As the words from the Book of Ecclesiastes remind us, “There is an appointed time for everything…” (Ecc 3:1). It is with a deep sense of excitement, mixed with real sadness, that I write to let you know that September 13, 2019 will be my last day as Director of Strategic and Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Over the last six months, I have been discerning a call to move in a new direction. This discernment has challenged me to look at the next and probably final steps in my professional career.
These last five years in the Diocese of Bridgeport have been invigorating, exciting, challenging, overwhelming and sometimes extremely frustrating. Coming here in 2014 to help shepherd the synod, following by my work in strategic and pastoral planning has introduced me to so many talented, faith-filled people in Fairfield County.
I am extremely grateful to Bishop Caggiano for his steadfast support over all these years. He has been a boss, a colleague, a mentor and a friend, and I will truly miss working with him.
I have been blessed to work with so many talented women and men at the Catholic Center that to try to single any of them out would be an injustice. I see from the inside the long hours of hard work, dedication and devotion given during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends to their ministries to support the individuals, schools, parishes and clergy of this diocese. I am so grateful to have been part of this body working to revitalize and strengthen our parishes and schools to make them sustainable for the future.
To the priests and deacons who have become my friends, thank you for your ministry and grace in the face of numerous challenges.
In addition to my work with the priests and parish leadership, I am extremely proud that I had the opportunity to help establish the Diocesan Addiction Support and Healing (DASH) ministry to work with priests, deacons and women religious who may be struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse. I hope that others in recovery will come along to pick up this vital role.
Working with the diocesan planning group of clergy sexual abuse survivors and family members has been a truly grace-filled opportunity. These men and women have taken a horrible experience, and through faith in God and a desire to see the good in others, have come forward (survivors and family members alike) to work with Bishop Caggiano to create an atmosphere of hope and healing for so many others.
In closing, filled with gratitude for all that I have experienced in these last five years, I would like to share a prayer from Thomas Merton that I often use with parish leadership groups:
“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us—and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not be hearsay, but by experience. At that is what makes all the difference.” (Thomas Merton)
May God continue to bless Bishop Caggiano, the Diocese of Bridgeport, and all of you in the coming years. Please keep me in your prayers.
Patrick Turner
September 13, 2019—(Cromwell) As the fate of Roe v. Wade hangs in the balance, state legislatures across the country have passed some of the most extreme abortion bills ever seen. While states like New York and Illinois have swept away abortion restrictions, other states like Ohio and Alabama have passed abortion bans that could provoke the overturning of Roe.
But on Saturday, September 14, at 8:00 a.m. local residents will gather to remind the community that abortion is not just a political issue. They will be marking the seventh annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children with a Mass and a Grave Site Prayer Service at Holy Apostles College & Seminary located at 33 Prospect Hill Road, Cromwell, Connecticut.
“Too often, abortion is merely seen as a political issue or a matter of personal choice, but abortion has real victims: the 60 million American children who have lost their lives to abortion since 1973,” said Dr. Elizabeth Rex, one of the organizers of the Day of Remembrance in Cromwell. “In fact, you may be surprised to learn that one of those unborn victims has been buried right here in Cromwell.” Rex explained that the 10-week old baby boy, who has been named Adam, was aborted in 1990 and was finally laid to rest on October 27, 2002 on the campus of Holy Apostles.
Rex commented, “Visiting the graves of aborted children really puts these legislative battles into perspective. These tiny children were never allowed to be born. Perhaps Adam’s mother felt she had no choice but abortion because she was being threatened or coerced. She needed real help.”
Of the 60 million victims of abortion since Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973, only a tiny fraction have received a proper burial, at grave sites scattered throughout the country. But all of the unborn victims of abortion will be mourned on September 14 during memorial services at those grave sites and dozens of other memorial markers set up in their honor.
The Day of Remembrance is being organized by three national pro-life groups—Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life and the Pro-Life Action League—to humanize the unborn victims of abortion by raising awareness of their burial places. The bodies of tens of thousands of aborted children have been retrieved from trash bins, landfills and other locations and buried at more than 50 grave sites across the country.
At AbortionMemorials.com, visitors can learn the stories of how many of these children were killed, how they were found, and the details of their burial. The website also lists hundreds of memorial sites dedicated to the victims of abortion throughout the United States.
The first annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children was held in September 2013 to mark the 25th anniversary of the burial of several hundred abortion victims in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Memorial services were held at 38 burial places of abortion victims nationwide, as well as scores of other memorial sites dedicated to these children. The Day of Remembrance is now held annually on the second Saturday in September.
For more information please contact: Dr. Elizabeth Rex, 914-629-3710, erex@holyapostles.edu.
BRIDGEPORT—Retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge Robert Holzberg, who is leading an independent investigation into the handling of the abuse crisis by the Diocese of Bridgeport, spoke to the presbyterate of the Diocese of Bridgeport at their annual fall meeting this afternoon at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Weston.
Although the Clerical Sexual Abuse Accountability Report is not yet complete, the judge discussed the methodology, policies and procedures, and provided a verbal overview of the topics covered by the report, which has been a year in the making.
More than 200 priests throughout the diocese attended the talk that was followed by questions and answers. The judge will also meet with members of the diocesan survivors/victim group this evening to share the same outline.
The bishop told priests that the release of the report will be a “watershed moment” in the life of the Church and an opportunity to move forward because of its “full transparency and objectivity” in accounting for the sexual abuse crisis.
The final written report along with its findings and recommendations is expected to be released at the end of September by Judge Holzberg. It will be published in its entirety online on the diocesan website (www.bridgeportdiocese.com), and a summary of the extensive document will be provided in the October issue of Fairfield County Catholic.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano who commissioned the report in October 2018 in response to the abuse crisis, said he felt it was important that the priests of the diocese receive a report summary that will help them to prepare for questions and respond to the concerns of parishioners.
“The abuse crisis has wounded the entire Church, first and foremost the victims and their families but in a larger sense all those affected by the abuse. That includes our many good and faithful priests,” said Bishop Caggiano.
The report was originally expected to be released in the spring of 2019 but the large volume of records and scope of interviews required more time.
It will offer a complete and comprehensive accounting of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Diocese of Bridgeport, along with the response of diocesan leadership since the inception of the diocese in 1953.
Judge Holzberg provided Bishop Caggiano with a preliminary update on the investigation in a February 19, 2019 letter in which he commented on the significant undertaking and noted, “the full and enthusiastic cooperation we have received from the leadership and staff of the diocese.”
At that time the judge wrote that “the scope of our undertaking is extensive, involving review of thousands of files, hundreds of thousands of individual documents, inspection of offsite locations such as parish offices and files, the capture and review of electronically stored information, interviews with key participants, review and analysis of past and current sexual abuse and reporting policies and upon completion of the data-gathering portion of the process, reviewing, analyzing, synthesizing and reporting out our findings and conclusions.”
The initial four months of his investigation focused on data collection including meetings and interviews with Bishop Caggiano and the diocesan leadership team, other key diocesan officials and inspections of the diocesan headquarters and file storage areas.
Meetings were held with current and former counsel for the diocese as well as counsel for those bringing claims against the diocese. Outreach to victims/survivors of clergy abuse and the members of the diocese, through individual meetings, a dedicated third-party complaint phone line and email address.
Review of archival material at the Catholic Center, included bishop and senior leadership files, legal correspondence, litigation files and previously collected data from court proceedings. All relevant files and computer files were electronically scanned/imaged and electronically analyzed using criteria relevant to the scope of the investigation.
Research for the report also included the capture of electronically stored information on the diocese email system, website, cloud storage system and personal devices.
Following the data collection phase, the investigation entered the review and analysis phase. The judge’s team retained nationally recognized data-analytic experts whose software has the ability to review and analyze in a fraction of the time the massive amount of data, both electronic and paper, that human review would require.
