Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

VATICAN—On 13 December 1969, just four days before his 33rd birthday, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest. His vocation dates back to 21 September 1953, the Feast of St. Matthew, the tax collector converted by Jesus: it was during a confession that day, that the future Pope had a profound experience of God’s mercy.

The priest and mercy

Divine Mercy has characterized his entire priestly life. Pope Francis speaks of priests as quietly leaving everything to engage in the daily life of communities, giving others their own lives, moved, like Jesus, when he sees people exhausted and “like sheep without a shepherd”.

Addressing parish priests in Rome on 6 March 2014, the Pope said: “In the image of the Good Shepherd, the priest is a man of mercy and compassion, close to his people and a servant to all… Whoever is wounded in life, in whatever way, can find in him attention and a sympathetic ear….Wounds need to be treated… We priests must be there, close to these people. Mercy first means treating the wounds”.

The priest and the Eucharist

Pope Francis describes the priest as a decentralized man, because at the center of his life there is not him but Christ. In his homily during the Jubilee for Priests on 3 June 2016, he said: “In the Eucharistic celebration we rediscover each day our identity as shepherds. In every Mass, may we truly make our own Christ’s words: ‘This is my Body, which is given up for you’. This is the meaning of our life: with these words, in a real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination”.

The priest and the confessional

The priest plays an important part of his service to God and His people in the confessional, where he can become an expression of God’s mercy. Addressing parish priests in Rome on 6 March 2014, Pope Francis said: “It is normal that there be differences in the style of confessors, but these differences cannot regard the essential, that is, sound moral doctrine and mercy. Neither the laxist nor the rigorist bears witness to Jesus Christ, for neither the one nor the other takes care of the person he encounters. The rigorist washes his hands of them: in fact, he nails the person to the law, understood in a cold and rigid way; and the laxist also washes his hands of them: he is only apparently merciful, but in reality he does not take seriously the problems of that conscience, by minimizing the sin. True mercy takes the person into one’s care, listens to them attentively, approaches the situation with respect and truth, and accompanies them on the journey of reconciliation”.

The priest and prayer

Pope Francis has always said that the priest needs to be, above all, a man of prayer. It is union with God, he says, that overcomes the countless temptations of evil. In his Letter to Priests marking the 160th anniversary of the death of the Curé of Ars, the Pope suggests reciting the Rosary every day. “To contemplate Mary”, he writes, “is to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her, we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong, who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves”.

The priest and the poor

According to Pope Francis, a priest’s spirituality is embodied in the reality of everyday life. His is a prophetic voice in the face of the oppression that tramples on the poor and the weak. In Evangelii gaudium, para. 183, he writes of how the Church “cannot and must not remain on the side-lines of the struggle for justice”. The Kingdom of God begins here on earth and it is already here that we encounter Jesus: the last judgment will focus precisely on what we have done to Christ in the poor, the sick, strangers, prisoners. We will be judged on how we have loved. But, as Saint John Paul II said, there can be no love without justice.

The priests risking their lives

In his Letter to Priests for the 160th anniversary of the death of the Curé of Ars, Pope Francis thanks those priests “who make their lives a work of mercy in regions or situations often inhospitable, distant or abandoned, even at the risk of their own lives”. He thanks them “for their courageous and constant example” and invites them not to be discouraged, because “the Lord is purifying His Bride and is converting all of us to Himself”

In the same Letter, Pope Francis addresses the question of abuse. While confirming his closeness to the victims, he expresses his gratitude “to all those priests who faithfully and generously spend their lives in the service of others”.  

The priest and weariness

During the Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, on Holy Thursday 2015, Pope Francis spoke openly about “the tiredness of priests”, saying it was frequently on his mind. “I think about it and I pray about it often”, he said, “especially when I am tired myself. I pray for you as you labour amid the people of God entrusted to your care, many of you in lonely and dangerous places. Our weariness, dear priests, is like incense which silently rises up to heaven. Our weariness goes straight to the heart of the Father”. The Pope described this weariness as something positive, because it comes from being in the midst of people: “It is the tiredness of the priest with the smell of sheep”.

