Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

BRIDGEPORT—On October 2, Catholic Academy of Bridgeport Board Chair Brad Evans welcomed 60 guests to the schools’ 10th Annual Fall Dinner celebration at Polpo Restaurant in Greenwich.

Sixty guests dined on Polpo’s upscale Italian fare. Those in attendance included eight of the Academy’s 12 board members, all of the principals from the Academy’s four Bridgeport campuses and many longtime and faithful supporters of the school.

Angela Pohlen, who took over as the Academy’s executive director in July when Sr. Joan Magnetti retired, thanked Ron and Dominque Rosa, owners of Polpo, for once again underwriting the food for this annual event. Past board chair Jim Bailey, who emceed the event, recognized Sr. Magnetti for her role in the Annual Fall Dinner since its inception in 2010 as well as for her committed and innovative leadership during the 10 years she served as the schools ED, a period during which the Academy transitioned from six schools to four and the budget went from seeing a deficit of $2.4 million to being completely balanced every year for the past six years.

Bailey also recognized alumnus Sergio Lara, who 10 years ago was a recent graduate of the Academy working toward a bachelor’s in Marketing at Fairfield University and the speaker at the initial Fall Dinner fundraiser. “Since then, Sergio has gone on to spend six incredible years at PricewaterhouseCoopers and today is a Corporate Strategy Consultant at BDO. Sergio recently told me that it was only through financial assistance that he was able to attend our school, and that none of this would have been possible were it not for generous people like you sitting here tonight.”

Bailey said that the choice of dates for tonight’s dinner was intentional, for in the Catholic Church, October 2 is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. “One of the roles of Guardian Angels is to protect those entrusted to their care, and that certainly is true of all of you. Through the years we have asked you to partner with us so that we can educate those children entrusted to us in a safe, nurturing, Christ-centered environment; one where personal and moral character is being shaped, mutual respect and kindness are being taught, and students graduate with the confidence and ability to succeed in life; an environment that, in many instances, is not available in the public sector.”

Each guest received a crystal angel as a small token of the school’s gratitude for their kindness and generosity through the years. “When you hang it, I hope you will remember what a tremendous and powerful difference you have made in the lives of our students,” said Bailey.

A secondary theme of the evening was “unwritten,” and Jasmine Fuller, an alumna of the Academy’s St. Ann campus and a current junior at Kolbe, wowed the crowd with her singing of Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. Afterwards, Pohlen said,“If you read the statistics from the city of Bridgeport, they’re usually written with a period—as if it’s a foregone conclusion that the children of this city will continue in the perpetual cycle of underachievement because of their own deficits and not those of the system of which they are a part. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions. Our students are not statistics—they are individuals with the power and ability to overcome the obstacles that others have already deemed insurmountable. They will write their own stories, and it is our privilege to have a part in that authorship.”

Silver frames with personal quotes from many of the Academy’s 7th and 8th grade students donned each table throughout the room. These quotes were written by the students after they reflected on the song Unwritten and the following statistics: Only 23 percent of students in the Bridgeport public school system are performing at grade level compared to more than 80 percent of Catholic Academy of Bridgeport students, and barely 60 percent of Bridgeport public school students graduate high school compared to 100 percent of the Academy students.

After the entrée course, guests had the opportunity to hear from Roseangel Zayas, an 8th-grader on the Academy’s St. Augustine campus, whose favorite subject is English and who writes for the school’s newspaper and is a member of the yearbook staff. “Going to school here has given me a great education and the teachers always have the best interest of me in mind; they don’t just teach for the paycheck,” she said. “When I was in 5th grade, my family experienced an unexpected fire. My father got 3rd-degree burns and my mother 2nd-degree burns. All of our possessions were destroyed. The school worked to get my family a $1,200 security deposit for a new house plus threw me a housewarming party. I’m so grateful that God put such kind-hearted people in my path. They are like family to me,” Zayas said.

