Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

TRUMBULL—The relic of the intact heart of St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, will be here in the Diocese of Bridgeport, at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull on April 29 and 30. “I would like to extend this warm invitation to all in the diocese to participate in this visit,” said Father Marcello, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena.

On Monday, April 29 from 4-5 pm, there will be an Hour of Prayer in the presence of the Heart of St. John Vianney especially for the priests of the Diocese of Bridgeport, after which a light meal will be shared by the visiting priests.

At 7 pm, Holy Mass will be celebrated in the presence of the Heart of St. John Vianney concelebrated by Archbishop Cronin, Archbishop Emeritus of Hartford. All priests in the diocese are invited to concelebrate.

From 8:30 pm-7 am the next morning all are invited for an all-night vigil of prayer in the presence of the Heart of St. John Vianney. Readings from the homilies of the Cure of Ars will be read on the hour. Prayers for priestly vocations, especially in the Diocese of Bridgeport, will be offered. Participants are welcome for any duration of time.

On Tuesday, April 30 at 9 am Holy Mass will be celebrated for local elementary school students, to which all priests are also invited to concelebrate.

(If a priest would like to concelebrate either of the Masses, and/or to partake in the meal in the rectory, please notify the St. Catherine of Siena Parish Office at 203.377.3133 or office@stcatherinetrumbull.com by April 25 so that arrangements can be made.)

BRIDGEPORT — Bishop Frank J. Caggiano in his Easter Vigil homily urged Catholics to take their faith outside the four walls of the church “to a world that does not want to proclaim Jesus for who he is — the Savior and Conquerer of all.”

“We have not come here, my friends, to keep our Catholic faith locked within these four walls,” he told the gathering of faithful at St. Augustine’s Cathedral. “Let us leave this church, singing the praises of Jesus not just one holy night but every day and night of our lives, for in Christ we have all things and without Christ we have nothing at all. So on this most holy night, let us give our Lord and Savior and King all praise and honor and glory and worship now and forever.”

He told the six adult catechumens awaiting their Baptism, “All the sins of your life will be washed clean in Jesus Christ in Baptism, and your life will become like the white garments you will be wearing — a new creation in Christ.” During the Vigil Mass, which was concelebrated with three priests and deacons, Bishop Caggiano administered the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist — to nine people.

Bishop Caggiano said, “On this holiest of all nights, Christ rose from the dead in his body in resurrected life that conquered death forever. This night, my friends, is holy because death died this night, but it is also the holiest of nights because Christ in his victory over death undid the knot of sin that was created by our parents Adam and Eve and passed on through the generations to us. This is the holy night when sin is washed away and forgiven in every heart that seeks new life in Christ. Therefore, we come to this Vigil to sing the praises of our Lord and Redeemer who has conquered both death and sin.”

He also reminded the congregation of the importance of practicing their Catholic faith in a world that can be hostile or indifferent to Christ: “We gather here to sing alleluia and praise to our Lord and King, but allow me to remind you that we have not come here so that we could leave this church and fall back into the darkness of ignorance and fall back into a world that does not want to proclaim Jesus for who he is — the Savior and Conquerer of all. We did not come here to sing the praises of the Lord and then revert back to the slavery of sin. We are free children and we are to remain children of God until we can see him face to face.”

The Easter Vigil liturgy, which is the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, began with “The Blessing of the Fire and Preparation of the Candle” at the entrance of the cathedral.

Then, the deacon, carried the new Paschal Candle into the darkened church, proclaiming “The Light of Christ,” following by the bishop and others who shared the light with the faithful until the cathedral was illuminated by several hundred candles, signifying the Light of Christ dispelling the darkness of sin and death.