The priest and humour

Pope Francis often reminds priests “the saint is capable of living with joy and a sense of humor”. This joy comes from union with Jesus, he says, adding that he himself prays for a sense of humour every day. In a November 2016 interview with Italy’s TV2000, the Pope described how “a sense of humour lifts you up”. It is something very human, he said, but it is also close to the grace of God.

The Pope’s appeal to support priests

Pope Francis asks priests to be always close to the people, but at the same time he asks the faithful to support their priests. During his homily at the Chrism Mass on 28 March 2013, he said: “Dear lay faithful, be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart”.

By Sergio Centofanti | Vatican News

BRIDGEPORT—“I think it’s actually one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” says 17-year old Sarah Almeida, a senior at Immaculate High School, of her participation in the Diocesan Choir for Youth (C4Y).

Seventeen-year old Drew Mitchell of Brookfield, also an Immaculate senior, says that singing in the choir has been a great opportunity for him. “When I heard about the choir, I knew I wanted to join.”

Sarah, a soprano, and Drew, a tenor, will be among the 120 choir members to perform at the “Arise and Shine” Christmas Concert set for Friday December 20, 7:30 pm at the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts.

Sarah and Drew and other young people throughout the diocese have been rehearsing with choir director Mary Bozzuti-Higgins for months in preparation for the Christmas concert, which is one of the highlights of the year in the diocese.

December will be the third Christmas concert for both students who look forward to it and enjoy performing for their parents and the community.

Sarah, a Brookfield resident, says that performing in the choir has been a gift to her because she has made many new friends.

“It kind of in a way makes me feel like I’m not alone. I have a bunch of people singing the same thing as me, and everyone’s on the same page. For me this choir is somewhat of an escape from problems in real life, the schoolwork and stress. For the one and a half hours that we rehearse, I’m with people I love and have been with for a long time. The singing is something you’re doing for other people and it feels good.”

Working with Bozzuti-Higgins, a former opera singer and noted choral leader, has helped her to improve her singing voice.

“Mary has helped me to strengthen my voice and to build confidence. She taught me a lot about breathing control—I’ve learned so much from her,” says Sarah.

At this year’s Christmas concert she will be singing the solo of Mary exclaiming the Magnificat. It’s a very tender movement in the Cantata and the entire choir joins with her.

Drew, who runs cross country and track for Immaculate High School, began performing in grammar school and loves singing with a large chorus.

“We get a lot of alumni back from college each year to sing with us, and quite a few guys have joined the choir,” he says.  “You don’t think of it when you’re up there—there are so many strong voices behind you. You find your voice in the choir.”

Sarah agrees. Although she admits to a little nervousness before each performance, she takes strength from the choir.

“I always love when I’m performing in a group for people who really want to be there. You feel less nervous, more inclined to go all out with the performance.”

Drew said his favorite song from “Arise and Shine” is “Believe” from The Polar Express. He says the lyrics and music reach out and touch the entire audience.

Both credit choir director Mary Bozzuti-Higgins with being a great teacher coach and mentor. She’s the best—so kind and welcoming to others. She really wants to help everyone out,” says Sarah.

“I love that interaction. She makes you feel wanted and appreciated—it’s awesome,” says Drew.

Sarah plans to attend Western Connecticut State College and pursue a minor in music. She would love to follow in Bozzuti-Higgins’ footsteps and be a high school choral director. Drew loves performing but is headed for Fordham University, where he plans to major in Communications.

What about young people who are interested in joining the choir, but are shy or don’t think their voice is good enough?

“I believe that anyone can sing. I think everyone has the power to have a voice. Maybe some people are born farther into it, but with the right techniques you become better,” says Sarah who encourages young people to join the choir.

“You don’t have to learn on your own. Mary will stay after rehearsal to help you,” says Drew.

Bozzuti-Higgins is encouraging parents to bring young people and their friends to the concert. She believes the excitement and beauty of the Christmas concert will encourage young people to join the choir.

“It’s not about being a perfect voice or musician. The choir is a youth group with music,” Higgins says, noting that new members can join in January before the next semester begins.  Rehearsals are held weekly in Bridgeport, Stamford, Wilton and Danbury.