Although she does not come from a family of graduates, Zayas said she wants to be the first one “to go on to a good high school where I will continue to become the me God planned me to be.”

Later in the night, “Hands Up for Scholarship” pushed proceeds of the fundraiser above $300,000. All money will go to support students in the Academy, which educates nearly 900 children on four campuses in grades preschool through 8th in the city of Bridgeport, 85 percent of whom cannot afford the annual tuition of $5,000 and most of whom live below the poverty level.

The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport must raise more than $2 million each year for scholarship.
(For more information, visit www.catholicacademybridgeport.org or call 203.362.2990.)

By Susan Cecere

TRUMBULL— Holly Doherty-Lemoine, CFRE, executive director of Foundations in Education, a non-profit initiative designed to support education in the Diocese of Bridgeport, received the 2019 Best-of-Connecticut Outstanding Fundraising Professional at the National Philanthropy Day breakfast held recently at the Trumbull Marriott. The award ceremony was hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Fairfield County and Connecticut chapters.

The New Canaan resident was recognized for her leadership role in philanthropy and community involvement and mentoring others. “Transforming the lives of children is at the center of all we do,” she said of her work at Foundations in Education. “No one is on this journey alone. Others advance our cause,” she said in her acceptance remarks at the breakfast attended by more than 200 fundraising professionals.

Foundations in Education is committed to strengthen and transform the mission of Catholic education in the Diocese of Bridgeport by supporting innovation in academic and extra-curriculum programs, fostering opportunities for the professional development of school leaders in innovation and leadership and providing scholarship assistance to families in need.

(For more information visit: https://www.foundationsineducation.org.)

BALTIMORE—Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles was elected to a three-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore.

The native of Mexico was chosen Nov. 12 with 176 votes from a slate of 10 nominees.

Archbishop Gomez, 67, is the first Latino to be elected president. He has served as conference vice president for the past three years, working alongside Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, the outgoing president. His term as president begins when the assembly ends.

The Los Angeles prelate has been a leading advocate of immigrant rights, often voicing support for newcomers as they face growing restrictions being implemented by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

In subsequent voting, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit was elected conference vice president. He was elected on the third ballot by 151-90 in a runoff with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

Under USCCB bylaws, after the election for president, the vice president is elected from the remaining nine candidates.

The two top officers begin their terms at the conclusion of the fall assembly Nov. 13.

Because Archbishop Vigneron is conference secretary, the bishops were to vote later Nov. 12 for his replacement.

The bishops also voted for the chairman of one committee, chairmen-elect of five other conference committees and three representatives on the board of Catholic Relief Services, which is the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency.

In the first committee vote, there was a tie vote between Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami and Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, for chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty. Each candidate received 121 votes, but Bishop Murry, at 70, became chairman under USCCB bylaws because he is the older of the two candidates. Archbishop Wenski is 69.

The committee had been chaired by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, but he stepped down earlier this year to undergo treatment for bladder and prostate cancer. Bishop Murry will serve the remaining year of Archbishop Kurtz’s term.

Vote tallies for committee chairmen-elect are:

-Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance: Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki of Milwaukee elected over Bishop Mark L. Bartchak of Altoona-Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 144-97.

-Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs: Bishop Daniel P. Talley of Memphis, Tennessee, elected over Bishop Steven J. Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, 123-114.

-Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis: Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis, elected over Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, Washington, 151-88.

-Committee on International Justice and Peace: Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, elected over Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, 140-101.

-Committee on Protection of Children and Young People: Bishop James V. Johnson of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, was elected over Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, 167-77.

Each chairman-elect will begin his three-year term as chairmen at the end of the 2020 fall general assembly.

In addition, several chairmen-elect chosen last year will become committee chairmen at the end of this year’s assembly and will serve three-year terms:

-Committee on Catholic Education: Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, California.

-Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations: Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey.

-Committee on Divine Worship: Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Connecticut.

-Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development: Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City.

-Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth: Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco.

-Committee on Migration: Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington.

A final vote was taken for three seats on the CRS board. Elected were Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas; and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas.

By Dennis Sadowski | Catholic News Service

DANBURY– Immaculate High School students and faculty came together for a Veterans Prayer Service and Tribute to honor all veterans who gave so much to protect our freedoms and safety. The IHS band and choir performed patriotic music honoring all military branches.

The names of the veterans from the Immaculate family were read and students processed with flags bearing those veterans names to our Hill of Honor, where they will be displayed until November 15.

A special thank you to alumnus Tom Saadi ‘88, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, for attending and speaking to the students and faculty. Immaculate presented a check from flag donations to support programs at the CT Department of Veterans Affairs.

Immaculate High Schools offers over 33 Advanced Placement classes and a STEAM curriculum featuring advanced technology, a CISCO certification program, renovated science labs and engineering classes and a Certified Nursing Associate program. It also has an award-winning Fine Arts program, a student career internship program, athletic teams that have won SWC and State Championships, 44 clubs and a Campus Ministry and community service program that instills faith, compassion and reverence for others. Founded in 1962, Immaculate is a private, non-profit Catholic college-preparatory institution serving students from 28 communities in Connecticut and New York.

Immaculate High School is located at 73 Southern Blvd, Danbury, CT 06810. On the web: www.immaculatehs.org

Bunny Rodriguez is exhausted and emotionally drained. It’s been nearly a month since her father went missing from his Middletown home.

“I have children. They do miss their Pop Pop so that’s very hard each day too to tell them, I’m still looking and they’re hopeful,” said Rodriguez during an emotional news conference today in Bridgeport.

Her father, 59-year-old Peter Recchia, was last seen October 3. He was seen on surveillance video walking in New Haven. He’s also been seen in Durham and Hamden. However, it’s been weeks since has last sighting.

“I hope he’s with a family that took him in,” added Rodriguez. “I hope he didn’t get any farther than New Haven.”

Recchia was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and has rectangular eye glasses. He is 5-foot-11 and weighs about 150 pounds.

Middletown police issued a Silver Alert on October 7 and have handled the investigation, but say they have no new leads. The Recchia family says they’ve been informed by police they do not have the resources to continue a full-scale search.

The search for Recchia has been aided by Lamar Advertising, which has donated four digital billboards to help build awareness. The billboards, which were designed in concert with Middletown police, went up October 23.

The family is asking people to search their own private surveillance videos and keeping a keen lookout for anyone who might fit Peter’s description.

“We want to beg the public to feel the desperation that we feel,” said Frank Recchia, the missing man’s brother.

Frank Recchia is a television reporter at News 12 Connecticut and says this story is like many he’s covered and he’s come to accept it may end tragically.

“If Peter is dead, we still want to bring him home,” Frank said. “We need to regain the calm that comes with closure.”

With that, that family is raising funds, hoping to hire a private investigator and it will continue the search no matter how long it takes.

Police are asking for help finding Recchia and ask anyone with information to call Detective Jimmy Lacasse at 860-638-4134.

By Michael Massaro | NBC

Vatican City, Nov 9, 2019 / 06:40 am (CNA).- When theology and philosophy engage with cultures in creative ways, they become a powerful tool for renewing humanity with the Word of God, Pope Francis said Saturday, during the awarding of the 2019 Ratzinger Prize.

“This is true for all cultures: access to redemption for humanity in all of its dimensions should be sought with creativity and imagination,” the pope said Nov 9.

He quoted St. Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, which says, “Evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new.”

“It is a duty for theology to be and remain in active dialogue with cultures, even as they change over time and evolve differently in various parts of the world,” he said. “It is a condition necessary for the vitality of Christian faith, for the Church’s mission of evangelization.”

“All the arts and disciplines,” Francis said, “thus cooperate in contributing to the full growth of the human person, which is to be found ultimately in the encounter with the living person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos, the revelation of the God who is love.”