The Liturgy of the Word followed with seven Old Testament readings from Genesis, Exodus and the Prophets that recall God’s saving deeds throughout salvation history. They were followed by St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans and the Luke’s Gospel account of the Resurrection. The readings were said in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

After Bishop Caggiano blessed the baptismal water, six catechumens were baptized, and later a total of nine were confirmed and received Eucharist, thereby entering into full communion with the Church.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, the bishop thanked the assembled faithful for coming to the Easter Vigil liturgy and then thanked Father Michael Novajosky, pastor, “for the great work he has done at the Cathedral.” The Cathedral Parish includes St. Augustine’s and St. Patrick Church.

Vatican City, Apr 20, 2019 / 02:16 pm (CNA).- In his Easter Vigil homily, Pope Francis said that the Risen Christ desires to “roll back the stone” that blocks the entrance to one’s heart, so that God’s light and love can enter.

“The Lord calls us to get up, to rise at his word, to look up and to realize that we were made for heaven, not for earth, for the heights of life and not for the depths of death,” Pope Francis said in St. Peter’s Basilica April 20.

“Each of us is called tonight to rediscover in the Risen Christ the one who rolls back from our heart the heaviest of stones. So let us first ask: What is the stone that I need to remove, what is its name?” he asked.

Pope Francis said the “stone of sin” blocks many hearts. “Sin is looking for life among the dead, for the meaning of life in things that pass away,” he explained.

“Sin seduces; it promises things easy and quick, prosperity and success, but then leaves behind only solitude and death,” he said, adding that with Christ we can pass “from self-centredness to communion, from desolation to consolation, from fear to confidence.”

“Why not prefer Jesus, the true light, to the glitter of wealth, career, pride and pleasure? Why not tell the empty things of this world that you no longer live for them, but for the Lord of life?” Francis asked.

The Vatican Easter Vigil Mass began with the blessing of the new fire in the atrium and the blessing of the paschal candle. The pope then processed into the dark church carrying the lit candle to signify the light of Christ coming to dispel the darkness.

“Today, let us remember how Jesus first called us, how he overcame our darkness, our resistance, our sins, and how he touched our hearts with his word,” he said.

Francis warned against having a “museum faith” instead of a living, “Easter faith.” Christ is “a person living today,” he said, not only a person from the past. “We encounter him in life.”

“Let us not keep our faces bowed to the ground in fear, but raise our eyes to the risen Christ. His gaze fills us with hope, for it tells us that we are loved unfailingly, and that however much we make a mess of things, his love remains unchanged,” he said.

Pope Francis described Christ’s love as the “one non-negotiable certitude we have in this life.”

“The Lord loves your life, even when you are afraid to look at it,” he said.

“In Easter he shows you how much he loves that life: even to the point of … experiencing anguish, abandonment, death and hell, in order to emerge triumphant to tell you: ‘You are not alone; put your trust in me!’” he continued.

During the Easter Vigil Mass, Pope Francis administered the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist — to eight people, from Italy, Ecuador, Peru, Albania, and Indonesia.

“Dear brothers and sisters: let us put the Living One at the centre of our lives,” Pope Francis said. “Let us seek him in all things and above all things. With him, we will rise again.”

By Courtney Grogan | catholicnewsagency.com

BRIDGEPORT—An air of reverent silence filled the Cathedral Parish of Bridgeport as hundreds gathered for the Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion service at St. Augustine’s.

“He who was forever such in the glory that is his right as God, emptied himself so that you and I, born and destined to be poor and die, to revert back to the ashes out of which we were formed, can now enjoy the glory of divine life itself,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano during his homily.

“And because words falter before such great a mystery,” he continued, “the Church asks us to adore the very wood of the cross, to look upon the instrument of our salvation, in the knowledge that as we truly look upon the wood, look upon the cross, it will begin to teach us, to whisper to us in our hearts what it is we are celebrating today.”

“It is the great testimony before all creation,” the bishop said, “that God loves us, God seeks us and we are His if we are only willing to be embraced by that God.”