While the diocese awaits the report it has also taken steps of its own by continuing to update its list of credibly accused priests. On November 1, 2018, the diocese issued a financial report on settlement amounts for past claims of clergy sexual abuse of minors from the establishment of the diocese to date. The report included sources from which funds were obtained to settle claims and provide an account of the financial support currently given to any priest who has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor and who is currently on administrative leave or has been laicized.
It has also continued to update its list of credibly accused priests and the names of all priests for whom settlements were paid. In a letter published on March 22, 2019, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano provides information on the reorganization and addition of new names to the diocesan list of credibly accused clergy and a complete list of clergy on whose behalf settlements have been paid.
The diocese has published information on its website regarding credibly accused clergy dating back to 2002. In October 2015, the diocese organized this information into a single list of credibly accused priests on its website, which it has continued to update as new information becomes available.
“I believe that the Church is facing a moment of crisis that demands honesty and repentance from the bishops and decisive action to ensure that these failures will never happen again,” Bishop Caggiano said. “My hope is that the judge’s report will begin to heal the wounds that we feel and address the legitimate desire for real change that restores confidence in every level of leadership,” he said.
(To learn more about the diocesan response to sexual abuse including an updated list of credibly accused and financial settlements, please visit the Diocese of Bridgeport’s Pledge to Protect website.)
STAMFORD—As several hundred students, administrators, officials and members of the Cingari family gathered, the new upper school space of the Catholic Academy of Stamford was formally dedicated Tuesday morning.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano presided over a service which included the youth choir of the Catholic Academy, scripture readings, commentary and dedication by both students and faculty alike.
Catholic Academy lower school first-grader, Harper Belle Cingari, accompanied by her father Tom Cingari, Jr., carried the school colors in a procession which kicked off a day of celebrations.
Bishop Caggiano, in acknowledging the Cingari family’s extraordinary contributions and dedication to Catholic education, said: “Everyone here, especially the students and faculty, will receive manyfold blessings for what is being recognized here today.”
Following the ceremony, everyone in attendance processed up to the upper school and walked through a long gauntlet formed by all upper school students. At the front doors, Tom Cingari, Sr., CEO of the Cingari family ShopRite and Grade A supermarket chain, spoke on behalf of the family. Patriarch Sam Cingari, who along with his late brother Rocky, endowed the new facility, with a pair of golden scissors, cut the ribbon officially dedicating the new facility.
Open houses at both the upper and lower school will be held Sunday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 9.
As both Bishop Caggiano and Head of School Pat Brady noted: “Congratulations to all the administration, students, faculty and the families and children who will enjoy these facilities for many years to come.”
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR—Pope Francis told reporters he hoped and prayed the Catholic Church would not experience a new schism, but human freedom means people always have had and will have the “schism option.”
“I pray that there not be schism, but I am not afraid,” Pope Francis told reporters flying from Africa back to Rome with him Sept. 10.
Schisms have occurred throughout church history, he said, and one thing they all have in common is having such a focus on an ideology that they begin reading church doctrine through the lens of that fixation.
A schism is triggered when “an ideology, perhaps a correct one, infiltrates doctrine and it becomes ‘doctrine’ in quotation marks, at least for a time,” he said.
As an example of ideology, the pope cited those who say, “The pope is too communist” because of his criticism of unbridled capitalism and its negative impact on the poor. “The social things I say are the same things John Paul II said. The very same. I copy him.”
When ideology takes the place of doctrine, he said, there is the danger of a split in the Christian community.
Pope Francis said small groups of Catholics in the United States are not the only people who criticize him — there are even people in the Roman Curia who do — but he tries to learn from the criticism and to find a way to dialogue with critics who are open.
“Criticism always helps,” Pope Francis said. “When one is criticized, the first thing to do is to reflect, “Is this true, not true, to what extent” is it valid?
“Sometimes you get angry,” he said, but “there are always advantages” to be drawn from listening to critics.
During the inflight news conference, which was briefly interrupted because of turbulence, Pope Francis responded mainly to questions about issues that arose during his visit Sept. 4-10 to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. The topics included the contested U.S. military base, Diego Garcia, in the Chagos archipelago, and his teaching on ecology.
But the pope also was asked to respond more fully to an informal comment he made on the flight to Mozambique Sept. 4, when he said that it is “an honor when Americans attack me.”
French writer Nicolas Seneze had given the pope a copy of his book, “Comment l’Amerique veut changer de pape,” which can be translated as “how America wanted to change popes.” Seneze’s thesis is that a small group of wealthy U.S. Catholics is engaged in a concerted effort to cast doubt on this pontificate.
“The criticism is not coming just from America, but a bit from everywhere, including the Curia, but at least those who are doing it have the courage” to be public about it, the pope said on the flight back to Rome. What isn’t acceptable is when one “smiles so much he shows you his teeth,” and then lists criticisms “behind your back.”
Criticism is healthy when it is open and when the person doing the critique is willing to listen to the other’s reasoning and to dialogue. “This is real criticism,” he said.
“Throwing a rock and then hiding your hand” is something else, the pope said. “This isn’t useful. It only helps closed little groups who don’t want to hear the response to their criticism.”
On the other hand, he said, “loyal criticism” can include saying, “I don’t like this about the pope” as long at the critic gives an explanation and is willing to hear a response.
Not waiting for or wanting a response “is to not love the church,” he said. “It is to follow a set idea (like) changing the pope or changing his style or creating a schism.”
He spoke about another ideology he calls “rigorist,” which he told reporters is “the ideology of an antiseptic morality” that takes no account of the real lives of the faithful and the obligation of pastors to guide them away from sin and toward living the Gospel.
“There are many schools of rigidity within the Catholic Church today which are not in schism, but are pseudo-schismatic Christian paths, which will not end well,” he said.
On the question of the Diego Garcia military base, which is on territory in the Indian Ocean claimed by Mauritius and the United Kingdom, Pope Francis said the nations that belong to and support the United Nations and international courts have an obligation to accept their decisions. The U.N. General Assembly recently adopted a resolution calling on Britain, which leases the base to the U.S. military, to cede the territory to Mauritius.
“I don’t know if this is true in this case,” the pope said, but a common phenomenon has been that when a people wins its independence and colonizers are forced to leave, “there’s always the temptation of taking something in their pockets,” like recognizing a new government, but trying to maintain control over the extraction of natural resources.
“In the collective consciousness, there has been the idea that Africa is there to be exploited,” the pope said. “We, humanity, must revolt against this.”
Pollution, deforestation and desertification are all signs of that kind of attitude, he said.
Recognizing that the earth and its biodiversity are essential for life, Pope Francis said everyone must take action, beginning with small steps. For example, he added, the Vatican recently banned the sale of single-use plastic, such as water bottles, on its territory.
FAIRFIELD—With freshly painted halls, clean classrooms and even a new picnic table in the playground, we welcomed students to a new school year at Saint Catherine Academy. View some photos of the first days of school.
“I like seeing my friends again. I like doing reading and writing and science—but not math!” said Anna Stowe from Sr. Cheryl’s class.
We welcomed two new students—Vincent from Rye, NY, and Antonio from Bridgeport, CT.
Patty Loh (pictured at far right with her colleagues, Sr. Cheryl Driscoll and Joanne LaPorta) joined the teaching staff. Patty is a certified special education professional with 23 years of experience, and has been associated with the Academy as a substitute teacher and volunteer at our vocational worksites. Patty also has advanced training in the Wilson Reading System, an intensive structured literacy program, and experience in TouchMath, both of which she intends to use in the classroom. “Setting concrete goals is important, so that each student can feel good about what they achieve. I want them to feel a positive atmosphere so that they can grow and thrive,” she said.
At the opening Convocation held for all Diocesan teachers and administrators before the first day of school, keynote speaker Dr. Tom Thibodeau inspired our teaching staff with his talk on “The Positive Power of Servant Leadership.” He encouraged all to express gratitude and appreciation to their students and colleagues frequently, and to find and share the goodness of each day.