Pope Francis addressed members of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation in the Vatican’s apostolic palace during the award ceremony for the 2019 edition of the prestigious Ratzinger Prize.

The Ratzinger Prize was begun in 2011 to recognize scholars whose work demonstrates a meaningful contribution to theology or philosophy in the spirit of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Bavarian theologian who became Benedict XVI.

The winners of the 2019 prize are Catholic intellectual Charles Taylor and Jesuit priest and theologian, Fr. Paul Béré.

Béré is the first African to win the prestigious Ratzinger Prize. A lecturer at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, he received the prize for his work on the figure of the prophet Joshua.

From Burkina Faso, Béré spoke in September on the need for an “Africanness” within the Catholic approach to addressing regional problems.

“Africa can find a solution to all its problems within, what we [Africans] simply need is the slightest desire to share the solutions across the continent,” Beré told ACI Africa Sept. 28 at the Nairobi tri-party conference on the status of the evangelization mission in Africa.

Beré is a member of several African theological associations and of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). He has also participated as an expert in several synods of bishops.

After the announcement that he had won the prize, he told Vatican News: “I think this is an encouragement for all theological work done in Africa.”

Pope Francis Nov. 9 praised Beré as a “renowned scholar of Sacred Scripture” and he expressed his appreciation and encouragement for all those who are “committed to inculturation of the faith in Africa through their original and deepened study.”

Contemporary African theology is still young, but it is “dynamic and full of promise,” the pope said. “Father Béré provides an example of this by his work on the interpretation of Old Testament texts in a context of oral culture, thus bringing to fruition the experience of African culture.”

Dr. Charles Taylor, 88, is an award-winning Canadian Catholic philosopher, who has taught at Oxford and at the University of Montreal and McGill University.

His focus has been in the areas of history of philosophy, most especially political philosophy and the philosophy of social science. One of Taylor’s many notable contributions was to the topics of religion, modernity, and secularization.

“During his years of active research and teaching, Professor Taylor has covered many fields, but he has particularly devoted his mind and heart to understanding the phenomenon of secularization in our time,” Francis noted.

“Secularization effectively poses a significant challenge for the Catholic Church, indeed for all Christians, and for all believers in God,” he said, adding that a priority of Benedict XVI’s pontificate was to “proclaim God anew” during a time “when that proclamation seems to be on the wane for a large part of humanity.”

The pope said, “few scholars in the present day have posed the problem of secularization with the breadth of vision as has Professor Taylor.”

“We are indebted to him for the profound manner in which he has treated the problem, carefully analyzing the development of Western culture, the movements of the human mind and heart over time, identifying the characteristics of modernity in their complex relationships, in their shadows and lights.”

Taylor’s work invites Catholics to seek “new ways to live and express the transcendent dimensions of the human soul,” he continued, which allows them to engage with secularization in the West “in a way that is neither superficial nor given to fatalistic discouragement.”

“This is needed not only for a reflection on contemporary culture, but also for an in-depth dialogue and discernment in order to adopt the spiritual attitudes suitable for living, witnessing, expressing, and proclaiming the faith in our time,” he stated.

Despite coming from very different backgrounds and continents, the two honorees of the 2019 Ratzinger Prize have dedicated themselves to seeking “the way to God and the encounter with Christ,” Francis said.

“This,” he added, “is the mission of all who follow the teaching of Joseph Ratzinger as theologian and Pope, to be “‘co-workers of the truth.’”

The honorees of the Ratzinger Prize are chosen by Pope Francis, based upon the recommendations of a committee composed of Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg and Cardinals Angelo Amato, Kurt Koch, Gianfranco Ravasi, and Luis Ladaria, who are heads of offices in the Roman Curia.

Pope Francis said Nov. 9, that “we are all grateful” for the teaching of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “and for his exemplary service to the Church, demonstrated by his reflections, his thought and study, his listening, dialogue and prayer.”

