attend weekly mass and are blessed by the continual presence of Monsignor Robert Weiss and the other parish priests. 

(For more information on St. Rose School visit: stroseschool.com.)

TRUMBULL—Families from the parish and school at St. Catherine of Siena in Trumbull are excited to participate in their second annual “Be The Good” kindness campaign this Lent.  Each family is asked to perform random acts of kindness out in the community between now and Easter. With each act of kindness, a kindness card is shared. The hope is that the recipient will then pass along the card, with their own act of kindness.

“With each kind act, we will not only spread goodness, but we hope that it will inspire others to pay it forward with their own kind acts,” says Lindsay Tristine, who is the parish’s Director of Religious Education and originator of this program.  If each kind act, done with love, is a moment that can change the world, then 5 acts of kindness for each of the 400 families in the program would mean 2,000 moments that can help change our community. And if the recipients of those kind acts pay it forward, the reach could go well beyond that.

Even the smallest acts of love can make a big difference. “It doesn’t matter what the act is, it’s the kindness behind it,” says Mrs. Tristine. “When we are kind to others, we never fully know the positive impact it can make. We may inspire hope in someone who was feeling hopeless and that can change the world for them. We are doing this during Lent because Lent is a special time to prepare ourselves for Easter, when we try our best to be who we were made to be.”

The name of the program is called “Be the Good” because, as Mrs. Tristine explains, “We are all called to ‘Be the Good’ in this world:  to be God’s eyes, ears, hands and feet to do good works and to spread His love.” It is no secret that the world today is in great need of God’s goodness. During Lent, we are going to spread goodness by doing simple acts of kindness for others in our community. We are going to take the time to be kind.

St. Catherine of Siena invites everyone to think about how they might “Be the Good” in their own families and communities. You might just be the inspiration of hope that someone needed, a reminder that it is good in the world.  And while you’re out and about this Lent, you might just be the recipient of an act of kindness. If that happens, pay it forward. After all, kindness is contagious.

(For information, please contact the Parish Office at 203.377.3133.)

The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena warmly welcomes anyone who is new to our area, anyone who is searching for the truth, or anyone who is looking for a spiritual home. We are joyfully and faithfully Roman Catholic in belief and practice – a community of faith, worship, service, and formation – and with open hearts, we invite all our brothers and sisters into a living and saving friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ, in the communion of His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  We are conveniently located at 220 Shelton Road in the Nichols area of Trumbull.

TRUMBULL, CT— St Joseph High School, southern Connecticut’s premier college preparatory school, announced today that The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has selected Dr. William Fitzgerald, President, as the recipient of the Division I 2020 Chief Executive Leadership Award. Dr. Fitzgerald is one of a handful of high school Presidents to receive this award, traditionally given to leaders of colleges or universities.

“The value of a Catholic College Preparatory School is articulated through Dr. Fitzgerald’s every action,” remarked Jessica Costa, Director of Marketing and Enrollment Management at St Joseph High School. “Leading by example, he has advanced the academic rigor and moral refinement of our students and the community.”

Dr. Fitzgerald joined St Joseph High School as Head of School in 2008. In 2014, he navigated a visionary plan for an independent college preparatory school that solidified the school’s future. Complementing the focus on advanced academics and college-oriented programs, the school’s 57 acres soon took on the look of a college campus, including the multi-million dollar O’Keefe Media Center, new athletic fields, a Health and Wellness Center, the “Cup of Joe” Café, and an environmental classroom in our adjacent wetlands.

“Dr. Fitzgerald is an inspirational leader of a community that balances rigor with support, innovation with tradition and development with service,” stated Aimee Marcella, Director of Advancement, “as we near his retirement at the end of this academic year, the St Joseph community will celebrate his numerous contributions, guiding vision, and unfailing passion for educating our next generation of scholars.”

Dr. Fitz (as the students affectionately call him) leads through congeniality, transparency, and grace. His motto, “Together, for others” has encouraged a tradition of selfless service among our students and staff that has since extended to the global community. His enthusiasm for the mission and the vision of St Joseph High School is valued by those who work alongside him.

Prior to working in education, Dr. Fitzgerald worked in the publishing world. He holds a Bachelors’s in English from UMass, Amherst, a Master’s in Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, and a Masters and Doctorate in Education from Boston College.

The Chief Executive Leadership Award honors institutional leaders for outstanding contributions to their campus communities, for efforts in promoting public understanding of education, and for support of advancement at their campuses. Nominees must have demonstrated the ability to increase their institution’s stature in the community and to establish a positive image for their institution while leading it to even higher levels of success. Dr. Fitzgerald will be recognized at the annual CASE District I Awards Luncheon on Thursday, March 12.

About St Joseph High School

St Joseph High School (SJHS) provides a learning environment that embraces the Gospel values of the Roman Catholic faith and promotes a commitment to family and community. SJHS prepares young women and men to realize their potential, helps them to excel in higher education, and provides a foundation to guide them throughout their lives. St Joseph High School is a member of NCEA, NAIS, NEAS&C.  www.sjcadets.org

TRUMBULL—Three-hundred and forty-eight catechumens and candidates who are preparing for full communion with the Church at Easter were recognized and affirmed at this weekend’s Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion ceremony.

The elect, along with their sponsors, family members and friends filled St. Theresa Church, the largest in the diocese, to near capacity.

The readings were read in both English and Spanish.

In Bishop Frank J. Caggiano’s homily, he spoke about Jesus’ journey into the desert, which was the Gospel reading.

“Jesus had no need to go into the desert,” said the bishop, “and yet He went and surrendered everything to His Father so that you and I might see the path to holiness.”

The bishop explained to the gathered that to follow this path, one needs “to wildly trust in the love of God in his mercy…to give up all that we have so that we may he might be the first and greatest desire of our heart.”

Quoting St. Augustine, Bishop Caggiano said that this journey to holiness is one of seeking holy desire. “We want what started out as an ember to become a blazing bonfire of love for Jesus Christ,” he said.

“He is the one who can heal our broken hearts,” the bishop said.

He encouraged the elect, “It will take your whole life to ever form more deeply with Jesus—and we do it together, don’t we?”

Photos by Amy Mortensen

“I thank you for addressing the spark that has lit up your life,” he said to those soon-to-be brought into further communion with the Church, “please be assured that I am praying for all of you.”

“I pray that we will never let the fire in our hearts dim and, God forbid, ever go out,” the bishop said, asking all for their prayers, as well.

During the service, each catechumen (non-baptized person) and candidate (those who were baptized but did not receive further sacraments) was invited to come forward and be welcomed by the Bishop in an act of recognition and admission.

The bishop thanked RCIA coordinators, catechists, godparents and sponsors, and pastors in attendance.

Before the final blessing, the bishop once again addressed the elect, “This is a time of renewal for the Church. And you, my friends, are the living example of the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst bringing the Church to new life and you bring me great hope.”

(For more information regarding RCIA and Adult Formation, contact The Office of Faith Formation at: OfficeofFaithFormation@diobpt.org or call: 203.416.1670.)

Rite of Election 2020 - Catchumens & Candidates