“It’s been a wonderful year, and we will be building on our positive experiences,” said Eric Spencer, Director of Education. “We’re looking to further develop our social studies and science curriculum and create more life skills opportunities for our students. We’ll also be creating a monthly newsletter to enhance communications with parents and the Saint Catherine Academy community.”
Out and About in the Summertime
From dinosaur bones and giant minerals at the Peabody Museum to miniature golf at Norwalk Cove Marina (followed by ice cream at Overton’s), participants in the Adult Program have enjoyed an outing in the community most every week this summer, as well as excursions to the movies and the mall. Good weather and a more flexible schedule than the regular year make this possible, as do the generous donations from Fairfield County’s Giving Day, which help to underwrite the trips.
Other outings this summer included Beardsley Zoo; SeaQuest, the new aquarium in the Trumbull Mall; and picnics at Silver Sands State Park and Sherwood Island. Each excursion is an opportunity to learn new things, but more importantly to be out in the community with friends and peers. Simple social skills are developed through each experience, including getting ready for each activity and being attentive to each other’s needs, waiting one’s turn, holding a door for another, and sharing their experience.
Each outing requires planning that is handled by Laura Grozier, Assistant Director of Operations, along with Brady Cronin, Director of the Adult Program. “We have to decide on the activity, figure out availability, and make sure there’s wheelchair accessibility—and negotiate discounts whenever possible. Then we try and find the right place in the schedule for the outing,” said Laura.
“Of course having fun is a high priority when we plan these activities,” said Helen Burland, Executive Director. “But each outing is also quite intentional. How will going to the Peabody Museum, or the mall, benefit each individual? How will it benefit the group? The answer doesn’t have to be complex. Sometimes it’s as simple as gathering everyone together and experiencing a new setting. But we do want to ask the question.”
SHELTON — Bishop Frank J. Caggiano celebrated a Mass of dedication at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Church on Saturday, September 7 for the new parish center, praising the faith community for their generosity in the We Stand With Christ capital campaign, and Father Ciprian Bejan for his leadership and vision.
“As disciples of the Lord Jesus, we learn about the need to be generous,” he said. “And I come here to celebrate your tremendous generosity that has allowed the Sacred Heart Center to be built literally out of the ground. It is a testimony to your faith and your commitment to this parish and your commitment to your pastor for his great work and leadership as your spiritual father.”
Father Bejan said the new building, which was more than a year in conception and construction, has been named the Sacred Heart Parish Center because of the connection to St. Margaret Mary, a 17th century French Visitation nun who spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“It is a nursery where the seed of faith can grow, a place for all parishioners, starting first with our children, who are praising God in their own way,” he said. “Our children, all parish groups and the people who will benefit from the new building are loved by God and dear to his heart.”
Since he was appointed pastor in 2014, Father Bejan recognized the need to build a parish center.
“Every parish has one, and we didn’t,” he said. For many years, the hall in the basement of the church was used for catechism classes by placing dividers through the room.”
The parish center was built where an outdoor pavilion had been. The seven meeting rooms will accommodate catechism classes, church events and parish ministries, including the Knights of Columbus, the sanctuary guild, the parish nursing program, the respect life ministry and groups for young people.
The parish, which has 850 families, had 35 percent participation in the capital campaign and reached $1.2 million, 170 percent of its $720,000 goal.
“These are hardworking people who are not rich people, and it was amazing the response to the campaign was so overwhelming,” Father said.
In his homily, Bishop Caggiano recalled a trip he made to Italy with his family when he was 6 years old for his uncle’s wedding.
“It was quite an eye-opening journey for me, being a city kid and winding up in a village on top of a mountain with a population of 2700 people. Going into the farms with Grandpa was a bit of a shock,” he recalled. His grandfather, who was one of 11 children, told him stories about farm life and the importance of working together.
“Families were big because the more hands you had, the more you ate,” he said. “Conversely, being left alone was a recipe for disaster, and Jesus understood this.”
Referencing the Gospel, he said that Jesus calls us to be willing to give up everything for his sake.
“When our possessions possess us, we have a problem, so the natural stance of anyone who follows the Lord is they must be willing to give—and I am not speaking of money,” he said. “How many of us in this church are willing to give up our opinions or our stances or our attitudes? How many in this church would be willing to give up their families, their children? These are not easy things to do. But the truth is we were born into this life poor, and we will leave it poor.”
He said the Lord’s message is a simple one: “Everything you have, I have given to you…and everything you need to give away, I will keep for you.”
“In the end, everything we give to the Lord, he will give back,” the bishop said. “We give it all to Jesus, and Jesus says, ‘In the proper time, I will give it back to you in a way where you will never have to let go of it again.’”
Pointing to the crucifix above him, Bishop Caggiano said, “You see, my friends, Jesus’ hands are extended and empty and nailed to the wood of the cross. He is holding on to nothing, even the most prized possession he had in his life, which was his Blessed Mother. By letting go of everything to his Father, he gained everything back. Every blessing, you, me and those whom he loved and all creation was given back to him as the savior, master and redeemer of all things.”
At the end of the Mass, Bishop Caggiano recalled a meeting he had with Father Bejan at the beginning of the capital campaign.
“Father Bejan and I had a heart-to-heart talk in my office and like any good priest who is also a new pastor, he said, ‘Do you really think we can do this?’ And I said to him then, as I said to him today, that a project like this is possible not simply because of your generosity, which is tremendous, but also because you have faith in your leader and trust the man who is asking to bring the vision to fruition. So I said, ‘Go for it!’”
He thanked the parish for its generosity and said, “You are just a wonderful community of faith, and, Father Bejan, we are all grateful to you for your leadership, for your vision, for your beliefs and for being a great spiritual father and someone we can trust.” The congregation gave Father a sustained standing ovation.
Father Bejan thanked the bishop for his support and said to the congregation, “We have accomplished something really great for our parish. I want to thank all of you for your prayers, generosity, sacrifices and great support that led to a fruitful and successful completion.”
“People noticed that I sweat a lot when I ask for money, but without those sacrifices, we couldn’t have accomplished what we have done here,” he said. “This is only the beginning of a great life and a great process, where we will try to grow in charity and faith and in worshipping God and serving one another. May God continue to bless us always.”
After Mass, several hundred parishioners followed the bishop as he blessed the new parish center, and then honored Father Bejan with a cake, marking his fifth anniversary as pastor. The ceremony was followed by the parish picnic.
“I have been blessed with a great parish,” said Father Bejan, who was incardinated into the Diocese of Bridgeport on the feast of St. Augustine in 2014. “The spirit here is special and the people have been very kind to me. The support has been great and a wonderful gift from God.”
Clarence Arsenault, one of the founders of the parish who went collecting door-to-door to raise funds to build the church, said, “When I retired I said I can’t sit home and watch TV so I got active in this church. I joined the men’s league, and the Knights of Columbus, and I feel like it’s home. Every time I set my foot ten feet from this door, all my problems are gone. This church is the answer to my life, and I am so proud of what we have done.”
St. Margaret Mary was established in 1963 by Bishop Walter W. Curtis, and the first Mass was celebrated in the gymnasium of Sunnyside School on River Road. The original parish school and church were sold to the city of Shelton in 1975, and a new church was erected and dedicated on June 27, 1976. On weekends, Father Ciprian is assisted by Father Raymond Petrucci and Father Nello Barachini, who hears confession, along with Deacons Jeff Kingsley and David Sochacki.
DANBURY—Enrollment for the Class of 2024 is now open at Immaculate High School.Newly ranked in the top third of all high schools in the State of Connecticut by NICHE, Immaculate High School is also among the highest-ranked Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport and continues to attain the highest SAT scores in the Diocese.
One of the more affordable private high schools, Immaculate High School encourages students to find success in academics, athletics, fine arts and clubs. The Class of 2019 had 100% who applied to colleges and universities and were awarded college scholarships and grants totaling $27 million. The top ten percent of students achieved an SAT score average of 1424 and nearly three-quarters of the class earned an average GPA of 3.5 or higher. Graduates have been accepted to colleges and universities such as Baylor University, Boston College, Columbia University, Drexel University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Notre Dame University, Penn State, Pepperdine University, Quinnipiac University, The Citadel, University of California, University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University and more.