“His aim was that we might consciously retain a lively faith despite the changing times and situations; and that believers could give an account of their faith in a language that can be understood by their contemporaries, entering into dialogue with them, together seeking pathways of authentic encounter with God in our time,” he said.

“This has always been a keen desire of Joseph Ratzinger the theologian and pastor, who never closed himself off in a disembodied culture of pure concepts, but gave us the example of seeking truth where reason and faith, intelligence and spirituality, are constantly integrated.”

By Hannah Brockhaus | CNA

DANBURY—On a rainy afternoon on November 7, the Immaculate High School girls field hockey team didn’t let the cold, dreary weather dampen their drive and defeated New Milford 1-0, winning the SWC Championship!  Emma Halas ‘21 scored the only goal of the game and Lauren Oskam ‘20 did not let a single ball get into her net. This is the second time the team won the title in three years, with a win in 2017 and almost reclaiming the title in 2018 but just missing the win in the final game. Congratulations to the team and coaches Shannon Horosky and Matthew Ariniello on this major accomplishment!  

For a full article on the victory provided by Game Time CT click here. 

HARTFORD—In its 12th annual State of Abortion in Connecticut report, the Connecticut Catholic Conference, which is the public policy office of the Catholic Bishops in Connecticut, revealed today that 75% of abortions performed in Connecticut during 2018 were paid for with taxpayer dollars.

In 2018, there were 9,294 abortions reported to the Department of Public Health as required by law. Of those abortions reported, 6,995 were performed on low-income women under the state’s Medicaid programs, most commonly known as HUSKY. Since the federal government does not reimburse the state for abortion expenses, the Connecticut taxpayers covered the expenses, which totaled $4.2 million. This information was provided to the Conference by the Connecticut Department of Social Services through a Freedom of Information request.

Connecticut pays the expenses for these abortions following a ruling in a 1986 Connecticut Superior Court case ordering that such expenses be covered. The state never appealed the ruling. In 1998, then Attorney General Richard Blumenthal issued an opinion applying that ruling to the HUSKY B program, which covers low-income teenage girls. Connecticut is one of fifteen states that require state taxpayers to pay for abortions under their Medicaid programs.

According to the Conference, it is conceivable that over the last 20 years Connecticut taxpayers have paid for approximately 140,000 abortions at a cost of $84 million. This is a conservative estimate, since the number of abortions performed in previous years were higher than the 9,294 total abortions reported in 2018. The number of abortions performed in Connecticut annually has declined by 32% over the last 10 years. This is reflective of a national trend.

“The large number of abortions performed on low-income women is reflective of Planned Parenthood’s financial dependency on this population group and the state income it generates to the organization. It is unfortunate that the political leaders in our state have never challenged the lower court’s ruling that is forcing many citizens to fund something that they find completely immoral and in direct conflict with their religious beliefs.”, said Chris Healy, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference.

The report also directly refutes the claims made by pro-choice advocates that changes in federal funding requirements for Title X family planning funds will hurt low-income women. Abortion services, the primary focus of Planned Parenthood centers, is already covered 100% by the state’s taxpayers. The Conference also emphasized that these funds were not cut. Planned Parenthood chose to stop their participation in the Title X program because of two new requirements: 1) Operate a separate facility for abortion services and 2) not provide direct medical referrals for abortions. Both requirements were intended to ensure compliance with already existing federal law that prohibits using the funding for abortions.

Even without Title X funds, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England is in an extremely strong financial position according to its own publicly available financial reports.

In the report, the Conference also highlights the lack of medical services provided by Planned Parenthood centers. The primary services they offer are extremely limited and can be obtained at other health centers, especially if the patient is covered by HUSKY. The one unique service they offer is abortion. Only four Planned Parenthood centers in Connecticut offer limited primary care services.