“Also, the time spent in rehearsal and performance count as service hours,” says Bozzuti-Higgins.  “This is truly a ministry.”  Both Drew and Sarah agree. They say that it makes them feel good knowing that they are bringing happiness and joy to the audience at Christmas and others at different performances during the year.

Bozzuti-Higgins said auditions for the second semester are open to all interested singers in January. Young people interested in joining the choir can go to C4Ysings.com to register and see some additional videos and testimonials.

(General Admission tickets for the Arise and Shine Christmas Concert are $22. Tickets can be purchased at the door; online at www.quickcenter.fairfield.edu; 203.254.4010 or toll-free 1.877.ARTS.396. To learn more about C4Y, please visit the Choir’s webpage: c4ysings.org.)

Arise and Shine Press Release

VATICAN CITY—On Sunday Pope Francis said that with a growing sense of emptiness and insecurity gripping the world, Jesus Christ is needed more than ever before, since he alone knows how to answer humanity’s deepest questions.

“The world needs Christ more than ever, needs his salvation and his merciful love,” the Pope said June 19.

“Many people sense a void around and inside of them. Perhaps some of us too,” he said, noting that others “live in restlessness and insecurity because of precariousness and conflict.”

Each person needs to have “adequate responses” to their deepest existential questions, he said, explaining that since “Jesus knows the heart of man like no other,” he is able to heal and to give life and consolation to humanity.

Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday Angelus address, which fell on same day as the opening of the June 19-26 Pan Orthodox Council in Crete. Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Dialogue, has been tapped to be the Vatican’s observer at the council.

The Pope offered special greetings to the council participants, who also celebrated the solemnity of Pentecost—according to the Julian calendar—the day of the council’s opening.

He asked in pilgrims to unite in prayer “with our brother orthodox, invoking the Holy Spirit so that he assists with his gifts the Patriarchs, archbishops and bishops united in the Council,” and led them in praying Hail Mary.

In his speech before the Angelus, Francis focused on the day’s Gospel from Luke in which Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” —a question that Peter responds to with his declaration that Jesus is “the Christ of God.”

Jesus’ question is being repeated to each one of us today, Francis said, and asked aloud “Who is Jesus for the people of our time? For me, for you, for you, for you. Who is Jesus for each one of us?”

All of us are called “to make Peter’s response our response, professing with joy that Jesus is the Son of God, the eternal Word of the Father who became man to redeem mankind, pouring out upon him the abundance of divine mercy,” he said.

The Pope then pointed to how after Jesus speaks to the apostles, he addresses the entire crowd, telling them that “if one of you wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.”

This cross, Francis said, is not a mere “ornamental” or “ideological” cross, but rather consists of the daily sacrifices made for others – including parents, children, friends, relatives and even enemies – out of love.

It also involves the adoption of an attitude of solidarity, especially with the poor, and of commitment to working for justice and peace.

By assuming these attitudes, “you always lose something,” he said, but urged pilgrims to remember Jesus’ advice that “whoever loses their life (for Christ) will find it.”

“Therefore, let us confidently abandon ourselves to him: Jesus, our brother, friend and savior,” Francis said, adding that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, gives us the strength to grow in faith and to act on what we believe, rather than saying one thing and doing another.

He noted that the Virgin Mary “is always close to us and goes before us” on the path of faith, and prayed that all of us would take her hand “when we pass through the most dark and difficult moments.”

After reciting the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis noted how tomorrow, June 20, marks the U.N.’s World Day of Refugees, which this year holds the theme: “With refugees. We are on the side of those forced to flee.”

Refugees, he said, “are people like everyone else, but from whom war has taken their house, work, relatives and friends.”

“Because of this we wish to be with them: to meet them, to welcome them, to listen to them, to become with them artisans of peace according to the will of God,” Francis said, and wished pilgrims a happy Sunday before asking for their prayers.

by Elise Harris

Click here for Catholic News Agency

FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Big news! Our Choir for Youth – C4Y has been nominated into the Top 12 of the Sounds of the Season Competition on Channel 12!

According to News 12: “The voting period ends Dec. 13 at noon, so make sure you vote for your favorite. (You can vote every 5 minutes!)

The five winners will have their talent showcased on News 12 Connecticut and News12.com starting Dec. 18.”