IHS students, a representation of area public, private and Catholic schools, seek academic challenges, discover leadership and engage in progressive learning opportunities. Students have been honored by the Danbury Exchange Club, the Danbury Rotary Club, the Danbury-New Fairfield Women’s Club, the Diocese of Bridgeport and more for their service and academic achievements. Student-athletes received numerous individual athletic SWC, CIAC and All American sportsmanship recognition and the girls’ field hockey team, girls’ cross country team, boys’ cross country team and boys’ golf team won SWC and/or State Championships in 2018-19. Students were honored with academic, music and art awards, including commendations from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Connecticut High School Fine Arts Awards, Halo Theater Awards and more. Other students were part of the Brave Engineers Team and Mock Trial teams that won major competitions. Students also perform community service, learn Catholic traditions and grow their faith.
Go to www.immaclatehs.org/apply to start your application and register for upcoming admissions, shadow visits, placement testing and an Open House scheduled for Sunday, September 29 at 11 am at Immaculate High School.
BRIDGEPORT— “Never work with a partner who does not know fear,” Fr. Charles Allen said a veteran police officer once told him. “People who know fear learn how to overcome it when they are called on to protect others and heal the wounds of the world.”
Fr. Allen became the first Blue Mass Honoree to also deliver the homily at the annual Mass, held this morning in Bridgeport, commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks and honoring the bravery and service of active first responders in Fairfield County.
He was recognized for guiding the Blue Mass since its inception and serving as longtime chairman of the observance.
The Mass began with a procession with bagpipes sounding down Washington Avenue under a huge American flag draped from a Fire Department rescue truck outside the front door of St. Augustine Cathedral.
“Today, we celebrate the heroes of 9/11,” Fr. Allen said to the police, fire and emergency personnel and all those who gathered at the 18th annual Blue Mass. “We also realize that we may need that heroism again on any given day.”
In his homily he urged police, fire and EMT’s to be lifelong learners, to find co-workers whose judgement they respect, to prepare the next generation for service, “and to pray often as Luke tells us, ‘O Lord, you have been our refute in every age. Pray that He will always be with us, watch over us, and protect us the most difficult of times.’”
In presenting the special award to Fr. Allen, who is assistant to the president of Fairfield University and a long-time Fairfield Police Department Chaplain, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano noted that this year’s Blue Mass coincided with the 60th anniversary of Fr. Allen’s ordination as a priest. “Your service has enriched lives in the entire community,” the Bishop said.
After Holy Communion the Bishop presented a special posthumous award to Sir Knight Angelo Fernandez, a member of both the McGivney Council 12615 and the Sheridan Assembly 107. Mr. Fernandez, who died in August of this year, was recognized for being a “driving force” behind the need to honor first responders. His wife, Sally, accepted the award in his honor.
The Bishop and Fr. Allen then presented awards to this year’s honorees from the Newtown, Fairfield, Greenwich and Norwalk Police Departments.
“Day after day you work quietly, valiantly and generously. You put your lives on the line so our lives are safe . I pray for you each day that God give you the strength to do what you need to do.”
Norwalk Police Officer Julio Rodriguez of the Special Services Division was recognized for his work on the Task Force to remove narcotics from the city of Norwalk. He was involved in two major cases that removed deadly narcotics including fentanyl l from the streets and saved lives.
Greenwich Police Officer Joseph Havranek for over 43 years of dedicated service in law enforcement. Officer Havranek was involved in many community outreach programs including TRIAD for senior citizens. He has served as n usher and has been an usher at 7 am Mass at Saint Mary’s Church in Greenwich for the past 15 years.
Fairfield Police Officers Paul Medvegy and Mark Letsch were honored for their professionalism and compassion in responding to serious accidents as Crash Reconstructionists for the Fairfield Police Department. Over the past several months, Officers Letsch and Medvegy have responded to tragic events which have resulted in the unexpected loss of several people and required support to the family and friends who found themselves engulfed in a tragedy.
Newtown Police Officers Lieutenant Richard Robinson and Sergeant Scott Ruszczyk created one of the top stress and resiliency courses for law enforcement in Connecticut In the future they hope to see all law enforcement officers utilizing skills to take care of their mental and physical well-being throughout their careers and to never see an officer lost to the tragedy of suicide.
The recessional began with the Presentation of Colors followed by the playing of Taps, which filled the recesses of the historic Cathedral, and the singing of America the beautiful.
After Mass, the bishop greeted first responders who joined together for the annual Blue Mass photo. Many well- wishers also took photos of the honorees and personally thanked the men for their service in keeping other safe.
From left to right: Greenwich Police Officer Joseph Havranek, Fairfield Police Officers Paul Medvegy and Mark Letsch, In memoriam of Sir Knight Angelo Fernandez (Sally), Newtown Police Officers Lieutenant Richard Robinson and Sergeant Scott Ruszczyk
Full Biographies
FR. CHARLES ALLEN, FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
Father Charles H. Allen, Special Assistant to the President and University Chaplain of Fairfield University. Father Allen has served on the Blue Mass Committee for many years, both as a member and Chair, and is also the Catholic Chaplain to the Fairfield Emergency Services.
Additionally, Father Allen has served on several boards including the Fairfield Arts Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital Member Institutional Review Board.
The Boston native has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from Boston College, as well as Master’s Degrees from the Gregorian (Rome), Brown and Columbia Universities in Theology, Mathematics, and Educational Administration respectively. Father Allen entered into the Society of Jesus on August 15, 1959, and was ordained in September 8, 1973. He is currently the Special Assistant to the President and University Chaplain of Fairfield University.
Father Allen was born just outside of Boston, Massachusetts two months after the start of World War II. His parents, grandparents and great grandparents were all from Boston.
Wanting to be a priest and to see the world at the same time, he joined the Jesuits when he was seventeen. Having lived in Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, England, Ireland, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, he has seen a good deal of the world and had very happy and fulfilling years as a priest.
Among many other things, the Jesuits have provided him the opportunity to receive an excellent education. He has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from Boston College, as well as Master’s Degrees from the Gregorian (Rome), Brown and Columbia Universities in Theology, Mathematics, and Educational Administration respectively. Father Allen is multi-lingual.
Father Allen has served on the Blue Mass Committee for many years, both as a member and Chair. He is also the Catholic Chaplain to the Fairfield Emergency Services. Additionally, Father Allen has served on several boards including the Fairfield Arts Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital Member Institutional Review Board.
Recognized for his services, Father Allen has received several prestigious awards including the Fairfield University Alumni Award and the Paul Harris Rotary Award.
“In my years of chairing the Blue Mass committee, I have come to appreciate the wonderful spirit of the pastors and their staffs with whom I have worked, the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, the competency and hard work of my friends at the Catholic Center, and the dedication of first responders who have added such dignity and spirit to this annual ceremony.”
OFFICER JULIO RODRIGUEZ, Norwalk Police Department
Chief Thomas Kulhawik of the Norwalk Police Department has nominated Police Officer Julio Rodriguez of the Special Services Division. Officer Rodriguez is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bridgeport Resident Office, as the Norwalk Police Department’s Task Force Officer for several years. During his tenure in this assignment, Officer Rodriguez has become the senior TFO of his unit. Officer Julio Rodriguez has earned consistent praise and statements of professional respect from his DEA supervisors, fellow Task Force Officers and Agents, other members of law enforcement, and representatives of the United States Attorney’s Office.
His case work has resulted in the seizure of significant amounts of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine and crystal methamphetamine from the streets of Norwalk and southwestern Connecticut. In 2019, Officer Rodriguez participated in numerous DEA and joint agency narcotics investigations, two of which deserve special mention because of their significant impact on the City of Norwalk.