“Pro-choice advocates constantly make it appear that Planned Parenthood centers are a critical part of the healthcare system in our state, especially for low-income women. This is simply not true,” stated Healy. “Most of their services, with the exception of abortion services, can be found at other medical facilities across our state, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers. Federal money would be better spent on medical clinics that truly do offer a wide range of medical services to low-income residents.”

To view The State of Abortion in Connecticut—Twelfth Annual Report in its entirety, please click here.

The information contained in this report has been compiled and made available to the members of the Connecticut General Assembly and to the general public. It uses abortion data for the last ten years up to 2018, which is the most current data available.

ROME—A few hours ago I had the extraordinary privilege to join the other bishops of New England in a two-hour private meeting with the Pope. After the initial formalities were over and his staff left the room, the Pope, only with the help of a single translator, sat in the middle of a semi-circle in which we sat. He immediately began to speak to us from the heart on a number of important pastoral issues. He took great pains to make each of us feel both welcomed and comfortable. He even pointed out where the restroom was located, since he told us “we are all human, after all.”

The purpose of the meeting was to ask whatever questions we had, share pastoral issues that we face in the Diocese, and listen to his advice and guidance. While I do not believe that it is proper for me to comment on the substance of what we discussed since the conversation was a private one, it is clear that the Pope genuinely listened to everything we shared, gave direct and honest answers to the questions we posed and share many personal stories in his own life both as a young man and young priest.

It was a truly remarkable moment of grace that gave me great encouragement, challenged me to see some issues in a greater light and to be reassured in my own ministry as a bishop.

At the start of the meeting, I must confess that I was very nervous sitting before the Successor of Peter. Within a few minutes, I realized that I was sitting before a spiritual father who had no agenda except to help us in our ministry. It is a moment that I will never forget.

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

If you’ve ever read Emily Dickinson, or are interested in the spiritual bonds between religion and poetry you will find common ground with Monsignor Charles M. Murphy’s new book, Mystical Prayer, The Poetic Example Of Emily Dickinson. It is a trim but bountiful 117 pages just published by the Liturgical Press.

Father Murphy has done his homework in this compact but challenging volume. He reads Dickinson’s work perceptively and relates it to the Christian tradition. Dickinson was an heir to the grim Calvinism of Puritan New England. She couldn’t accept or reject her spiritual heritage. Murphy calls her an “unbelieving believer,” and explores her faith response through some of the greatest Christian poetry ever written. “In this book I reintroduce Emily Dickinson’s poem as examples of mystical prayer in the light of Christian tradition, and of St. Teresa of Avila in particular.”

Father Murphy beautifully illustrates his ideas with a remarkable selection of Dickinson’s work and a deep knowledge of scripture and mystical prayer. It is surprising in such a slight volume to come across so much information with references to Gregory of Nyssa, Therese of Lisieux. Mother Teresa, Catherine of Siena, John of the Cross, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. This could’ve been a much longer study, but it functions as a brilliant introduction to Dickinson and signs of mystical experience. It is written clearly and directly, a book that both scholars and interested readers will draw from.

Father Murphy identifies three conditions for mystical prayer: solitude, asceticism and place. These are abundant in Dickinson’s poetry. She practiced a lifelong solitude despite a busy life with family obligations. Her solitude and her poetry became a form of prayer, a piercing awareness of God’s presence, and sometimes a piercing loneliness that He wasn’t there.

“Growth of Man—
like Growth of Nature—
Gravitates within—
Atmosphere, and Sun
endorse it—
But it stir alone—

Each—it’s difficult Ideal
Must achieve—Itself—
Through the solitary prowess
Of a Silent Life…”

Dickinson isn’t an easy poet but Murphy takes us through her greatest poems making them clear and accessible and celebrating her wild delight in God and nature. Dickinson knew the landscape of Amherst like St. Anthony of Egypt knew the desert. The hills and valleys of New England were her Eden and her Calvary. In the seasons and the flowers she kept up a prayerful dialogue with a living God. She was a feminist and a quiet rebel, and along the way she wrote some of the most magnificent poetry in all of world literature. For Murphy it was ultimately a prayer of faith and a witness to “possibility”. She didn’t always find God in her life, but she remained open.