“Through His sacrifice, the new high priest has broken the back of sin and death and it is in this love that we are not simply affirmed, we are saved, we are redeemed, we are set free. He comes to us to caress us in our challenges, to heal our wounds and give us hope,” the bishop said.

“If there’s ever a moment in your life, my friends, where you wonder if anyone loves you…look to the cross of Christ,” the bishop encouraged the congregation, “Look to the cross of Christ and realize that you are worth everything, even the life of a savior. What a great and awesome mystery that defies words because it speaks to the very soul of your life.”

The Liturgy of the Word included the proclamation of the second reading in Spanish, reflecting the diverse community of the Cathedral Parish.

The rest of the service included the beautiful chanting of the Gospel of the Passion of our Lord, the showing, adoration and veneration of the Holy Cross and a reading of the solemn intercessions.

During the veneration of the Cross, members of the congregation processed forward to kneel before, kiss or lay a hand on the Cross.

“Let us keep our eyes fixed on the cross,” the bishop said, leaving the congregation with one final message. “For there is our hope, our salvation and our glory.”

BRIDGEPORT—“The Lord asks of us, Watch with me,” but most of us fall asleep out of complacency, fear or self-righteousness, said Bishop frank J. Caggiano at the Chrism Mass held this morning at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport.

Hundreds of priests, deacons, religious and laity filled the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass, which is celebrated to bless the holy oils, that are used in the sacraments throughout the year, and to strengthen the bond between the bishop and his priests.

“It’s fitting that we gather for the Chrism Mass on a morning shrouded in mist and twilight,” the bishop said, noting that we are often blind to God’s gifts and what he is asking of us. “We often fall asleep in the garden.”

“This is a difficult time in the life of the Church, and Holy Week comes at our hour of greatest need,” said the bishop. “It’s time to wake from sleep and do what the Lord asks of us.”

The bishop said falling asleep spiritually takes many different forms, “the sleep of the status quo where people want noting new or creative… the sleep of fear, and the sleep of zealotry” that is based in anger and turns brother against brother.

Noting that the celebration of the Triduum –Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday– begins tonight, the Bishop said “we are all invited to the upper room with Jesus, but we must also be prepared to follow him to Calvary and the tomb.”

He said that the Church was given two great gifts in the upper room on Holy Thursday, the ministerial priesthood and the Eucharist. But the upper room was also the place of betrayal by Judas and Peter.

“We don’t want to initiate betrayal but we struggle and stumble in our own brokenness to be faithful to Christ,” he cautioned.

Referring to the fire earlier this week that nearly destroyed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the bishop said , “We saw the image of Our Lady ‘s house on fire and watched the spire collapse like a dagger in the heart of a sacred place.”

The bishop said the entire world watched and many “were stopped in their tracks of fear and complacency.”

“Our Lady’s house was on fire, and the city and world that was asleep woke up,” he said, noting that young people were on their knees in the street singing and praying.

Photos by Amy Mortensen

During the Mass, the bishop led the Renewal of Priestly Promises with a series of questions.

“Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus, and more closely conformed to him, denying yourselves and confirming those promise about sacred duties toward Christ’s Church,” he asked the priests.

“Yes I am,” the more than 200 priests answered in unison.

At the end of the promises the Bishop directly asked the laity “to pray for me that I may be faithful to the apostolic office entrusted to me in my lowliness and that in your midsts I may be made day bey day a living, and more perfect image of Christ..”

During the service, the Bishop blesses the Oil of the Catechumens, the Oil of the Infirm and the Holy Chrism (a mixture of olive oil and balsam used in ordinations and confirmation).

After Mass, the holy oils that were consecrated on the altar were distributed to priests who will use them in their parishes when blessing the sick and in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

Deacon Patrick Toole served as Master of Ceremonies for the Mass. The music was provided by the Latin Schola of the Cathedral of St. Augustine.

WASHINGTON D.C.—This week we watched with sadness as fire tore through historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, causing severe damage to the centuries-old structure. The impact of the fire on the faithful of the city and of the world is immense and the full extent will not be known for some time.