In March of 2019, Officer Rodriguez and the DEA initiated an investigation targeting members of Mexican drug cartels operating here in Norwalk and in the greater Norwalk area. The investigation took on the form of a wiretap investigation, spearheaded by Officer Rodriguez. Officer Rodriguez maintained liaisons with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and organized both telephone and physical surveillance on the cartel members and associates. As a result, a significant regional narcotics distribution operation was disrupted.
In June of 2019, Officer Rodriguez culminated an investigation into Charles Thelusma a prolific drug dealer whom was a major source of heroin and fentanyl into the City of Norwalk in 2017 and 2019. The arrest of Thelusma was the result of a joint investigation with the DEA and the Norwalk Police Special Services Division.
These two high profile 2019 cases are only a snapshot of Officer Julio Rodriguez’s efforts to remove narcotics from the City of Norwalk. Both cases dismantled dangerous distribution operations and removed a significant amount of deadly narcotics from the neighborhoods of Norwalk, undoubtedly saving lives. Officer Julio Rodriquez’s professionalism and dedication to the City of Norwalk has had a profound impact on large scale narcotic dealing and has vastly improved the quality of life for all residents.
LIEUTENANT RICHARD ROBINSON AND SERGEANT SCOTT RUSZCZYK, Newtown Police Department
Chief James Viadero, Newtown Police Department has nominated Lieutenant Richard Robinson and Sergeant Scott Ruszczyk for this year’s Blue Mass Award.
It goes without saying that a career in law enforcement is stressful. The experiences that a law enforcement officer has to endure during their career can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Coping with this stress successfully is not something that officers are generally taught and this unfortunately can lead to improper methods of coping such as drug and alcohol use, anger issues, self-harm and even suicide. The specter of police suicide is at critical levels in our country. In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School shooting the need for short and long term psychological care for officers was recognized by the Newtown Police Department. In conjunction with the group Heart 911, which was already within the Department assisting officers with resiliency, Newtown Police Sergeant Scott Ruszczyk attended S.M.A.R.T. training through The Henry Benson Institute and Harvard University.
After receiving further training, Lt. Richard Robinson and Sgt. Ruszczyk set about to adopt this nationally accepted and evidenced-based program for use within the field of law enforcement. After many weeks of hard work and dedication they first rolled out the new training program to officers within the Newtown Police Department. Both officers have since become certified police instructors in the fields of police stress management and have taught the program to other officers including officers at the Bridgeport Police Academy, Officers in Wethersfield after their recent officer-involved shooting, hundreds of officers that attend recertification training in Fairfield County, and to police chiefs within Fairfield County and throughout Connecticut.
Lieutenant Robinson and Sergeant Ruszczyk’s S.M.A.R.T. program teaches stress management and reduction by focusing on the brain-body connection and through the use of a number of various skill sets allows officers to perform self-care and prevention. Through their tireless efforts they have demystified and destigmatized psychological and mental health care, and they have already taught hundreds of officers skills they can use to combat stress and to promote resiliency.
Lieutenant Robinson and Sergeant Ruszczyk have created one of the top stress and resiliency courses for law enforcement in the State and it is their wish to create a national model for this type of training. In the future they hope to see all law enforcement officers utilizing skills to take care of their mental and physical well-being throughout their careers and to never see an officer lost to the tragedy of suicide.
OFFICER MARK LETSCH AND OFFICER PAUL MEDVEGY,Fairfield Police Department
Chief Christopher Lyddy, of the Fairfield Police Department has nominated Officer Mark Letsch and Officer Paul Medvegy for this years Blue Mass Award.
Officer Mark Letsch and Officer Paul Medvegy are Crash Reconstructionists for the Fairfield Police Department. As part of their work they find themselves having to console and inform family members and friends who may have recently lost a loved one. Over the past several months, Officers Letsch and Medvegy have experienced a lot of tragic events which have resulted in the unexpected loss of several people.
Officers Medvegy and Letsch have stayed steadfast in their focus of work, completing an investigation that is done to its fullest potential, while at the same time being a support to the family and friends who now have found themselves engulfed in a tragedy that is often incomprehensible to them. Although this work is unavoidable and must be completed, the compassion and adoration that they show to these families is second to none. The support that they give to the family and friends during these times of loss, gives a sense of comfort that is almost immediately recognized when the news is brought to them of a sudden loss. These officers constantly perform their duties as police officers and skilled investigators no matter what they may be faced with, while at the same time being a husband, father, brother, and son to their own family and friends. It does not go unnoticed that they love what they do.
Officers Mark Letsch and Paul Medvegy have shown an exemplary form of compassion, support, and skill in their daily work as crash Reconstructionists.
OFFICER JOSEPH HAVRANEK,Greenwich Police Department
Chief James Heavey of the Greenwich Police Department has nominated Police Officer Joseph Havranek. Officer Havranek served in the United States Air Force from 1963-1967. During his time in the Air force Officer Havranek was a member of the Air Police and held top secret clearance and worked at a Top Secret Command Post. Officer Havranek credits the Air force for his greatest achievement: it is where he met his wife of 52 years, Barbara who was also a member of the U.S. Air Force.
In 1976 Officer Havranek joined the Greenwich Connecticut Special Police Force, where he was issued badge #384. Officer Havranek quickly moved up in the ranks and attained the rank of Special Police Sergeant in 1978. Officer Havranek served in that capacity until he was sworn in as a regular officer in May of 1989. Officer Havranek served with distinction with the Greenwich Police Department as an officer until his retirement in 2006.
During Officer Havranek’s career at the Greenwich Police Department Officer Havranek received multiple awards for outstanding service, including eight department commendations and being named officer of the month.
Officer Havranek was immediately sworn back into the Special Police force following his retirement. Officer Havranek served as a special officer from 2006 until his final retirement on June 30th 2019. In total, Officer Havranek has dedicated over 43 years of his life to law enforcement.
Officer Havranek was involved in many community outreach programs including TRIAD for senior citizens. He also served as a scout leader and served as the Police Explorer Advisor for many years. Officer Havranek was a founding member of the Greenwich Police Honor Guard and served on the team until his final retirement in 2019. Officer Havranek continues to volunteer as an usher and has been an usher at 7 am Mass at Saint Mary’s Church in Greenwich for the past 15 years.
Chaplains of the Fairfield County Fire,
Police and Emergency Medical Service Departments
Reverend Charles H. Allen, SJ
Fairfield Town Emergency Services
Reverend Jeffrey W. Couture
Weston Police Department
Reverend Joseph Cervero
Redding Police Department
Deacon John DeRoin
Stony Hill Fire Department & EMS, Bethel
Reverend Sudhir Dsouza
Norwalk Police Department
Reverend Brian P. Gannon
Trumbull Police Department
Reverend Francis T. Hoffmann
Noroton Fire Department
Reverend Timothy A. Iannacone
Fairfield Police Department
Deacon Frank Masso
Huntington Volunteer Fire Company No. 3
Deacon John J. Moranski
Bridgeport Police Department
Reverend Richard D. Murphy
Greenwich Police Department
Deacon William D. Murphy
Germantown Fire Department and Danbury Police Department
Reverend Robert J. Post
Stamford Fire Department
Reverend Nicholas Pavia
Stratford Police Department
Reverend Christopher Perrella
Noroton Heights Fire Department
Reverend Bruce Roby
Stratford Fire Department
Reverend Paul raj Sankaralingam
Norwalk Fire Department
Monsignor William J. Scheyd
New Canaan Emergency Services and Norwalk Fire Department
Reverend Rolando Torres
Bridgeport Police Department
September 7, 2019
It is with deep regret that I must inform you of the inclusion of two deceased priests of the diocese on the list of those credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Father Vincent P. Cleary, deceased in 1989, who served at St. Augustine Parish between 1944 and 1959, and Monsignor William Genuario, deceased in 2015, former pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish of Riverside, will be added to the list of priests credibly accused for allegations which date back more than thirty (30) years.