The Soul should always stand ajar.
That if the heaven require
He will not be obliged to wait.

Her readiness to find God came from experiences of ecstasy, periods of depression, seasons of doubt, but it was her desire for love that honed her sensitivity to God. Mystical prayer has a powerful and personal gravity that ties us to earth while we reach for transcendence.

After I read this book through, I turned to the first page and started again. Murphy’s Mystical Prayer is obviously the work of long years of study and delight in Emily Dickinson’s poetry, as well as a profound experience of mystical prayer. It amazes me that he can, in short form, bring to life the poet from Amherst as richly as he does. I’ve read much longer studies that didn’t have the depth of insight about Dickinson and the embrace of her wounded humanity. In this case the bond between the poet and Father Murphy yield an honest and searching portrait of one of America’s most enigmatic geniuses.

Best of all, Murphy enlarged my sense of prayer through poetry. It is clear that he has learned to pray with the poets, and to reflect on the many ways that God reaches us if we “leave the door ajar.”

Dickinson heard God in the chirp of crickets and in the songs of the oriole. She felt called to God by the beauty of his Creation. She had sought Him in so many places, but ironically realized that she was the one being sought.

“Nature and God—
I neither knew
Yet both so well knew me
They startled like Executors
Of My identity.”

Murphy has given us a new look at the ever-enchanting imagination of Emily Dickinson, and given us the opportunity to find God in prayerful listening and joy in witness of poetry.

(Editor’s Note: Father Charles Murphy, the book’s author, recently visited St. Joseph Parish in Danbury at the invitation of Father Samuel V. Scott, pastor, to discuss his book on “Mystical Prayer” and sign books for those in attendance.) 

BRIDGEPORT—On September 25, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano made an exciting announcement at the Foundations in Faith Bishop’s Reception. Two $5,000 grants will be awarded; one to a Catholic High School and one to a Catholic Church high school-aged youth group in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Known as the Youth in Action Grant it is “by youth – for youth.”

Bishop Frank is eager to hear young people’s ideas on how best to re-energize the teen Catholic faith experience. According to Bishop Caggiano, “We need to listen to their voices and give them space and resources to design programs and projects that will resonate with them.” Bishop Caggiano challenges the teens to propose a project that includes elements of collaboration, evangelization and mission work.

According to Kelly Weldon, “Too often we have adults deciding what would be best for our youth. Times are calling for us to flip the script and let the youth innovate and show us, adults, a new way of approaching our faith. The Youth in Action Grant is intended to be youth-led with support and guidance from an adult mentor.”

The Youth in Action Grant application is a google form that should be submitted electronically by November 22. A committee will review the grant applications and the best High School project and youth group project will be announced in December. The funded projects will begin in January 2020 and continue through the calendar year.

A link to the Youth in Action Application was first shared on Instagram @FoundationsinFaithbpt – Good luck to all the youth and their adult mentors who will be submitting applications.

Youth in Action Application

Youth in Action Budget template

View Only- Youth in Action Application

All YIA Applications must be submitted online. No hardcopy or print outs of the  “view-only application” will be accepted.

TRUMBULL—Tickets are still available for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Fairfield County and Connecticut Chapters National Philanthropy Day Annual Awards and Conference on November 8, 2019, at the Trumbull Marriott and Conference Center. This full day of professional workshops includes guest speakers, networking opportunities, and more. The conference is open to the public and professional fundraisers, consultants, board members, volunteers, and other nonprofit leaders can benefit from the educational sessions offered.