Click here to vote for C4Y

BALTIMORE—In the race to see who will become the first canonized black American saint, one candidate’s cause has advanced: Mother Mary Lange, a renowned educator and founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first community of religious sisters in the United States for women of color.

In an announcement last week from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where Mother Mary Lange lived and served, Archbishop William Lori said that “I’m happy to say her cause is moving along.”

After meeting with Vatican officials about Lange’s cause last week, Lori reported that the paper arguing for her life of heroic virtue was nearly finished, and that the “positio,” another document arguing for her cause for canonization, was complete and being sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If approved, the document will be forwarded to Pope Francis, who would then be able to grant the title of “Venerable” to Mother Mary Lange.

Scant concrete details are known about the early life of Mother Lange. She was born Elizabeth Clarisse Lange sometime around the year 1784, most likely in a French-speaking area of Santiago, Cuba. Her parents were reportedly refugees who fled to Cuba from a revolution in their native Saint Domingue (in present-day Haiti), according to the Black and Indian Mission Office.

In the early 1800s, Lange emigrated to the United States from Cuba, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, a popular landing spot for other French-speaking Catholic Haitian refugees at the time. She arrived in the U.S. well-educated and with some money to her name, indicating that her parents were also educated and well-off.

According to the Mother Lange Guild, Lange was living in Baltimore by 1813, and soon after realized that the children of her fellow refugees were in desperate need of education, something that was hard to come by for black children in pre-Civil War America.

Together with a friend, Marie Magdelaine Balas, Lange began offering free education to children of color from her home. In 1828, Lange was approached by a priest, Reverend James Hector Joubert, S.S., about officially founding a Catholic school for girls of color. Lange told the priest that she had been wanting to dedicate her life to God, and that she wanted to start not only the school but also a religious order of sisters for women of color. Permission was granted, and in 1829, Lange and three other women (including Balas) took their first vows as Oblate Sisters of Providence. Lange, who became the superior of the order, took the religious name of Mary, and became known as Mother Mary Lange.

The first paragraph of their order’s rule spelled out their vocation and mission: “The Oblate Sisters of Providence are a religious society of virgins and widows of color. Their end is to consecrate themselves to God in a special manner not only to sanctify themselves and thereby secure the greater glory of God, but also to work for the Christian education of colored children.”

“Our sole wish is to do the will of God,” Mother Lange once said of her order, according to the Oblate Sisters.

The school founded by the sisters, St. Frances Academy, is the oldest, continuously running school for black Catholics in the United States, and remains open today. By 1860, all children of color attending Catholic school in Baltimore were educated in schools run by the Oblate Sisters.

In 1843, the sisters suffered a blow at the death of Fr. Joubert, who had been their biggest supporter since the founding of the order. Combating poverty and racism, the sisters scrambled to shore up their order as some members left, and the Sulpician priests, the order to which Joubert had belonged, were no longer able to support the sisters.

“There was a sense of abandonment at the dwindling number of pupils and defections of her closest companions and co-workers,” the Mother Lange Guild states in her biography. “Yet, through it all Mother Mary never lost faith in Providence.”

During her lifetime, Lange and her sisters not only educated children of color, but they housed orphans and vulnerable elderly, and took in extra washing and mending and begged on the streets to support those in their care. In 1832, the sisters also cared for the terminally ill during the cholera epidemic. After the Civil War, the sisters cared for dozens of black orphans who were living in Baltimore. On February 3, 1882, after a long life of service to others, Mother Mary Lange died.

“Mother Mary Lange practiced faith to an extraordinary degree,” the Guild wrote of her. “In fact, it was her deep faith which enabled her to persevere against all odds. To her black brothers and sisters she gave of herself and her material possessions until she was empty of all but Jesus, whom she shared generously with all by being a living witness to his teaching.”

Lori added that Mother Lange was “a person who was in every way a pioneer” who “stood head and shoulders above the racism of her era.”

Should Lange be declared Venerable, the next step in her cause for canonization would be for a miracle through her intercession to occur and be approved by the Vatican.

By Catholic News Agency

TRUMBULL—The Parish of Saint Catherine of Siena (220 Shelton Road, Trumbull) will host a service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 15 at 4:00pm.