Father Vincent P. Cleary was ordained in 1944, and in addition to serving at St. Augustine Parish, served at St. John Parish in Stamford, St. Joseph Parish in South Norwalk and was the pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Stratford from 1963 until his death in 1989. It is critical to note that there were two Father Vincent P. Clearys and a Father Joseph Cleary who all served in the Diocese of Bridgeport. There are no allegations against the other Father Vincent P. Cleary, who was ordained in 1939 and died in 1965, nor are there allegations against Father Joseph Cleary, who was ordained in 1933 and died in 1971.
In our ongoing review of allegations of sexual abuse against deceased priests (recall that until approximately one year ago, the Review Board did not review allegations against deceased priests), one allegation against Father Vincent P. Cleary was uncovered. Within the last several months, another allegation came forward against Father Cleary that provided strong substantiation to the prior claim. Both claims date back to more than fifty years ago. The Review Board, upon consideration of both claims, found credibility. I concur with their finding and accept their recommendation regarding Father Cleary.
Monsignor Genuario served at St. Catherine for 17 years beginning in 1987, retiring as the pastor there in 2004. In addition to service to many other parishes, Monsignor also served in a number of senior roles in the diocese, including Vicar General and Judicial Vicar in the Marriage Tribunal. In both 2002 and 2004, when claims of abuse from many years earlier were brought forward, the Diocesan Review Board reviewed, but did not find credibility, with these allegations.
However, the Diocese has since received notice of another allegation of abuse against Monsignor Genuario, also dating back more than thirty years. Upon receipt of this additional allegation, I asked our current Review Board to review all the allegations against Monsignor Genuario. The Board met on several occasions and considered the available information on the recent allegation, as well as the information on the earlier allegations, including information provided by Monsignor while he was alive. Be assured that we took all measures to fairly and thoroughly investigate these allegations while recognizing that Monsignor, now deceased, was unable to defend himself against the most recent allegation. After a full review, the Board has recommended a finding of credibility. I concur with their finding and accept their recommendation.
I realize that the inclusion of two more of our clergy on our list of credibly accused is distressing news and further wounds our Church and our family of faith. Know that we remain committed to transparency in the handling of cases and will continue to pursue the truth on behalf of those that we serve.
I ask your prayers for all involved and pledge that we as a diocese will work to fulfill the sacred obligation we share to protect children, youth and vulnerable adults in our community.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano,
Bishop of Bridgeport
SAFE ENVIRONMENTS:
To report suspected abuse involving a minor, recently or in the past, contact: Erin Neil, L.C.S.W., diocesan director of Safe Environments: 203.650.3265; or Michael Tintrup, L.C.S.W., victim assistance counselor: 203.241.0987. Mandated reporters must also directly report any incident of sexual abuse of a minor to the State of Connecticut Child Abuse and Neglect care line: 800.842.2288.
BRIDGEPORT—On the 22nd anniversary of the death of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said that at a time when the world and Church face grave challenges, the saint of Calcutta’s “radical intimacy with Christ and radical intimacy with the poorest of the poor show us the way to new life.”
Celebrating the Mass of her solemnity Thursday at St. Peter Church, where there is a convent for the Missionaries of Charity, he described her as “perhaps the greatest of modern saints.”
“She was a very simple woman whose holiness and power of witness tower above all others and who has given us the recipe for the renewal of the entire Church,” Bishop Caggiano said.
Throughout history, when the Church has been faced with great challenges, division and crisis, he said that “God in his great love has sent us those who are saints, who by their holiness and witness and mission showed the world and the Church a way to renewal and new life.”
“In our own age, we are facing many challenges and deep divisions in a world that refuses to recognize the face of God and refuses to acknowledge the power of his life, who is love in our midst,” he said. “It is a world that is growing colder and darker and a Church that has seen betrayal and much sin. And so once again, our gracious and merciful Father has sent us new saints to lead us to renewal and new life.”
He said that on the anniversary of Mother Teresa’s death, “we come to honor her and ask for her prayers, intercession and protection.” He described her “odyssey of faith” from the time she entered a religious order and later founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and was given a mystical moment when she “understood the heart and spirit and thirst of Christ on the cross, the thirst for him to love the world and have that love returned.”
Her life was defined by deep prayer and Eucharistic adoration, which prepared her to go out into the world each day, embracing and serving Christians and non-Christians in the gutters of Calcutta in search of the poor, the suffering and the dying, “never mindful of the cost, of the sacrifice or of the danger she would be putting herself in.” Her work spread worldwide and she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Today, there are more than 5,000 sisters in some 135 countries, running homes for the sick and dying, soup kitchens and orphanages.
The bishop praised the sisters for carrying on the work of their founder and said, “She would go where no one else would dare to go because she knew that the love of Christ impelled her to find that love in every human heart…and to this day, you dear sisters, continue her charism and continue to go to places where no one else dares to go.”
Bishop Caggiano said Mother Teresa’s intercession and protection is needed now more than ever.
“Let us pray through the intercession of St. Teresa of Calcutta that we may have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life and mine so that we can grow ever more deeply in love with the Lord and that we will have the courage to go one more step into the shadows, that we will have the courage to love one more person we have not loved up to this point, and that we will go among the poor at least one more step,” Bishop Caggiano said.
“Let us ask for that courage and grace that with her prayers and intercession, we will see with our own eyes the flowering of Christian life, the renewal of our beloved Church,” he said. “And we will see the world do what it did once 22 years ago when millions of people gathered to honor Teresa, who was called the ‘Mother of all India’—the vast majority of whom were not even Christian—because they saw in her a glimpse of God. And let us pray that others may say the same thing about you and me.”
The Missionaries of Charity first opened their mission in Bridgeport in 2001, when four sisters moved into a home across from St. Peter Church on Colorado Avenue. Today they have two homes, one of which is a house of prayer for the sisters.
As part of their ministry in Bridgeport, they visit the elderly, nursing homes, hospitals, and families in the neighborhood to see what their spiritual and material needs are. They have an after-school tutorial program to help children with homework, and they also teach CCD in the parish and offer a catechetical program for children 3 to 5 years old, along with a youth group during the school year and a four-week summer day camp.
Sister Anawim, whose name is Hebrew for “the poorest of the poor of God,” previously served in Harlem and has been in Bridgeport since 2011. A native of Pittsburgh, she has been a Missionary of Charity for 43 years and knew Mother Teresa personally.
“Mother would often start her talks with the scripture passage, ‘God is love.’ She would say God loves you and me just as we are. God longs and thirsts to love us and to be loved in return. Her message was always a message of love,” Sister said. “It was love for God, love for Jesus, love for each other, love for family, love for our neighbors—whoever they may be wherever they may be, whoever they are, no matter what race, no matter what culture, no matter what nationality, no matter what religion, no matter whether they treat you nicely or they don’t treat you nicely. Her message was love.”
She added that when we do loving things for anyone, we live Jesus’ words in St. Matthew’s Gospel, “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you did it to me.” St. Theresa of Calcutta spoke of these words on five fingers; she would show her hand and say, “You did it to me.”
Clarissa Cincotta of Trumbull has volunteered with the missionaries since they arrived in 2001, driving them to their doctors’ appointments and collecting food for them to distribute.
“They immediately captivated me by the way they lived…so humbly, so quietly and yet so intensely for Christ,” she said Thursday. “They put a great deal of love into everything they do. They live for Jesus and through their every encounter, each one of them lifts you up with their intense love of the Lord. Their work with the poor is untiring, helping to feed those less fortunate and also checking to see what their other needs may be. They visit the sick, help children with religious studies, have several holy hours every day and always have laughter coming from their houses. They are filled with joy. The day I met them was a gift from God.”
Father Lawrence Carew, who was among the priests at the Mass and is a spiritual adviser to the sisters at the house of prayer, said, “It is such a privilege to meet with the sisters regularly and pray with them when they need to be away from ministry for a while so they come into the healing that Christ has for them and be refreshed.”
After the Mass, people gathered in two long lines in the church and came forward to venerate relics of St. Teresa of Calcutta.
Father Jhon Gomez, pastor of St. Peter Church, thanked the bishop, his fellow priests and the Missionaries of Charity for their great warmth and service to the poor. “Keep working and doing this great job, this great service that you do for the needy,” he said.