The day begins at 8 am with an awards breakfast honoring and recognizing donors, volunteers and professionals whose gifts of time, expertise and resources contribute significantly to the quality of life in our communities. Immediately following are educational programs which focus on board leadership and governance, fundraising best practices, marketing and communication, and organizational challenges. Sessions will be presented by local, experienced non-profit leaders and partners to help strengthen the work being done in our communities.

Session One:

• The Funders Perspective with Jay Williams, President, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
• Disruptive Changes in the Fundraising Landscape with Ninette Enrique, Director of Development, St. Luke’s School
• Maximizing Your Social Media with John Grosso, Director of Digital Media, Diocese of Bridgeport
• Data Mining – Finding the Gems in our Midst with Kenn Devane, President and CEO, Mine Tech, Inc

Session Two:

• Leveraging Your Board and Key Donors To Be Your Best Asset with Mary Franco, Principal, MGF Consulting
• Creating a Culture of Philanthropy with Holly Doherty-Lemoine, CFRE, Executive Director, Foundations in Education
• The Keys to Marketing and Branding with Carol Cheney, President, Cheney & Co
• Measuring Staff Performance: It’s Not Just About the Money with Lisa Ferraro, CFRE, Director of Development and Marketing, Eagle Hill School

Session Three:

• A Conversation on Best Practices for Board Leadership with Paul J. Sutera, CFRE, Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs, Iona College, and Andrew J. Dolce, Iona College Trustee/Stockton University Trustee and Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Dolce Hotels and Resorts.
• Building Financial Rapport with Donors with Steve Jakab, CFRE, President, Bridgeport Hospital Foundation and Larry Raff, President, Copley Raff, Inc
• Philanthropic Driven Goals, Data Driven Marketing (How to Avoid the Mission Trap) with David A. Snyder, President, Snyder Group Inc
• Culture, Caring, Communication: How To Create the Conditions To Attract and Retain Talented Staff with Don Hasseltine, Senior Consultant, Aspen Leadership Group

Then enjoy a banquet luncheon featuring nationally acclaimed author, activist, fundraiser and speaker Dan Pallotta, Founder and President, Add Humanity and the Charity Defense Council. Dan Pallotta is a builder of movements. His model and methods he created are employed by dozens of charities and have raised over $1.5 billion more for important causes. His 2013 TED Talk has been seen more than 4.7 million times and is one of the 100 most-viewed Talks of all time. He is also the author of “Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential,” the best-selling title in the history of Tufts University Press.

The afternoon offers round table learning moderated by experts and non-profit leaders and will close with Power Hour Networking.

Whether you are new to the field of fundraising or an experienced professional or philanthropist, you will find workshops to inspire and educate. Advanced registration is required. Ticket prices vary and include options such as Student ($125); AFP Members ($175); and Non-AFP Members ($225). Tickets for the Awards Breakfast Only ($50) are also available.

AFP works with corporate partners and organizations that provide high-quality professional services to those engaged in the fundraising profession. Sponsorships help AFP in producing this year’s conference and as a sponsor, companies will receive exposure through printed and digital materials, social media, on-site promotion and more! Thank you to the early sponsors Ability Beyond, Aquarion Water, Bank of America Private Bank, bloomerang, CCS Fundraising, compumail, Diocese of Bridgeport & Foundations in Education, EveryAction, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, First County Bank, Iona College, Iroquois Gas, Little Green Light, MCommunications, New Alliance Foundation, Nuvance Health, Principal, Valley Community Foundation, Webster Bank, and Yale New Haven Health.

(For more information or to purchase tickets or become a sponsor, please visit www.afpfairfield.org/NPD2019.)

AFP empowers individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising through professional education, networking, research and advocacy. Founded in 1960, AFP advances philanthropy through its 31,000 members in more than 240 chapters throughout the word. AFP Fairfield County and AFP Connecticut chapters promote AFP values statewide.

(To learn about the benefits of AFP Membership, please visit http://www.afpfairfield.org/.)