Lessons and Carols is a service of Scripture and song that dates to the late 19th century.  In this service, we listen to Scripture lessons which the promise of a Messiah, the Incarnation, and the Great Commission to preach the Good News.  Each lesson is followed by a carol or a choir anthem that reflects on the lesson’s message.

Music for the service will be led by Dr. William Atwood and our Parish Choir, a guest violinist and accompanied by our majestic 4-manual Walker Organ. Carols for the service will be traditional Advent and Christmas hymns such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, “On Jordan’s Bank” and “Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending”, and “O Come, All Ye Faithful”.

This will be a beautiful experience you won’t want to miss. All are cordially invited to this special event!

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.

STAMFORD—This November, Trinity Catholic High School (TCHS ) participated in its first-ever Children’s Grief Awareness Day, a day that seeks to bring attention to the fact that support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child.

Children’s Grief Awareness Day began in Pennsylvania in 2008 from a desire on the part of students to do more to bring attention to what their grieving classmates were coping with, for the most part in silence. This initiative grew to include hundreds of schools and organizations, along with local, state and national leaders from across the U.S., who work to raise awareness of grieving children and to change the culture in order to make death and grief a topic that can be spoken of openly and compassionately.

Before they graduate from high school, one child out of every 20 children will have a parent die—and that number doesn’t include those who experience the death of a brother or sister, a close grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or friend. The students at TCHS joined in this opportunity to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death has in the life of a child or teenager, and to make sure they receive the support they need. Children’s Grief Awareness Day is usually observed on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, a particularly appropriate time of year because the holiday season is often an especially difficult time after a death.

Young people who have experienced the death of someone important to them often feel like their struggles are invisible to those around them. They need people to know that the death of someone close is the beginning of many weeks, months and even years of finding ways to go on without that special person in their lives. The Grief Awareness Day was organized by TCHS volunteers of Rainbows for all Children, a structured grief support organization.

At TCHS students marked this special day by:

• Remembering and honoring their loved ones by writing their names on their Memory Wall
• Pledging to tell three people about Children’s Grief Awareness Day
• Offering support to their classmates
• Wearing Blue Memory Ribbons
• Praying the prayers on their Children’s Grief Awareness Day prayer card

For more information about supporting grieving children, please contact Mary at rainbowsmary.hs@gmail.com

PHOTO: Helping others to realize the impact of grief, volunteers  (l-r) Katie McCarthy (Freshman); Grayce Journick (Freshman); Theresa Lupinacci (Senior); Patrick Carlon (Senior); Sophie Thompson (Senior); and Eleanor Curley-Holmes (Senior) handed out brochures and opened discussions with their classmates.

STAMFORD—For almost 25 years, St. Leo Parish in Stamford has continued a very special tradition: its annual Christmas Wish Tree to benefit several local charities. This year over 1,000 gifts were purchased and donated by parishioners and given to local organizations, including The Villa at Stamford (formerly Smith House), Silver Source, Domestic Violence, Childcare Learning Centers, ROSCCO, Birthright, Latham Wyler Daycare, and Laurel House. In addition, well over 1,000 much-needed toiletries were also collected for New Covenant House and about 150 grocery cards were donated to area families.

“This outreach program is very special and meaningful to our parishioners and they are so generous,” said chairperson, Gail Hofmann. “Many take more than one tag and give gifts to multiple people. It gives them great joy to help those less fortunate. In fact, for many of the gift recipients, this will be the only Christmas present they will receive this holiday.”

All the gifts were collected this past Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent, at the church. Volunteers of all ages then helped to sort through them before they were sent off to the organizations for distribution to some very excited and grateful children and adults, helping to make their Christmas just a little brighter this year.

December 6, 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing to inform you that I have placed Reverend Jaime Marin-Cardona on Administrative Leave after being informed by state Department of Children and Families (DCF) that it has substantiated allegations of abuse after a lengthy investigation.

Read More ››

With this solemnity falling on the 2nd Sunday of Advent this year, that may cause some confusion.  A reader dropped me a line recently:

Can a parish celebrate the Immaculate Conception on Dec 7-8th instead of the 2nd Sunday in Advent Liturgy??My pastor wants to do this. I did not know for sure if it is proper??