Sister Seton, who is in charge of the house of prayer, thanked all those who helped make the Mass and reception possible and said, “Today we celebrate the love of God that our dearest mother, St. Teresa of Calcutta, received and shared so generously, especially with Jesus in the poorest of the poor.”
FAIRFIELD—Fairfield University has announced plans to build an 85,000-square foot, 3,500-seat Convocation Center on the current site of Alumni Hall. Projected to open in 2021, the new facility will boast a state-of-the-art broadcast and media center, luxury seating and lounge areas, and updated features that will truly make it a showpiece of Fairfield’s modern campus.
Designed by Centerbrook Architects and Planners of Centerbrook, Conn., Fairfield’s new Convocation Center will be home to its Division I basketball and volleyball programs, Prep basketball, and will host convocations, concerts, and gatherings for the University and the neighboring community at large. Although the official timetable for construction is still to be determined, the building project is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 and take between 18 and 24 months.
“The new arena will be a versatile, dynamic, and contemporary space,” said President Mark R. Nemec, Ph.D., “providing a much-anticipated upgrade in size, technology, and amenities.”
A Look Inside
David Frassinelli, vice president for facilities management at Fairfield University, is overseeing the design and construction of the project. He described how sports fans, concertgoers, and event attendees will enter the new Convocation Center from the main entrance off of Loyola Boulevard and find themselves on a spacious, open concourse level, looking toward a large beer garden, satellite concessions, and access to seating that surrounds the court below.
Above the concourse, plans call for an upper-level Stags Club with additional rows of seating and a conference room overlooking the court. The lower (court) level will feature amenities to support Stags student-athletes, including a film room, a team lounge, and a training room for taping, icing, and first aid operations.
“The new Convocation Center will have an important role to play for the entire University and Fairfield Prep community, in terms of being a true community resource — a venue for events very similar to what we use Alumni Hall for today, but just serving them better,” said Frassinelli.
New Home for Stags Athletics
As the future home of Fairfield’s basketball and volleyball programs, the new Convocation Center will feature the latest in today’s lighting and scoreboard technology on the lower court area, as well as cutting edge broadcast and audio systems. The upgrades will enhance the quality of the event experience for those in attendance, and will also benefit remote viewers through advanced livestreaming and video production.
While basketball and volleyball will undoubtedly use the new arena the most, when it comes to recruiting Division I athletes to Fairfield University, the Convocation Center is poised to benefit all Stags athletics programs.
“A modern facility makes an impression on prospective student-athletes, regardless of the sport they play,” Director of Athletics Paul Schlickmann said. “It demonstrates an overall commitment to Athletics by the University and will be transformational in its impact on all our programs.”
Fundraising On-Target
With project costs estimated at $45 million, the planned facility marks the culmination of capital projects detailed in Fairfield’s Master Plan. Over the past three years, this multi-phased plan has delivered on its promise to modernize the physical and technological structure of the Fairfield campus.
“We are busy fundraising, and in true Stags-fashion, we are seeing tremendous excitement and support from our alumni, parents, and friends,” said Vice President for Advancement Wally Halas. “This Center will bring our entire University community together and serve the town of Fairfield for years to come. It’s extremely important to the future of the Fairfield family, and it’s wonderful to feel that family come together in support of this effort.”
Final Convocation Center approvals from the Fairfield University Board of Trustees and the Town of Fairfield are on track, and the projected financing, which is critical, is proceeding as planned. For updates on the status of this, and all recent and current construction projects on campus, visit fairfield.edu/moderncampus.
Photo: Courtesy of Centerbrook Architects and Planners.
Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.
WILTON—Bishop Frank Caggiano visited Wilton last week to help celebrate the transformation of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy. The morning included mass and a ribbon-cutting ceremony with students before they attended their classes. The event drew local and state officials, Our Lady of Fatima graduates, parents of students and members of the community.
During the mass he celebrated with Father Reggie Norman, Our Lady of Fatima Church’s pastor, Caggiano took the opportunity to talk to the students who attend pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Speaking of the approach of Hurricane Dorian, he used it as an example of preparing not only for extraordinary events but also for preparing for ordinary life.
He asked the children why they attend school. Their answers ranged from preparing for high school and college to learning how they will spend the rest of their lives — to perhaps become leaders of their community.
“You have the privilege to come to a Catholic school — this school, our Lady of Fatima — because you and I are preparing to go to heaven,” he told them. “In this coming year your teachers will help you to become ever more prepared to become a disciple of Jesus.”
He reminded them they “are starting a new chapter at Our Lady of Fatima because now, boys and girls, you will have a new way to prepare — to open your minds, open your hearts and to serve the Lord. And as you will see in the weeks ahead … you’ll be able to have adventures that you never were able to have before and your teachers will guide you so that you can become the person Jesus wants you to be with your mind filled with truth, your heart filled with love and compassion, your hands filled with energy and courage so that you can be successful, yes, become a leader, yes, become a disciple yes.
“Take every opportunity to do what is asked of you, even at times when you may want to do something else,” he said. “Because the truth is, your teachers are here because they love you, they care for you, and they want you to be prepared to the best of your ability.”
Academy model
Our Lady of Fatima’s move to an academy model was initiated by the Diocese of Bridgeport. While it will remain a diocesan school, the new model will move the decison-making process to the local level. While there are at present several diocesan representatives on the school board, Kevin Vallerie, who is an OLF alum and board president, that involvement will lessen as community members of the school board, principal and parishioners expand their decision-making role.
The academy model, Vallerie said, has been tested and proven throughout the diocese at several other schools.
With this change, comes the introduction of multi-age classrooms and a Personalized Approach to Learning. The latter employs a flexible method of instruction geared to the needs of each student.
Stacy Clements, the personalized learning coordinator for the diocese, said the multi-age classrooms were initiated last year.
The concept tested in pre-kindergarten and she said it helped three-year-olds with their language skills and four-year-olds learn some leadership skills. It was also tested with first and second graders.
This year, students will be grouped in kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade. Middle school students will be grouped based on subject areas.
“The goal is to create a community of learners where everyone can learn at their own pace,” she said. There will still be an emphasis on meeting goals through assessments.
“The biggest benefit is for students to be leaders and learn from one another,” she said, adding that there will be continuous self-assessment and reflection on the part of teachers.
Clements will be one of the diocesan representatives on this year’s school board, helping the school community members learn how to run Our Lady of Fatima before turning over the reins.
“It’s about letting the community own some decision-making,” she said.
Principal Stanley Steele is a proponent of the academy model, saying it “gives more input to parents in overseeing school life, the curriculum and finances.”
The multi-age aspect, he said, is responsive to children’s strengths and by allowing students to spend two years with the same teacher, it eliminates any slow startup in September.
Our lady of Fatima, which was founded in 1967, had an enrollment of 104 students when classes began on Aug. 28.
(For more information visit: olfacademy.org.)
BROOKLYN—When Paul Moses was a student at Mary Queen of Heaven School in Brooklyn during the 1960s, a classmate would occasionally yell, “Rumble!” as St. Patrick’s Day approached in the hope of instigating a street fight between Irish and Italian kids. Moses says those youthful challenges recalled earlier times in the second half of the 19th century and later, when Irish and Italian immigrants fought on city streets as they competed for jobs and housing.
“My childhood was an echo of those past conflicts between the Irish and Italians,” says Moses, whose mother’s ancestry is Italian and whose wife’s is Irish.
A key player during those years of unrest was St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants, whose religious congregation, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, provided support to Italians who came to this country and found themselves outcasts.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, Moses will deliver a talk on Mother Cabrini and her message on Sunday, November 17, following a Mass celebrated in Italian by Bishop Frank J. Caggiano at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford.
“I find Mother Cabrini to be an inspiring figure,” Moses said. “She is very important right now and her life is worth exploring. She accomplished so much and was an amazing woman who had to deal with her own fears and overcome health problems to accomplish all she did.”
“Mother Cabrini refused to return to Italy after the Irish-American archbishop of New York, Michael Corrigan, told her to do so the day after her landing,” Moses said, although the two later worked together for the benefit of both their ethnic groups.
Moses is the author of a book about the Italian and Irish immigration experience titled, An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York’s Irish and Italians. Former city editor of Newsday and senior religion writer, he is a professor emeritus of journalism at Brooklyn College.
Intermarriage between the Irish and Italians and their growing association in churches and neighborhoods in the years following World War II played a role in ending the strife that existed for decades and provides a lesson for America and the Church today as we grapple with the issue of immigration, Moses said.
“This peace was achieved through love and intermarriage and because, in the fluid world of American democracy, the Irish and Italians were so often thrown together, whether or not they liked being near each other,” Moses wrote. “They clashed in parishes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and politics. But over time, these same arenas came to unite them. The Italians had no choice but to deal with the Irish, who were their union leaders, foremen, schoolteachers, cops, and ward heelers. The Irish had to deal with the Italians if they were to raise the status of the Catholic faith in Protestant America.”
Moses also said, “The Church, which was another arena for conflict between the Irish and the Italians, later becomes a place that drew them together.” Italian immigrants from Southern Italy were often treated as second class and had to hold their services in church basements amid complaints they did not contribute enough money.
He sees similarities between the treatment of Southern Italian immigrants and Mexican immigrants today. However, he is optimistic about the future and emphasizes the importance of the Catholic Church in the process of acceptance and assimilation.
“The Church still plays a very important role in bringing people together,” he says. “Ultimately it does work out. And I am convinced that the current waves of immigrants will experience the same thing. I think the big meaning of the story is there are ways that seemingly entrenched differences can be overcome. Really, the key is for people to get to know each other as people. That is happening with immigrants’ groups today.”
Moses is also author of The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam and Francis of Assisi’s Mission of Peace (Doubleday 2009), which won the Catholic Press Association award for the year’s best history book and became the basis for the Emmy-nominated PBS docudrama The Sultan and the Saint.
He worked for 23 years in daily journalism, mostly at Newsday’s New York City edition. He served as the paper’s City Hall bureau chief, Brooklyn editor, city editor and religion writer. As a rewrite man, he wrote the paper’s lead stories on the World Trade Center attack and on a subway crash that killed five people, the latter winning the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting in 1992.
He was also a reporter for The Associated Press, and has written for other outlets, including The Daily Beast, The New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, the Village Voice, CNN.com, Time.com, America and Commonweal magazine, where he is a contributing writer. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Maureen.
NORWALK—The battle for the best chili was on, and believe it or not there was an upset. The four-year reign of Council 14360’s Past Grand Knight George Ribellino’s as champion came to an end by council member Tim Horne and his “Bud’s Best Chili.”
The competition was intense from many other fine cooks gunning to take down the four-time champion.
On a beautiful sunny summer day, the Knights of Columbus St. Matthew Council 14360 held their Fourth Annual Chili Cook-Off “Fun-Raiser” at Saugatuck Sweets in Fairfield. The money raised from donations to taste chili is going to Al’s Angels a local 501C3 charity.
“While it is really fun to try for bragging rights in the kitchen, the real winners are Al’s Angels and the kids who benefit from such a great organization! It was an awesome day all around. Nice work by my brothers,” said Council 14360 Grand Knight Anthony Armentano.
Eight Brother Knights from the council and council member George Ribellino’s daughter Mia and boyfriend Roman made chili for a combined nine entries, ranging from super-spicy to scrumptiously sweet. Defending Champion George Ribellino actually finished in 3rd place for the overall best chili. His daughter Mia and boyfriend Roman’s chili came in 2nd place and picked up the best name trophy for “The Ballad of Chili the Kid by Chili Joel.”
“I can’t believe my reign as chili champion came to an end but my good friend and Brother Tim Horne deserves the top prize but I am looking to defeat him next year,” said Ribellino. “I am also proud of my daughter and her boyfriend for winning 2nd place for overall best chili and taking home the top prize for best name.”
The Chili for Charity concept was started by then-new Knight Moretti back in the summer of 2015. Moretti thought it would be a nice fraternal experience for the council and families while helping the community. He calls it a “fun-raiser.”
“It was a beautiful busy day with my brother knights. I truly enjoy how fierce the competition was once again, nine mostly new and unique chilis brought out the best of our council in a bid to bring down four-time chili champ George Ribellino. This event helped our Council raise and donate $500 to Al’s Angels,” said Chili for Charity Chairman Eric Moretti.
The mission of Al’s Angels is to provide holiday meals and gifts to children battling cancer, rare blood diseases and severe financial hardship.
A great crowd came down to Saugatuck Sweets and made a total of $500 in donations for tasting and judging the chili.
“God Bless my Brother Knights from St. Matthew Church in Norwalk for holding their 5th Annual Chili Cook-Off at Saugatuck Sweets in Fairfield. Lots of fun and tremendous fun for Al’s Angels,” said Al DiGuido, owner of Saugatuck Sweets and Al’s Angels founder.
Below are the winners:
Best Chili
Third place-George Ribellino Second place-Mia Ribellino/Roman Perez First place-Tim Horne
Hottest Chili-Tim Horne
Best Name-tie-Mia Ribellino/Roman Perez “Ballad of Chili the Kid by Chili Joel”
The goals of the Knights of Columbus Council at Saint Matthew Church in Norwalk are to perform acts of charity, providing those in need with a range of support from financial to tactical help in dealing with a wide variety of challenges. Council members work together to foster the founding principles of our order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity & Patriotism. Our goal as a council is to continue to identify specific needs in our community and muster support and help to alleviate these challenges and hardships to the best of our abilities and resources.
Following the ceremony, everyone in attendance processed up to the upper school and walked through a long gauntlet formed by all upper school students. At the front doors, Tom Cingari, Sr., CEO of the Cingari family ShopRite and Grade A supermarket chain, spoke on behalf of the family. Patriarch Sam Cingari, who along with his late brother Rocky, endowed the new facility, with a pair of golden scissors, cut the ribbon officially dedicating the new facility.
Each outing requires planning that is handled by Laura Grozier, Assistant Director of Operations, along with Brady Cronin, Director of the Adult Program. “We have to decide on the activity, figure out availability, and make sure there’s wheelchair accessibility—and negotiate discounts whenever possible. Then we try and find the right place in the schedule for the outing,” said Laura. 
“When our possessions possess us, we have a problem, so the natural stance of anyone who follows the Lord is they must be willing to give—and I am not speaking of money,” he said. “How many of us in this church are willing to give up our opinions or our stances or our attitudes? How many in this church would be willing to give up their families, their children? These are not easy things to do. But the truth is we were born into this life poor, and we will leave it poor.”
After Holy Communion the Bishop presented a special posthumous award to Sir Knight Angelo Fernandez, a member of both the McGivney Council 12615 and the Sheridan Assembly 107. Mr. Fernandez, who died in August of this year, was recognized for being a “driving force” behind the need to honor first responders. His wife, Sally, accepted the award in his honor.
Her life was defined by deep prayer and Eucharistic adoration, which prepared her to go out into the world each day, embracing and serving Christians and non-Christians in the gutters of Calcutta in search of the poor, the suffering and the dying, “never mindful of the cost, of the sacrifice or of the danger she would be putting herself in.” Her work spread worldwide and she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Today, there are more than 5,000 sisters in some 135 countries, running homes for the sick and dying, soup kitchens and orphanages.
Clarissa Cincotta of Trumbull has volunteered with the missionaries since they arrived in 2001, driving them to their doctors’ appointments and collecting food for them to distribute.
This year, students will be grouped in kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade. Middle school students will be grouped based on subject areas.
The Chili for Charity concept was started by then-new Knight Moretti back in the summer of 2015. Moretti thought it would be a nice fraternal experience for the council and families while helping the community. He calls it a “fun-raiser.”