Short answer: no.

A few dioceses have written about this, to clear up any confusion.

Here’s one explanation, from the Diocese of San Jose: 

December 8 is usually the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patronal feast day of the United States. Because it’s such an important feast for the U.S. church, it is the only holy day of obligation in the U.S. that remains a holy day of obligation even if December 8 falls on a Saturday or Monday.

But what happens when December 8 is a Sunday?

In the Table of Liturgical Days, which you’ll find at the end of the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar (see the front of your Roman Missal), Sundays of Advent rank higher than any other Solemnities. According to #5 of the Norms on the Liturgical Year, those Solemnities then get moved to the next Monday.

So Monday, December 9 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, right? Right! And, because it’s our national feast day, it’s a holy day of obligation, right? Not quite.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the obligation is attached to the calendar date, not to the transferred feast. So December 8 remains a holy day of obligation, which just also happens to be Sunday, the “primordial feast day” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 4), or as it said in the previous translation of that document, “Sunday must be ranked as the first holy day of all.”

But, still, you know it’s good to participate in Mass on December 9, even if it’s not a holy day of obligation.

More recently, the Diocese of Madison offered this: 

Eight days into the 2019-2020 liturgical year, Sunday, December 8, is the Second Sunday of Advent, and the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patronal feast of the United States, is transferred to the following day. The obligation to attend Mass, however, does not transfer.

Because of the transfer, the optional memorial of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on December 9 is omitted in 2019. It would not be difficult to mention him, however, in the homily or the petitions on the Immaculate Conception, as he was a faithful servant of Mary in spreading her message from Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City.

Summary: 

Sunday, December 8, 2019 is the Second Sunday of Advent.

On Monday, December 9, 2019, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception will be celebrated.

It will not be a holy day of obligation. (Since it is a solemnity, the Glory to God and the Creed still will be included in the Mass.)

The Feast of Saint Juan Diego (December 9) will not be observed in 2019.

Now you know.

TRUMBULL—St. Joseph High School, southern Connecticut’s premier college preparatory school, is proud to share that The Gatorade Company has chosen SJ Junior, Jack Wallace as its 2019-2020 Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year. Wallace is the first Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year to be chosen from St Joseph High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Wallace as Connecticut’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December, Wallace joins an elite group of past state football award-winners, including Emmitt Smith, Matthew Stafford, and Christian McCaffrey.

In addition to his football accolades, Wallace volunteers for fundraising campaigns toward research to combat breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Wallace also maintains an A-minus average and represents one of the state’s top academic candidates in meeting the Gatorade award’s broad criteria.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High

School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year. 

About St. Joseph High School

St. Joseph High School is the premier college preparatory school in Southern Connecticut. The school 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

About Gatorade Player of the Year

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

TRUMBULL—St. Joseph High School, southern Connecticut’s premier college preparatory school, is proud to share that junior student, Madeline Fried, has been chosen to play on the 2019 High School Girls All-America Team by the United Soccer Coaches.

“Maddie is one of the best players I’ve ever coached here at St. Joe’s,” remarked Jack Nogueira, SJ Soccer Coach. “She’s had a fantastic three years, winning a State Championship and an FCIAC Championship. Maddie will be a tremendous asset to Villanova University.”

While at St. Joe’s, Madeline has had a career 64 goals and 43 assists. She has been a part of the All-FCIAC 1^st Team (’17, ’18, ’19), All-State 1^st Team (’17, ’18, ’19), All-New England (’18, ’19), and All-America (2019).

Madeline has also been named one of CT Post’s Top 15 Players in 2019 and Gametime CT’s Top 25 players in the State of Connecticut. She is also affiliated with the Yankee United FC.

Madeline Fried has committed to play soccer at Villanova University.

About St. Joseph High School

St. Joseph High School is the premier college preparatory school in Southern Connecticut. The school 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

About United Soccer Coaches

Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., United Soccer Coaches is the trusted and unifying voice, advocate and partner for coaches at all levels of the game. The largest community for soccer coaches in the world, we unite coaches of all levels around the love of the game and we elevate the game through advocacy, education and service. To learn more visit UnitedSoccerCoaches.org.