Many dioceses are receiving calls about how our Church will respond to this tragic event. Rather than issuing a formal request for a national appeal, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on National Collections, has issued a letter indicating that the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, has set up a fund to help the Cathedral resurrect and rebuild.

If parishioners would like to support the effort and your diocese is not taking up a special collection, they can do so easily by visiting www.SupportNotreDame.org which is a site solely dedicated to this cause.

Checks can also be mailed to: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Attn: Monsignor Walter Rossi, Rector, 400 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C. 20017. Checks should be made payable to “Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception”; indicate “Cathedral of Notre Dame Fund” in the memo portion of the check.

GREENWICH — For Msgr. J. Peter Cullen, it was a day to put the green in Greenwich, leading the 45th Annual St. Patrick’s Parade as grand marshal in a town he loved so much and served for many years.

Thousands lined the streets on a chilly and sunny March 24th with Monsignor walking beside his sister Colette Zito down Greenwich Avenue, followed by Irish dancers, marching bands, floats, bagpipers and contingents from different town groups along with the Greenwich police and fire and the EMS.

For 45 years, the parade has been presented by the Greenwich Hibernian Association. Msgr. Cullen was installed as the grand marshal at the organization’s annual St. Patrick’s dinner dance on March 2.

Monsignor’s Irish ancestors came from counties Roscommon and Cork and include the Cullen, Collins, Nawn and Curley families. In the 1850s, his Cullen ancestors came from Ireland to Boston.

Former pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church on North Street, Msgr. Cullen was born in Boston, the third of five children, and his family moved to Greenwich in 1958. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He later received a doctorate of ministry from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif., and a Certificate of Intercultural Communication from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

Ordained in 1967, he was assigned to Puerto Rico and then St. Mary and St. Peter parishes in Bridgeport, where he served many years in the diocese’s Hispanic apostolate. He also was a member of the city’s Affirmative Action Agency and the City Board of Fire Commissioners.

He was pastor of St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan for 17 years, and in 2007 became pastor of St. Michael’s until he retired.

In 2002, Bishop William Lori named him vicar general and moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Bridgeport. For more than 30 years, he has been a member of the Knights of Columbus and was awarded the honors of a Fourth Degree Knight in 1998. He is a member of the Father Myron V. Miller Assembly 1794 in Stamford and serves as the chaplain for the Connecticut State Council and chaplain of Orinoco Council 39 in Greenwich.

BRIDGEPORT—This past Palm Sunday, St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Bridgeport held their fifth annual passion play, which was entirely directed and acted by the parishioners and friends of St. Michael’s.

“Mrs. Eva Kaminska has been most diligent in the past five years in organizing and directing the whole undertaking for the greater glory of God,” said parishioner Alan Cybulski, a seminarian of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

“The whole play has been written and based upon the Gospel accounts, as well as the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, making it a powerfully spiritual experience as we begin Holy Week.”

People from all over the area came to witness the fifth annual passion play. Included in the congregation were visitors from both New York and New Jersey.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish is located on 310 Pulaski Street in Bridgeport. Father Norbert Siwinski OFM Conv., pastor of the parish offers Mass in both Polish and English.

FAIRFIELD—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano was recently honored by the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality with its Bowler Award in appreciation of his “lifetime of service exemplifying the spirit of St. Ignatius Loyola.”

More than 200 people gathered at Fairfield University on April 12 for the dinner and award ceremony honoring the bishop.

In accepting the award, which is named after Rev. James Bowler S.J., founder of the center, Bishop Caggiano said, “The Murphy Center is one of the shining lights for the renewal that we are working for and praying to have in our midst here in the diocese.” He praised Father Bowler for “his remarkable vision and work.”

Rev. Gerald Blaszczak S.J., Director of the center and Vice President for Mission and Identity at Fairfield University, said, “We are grateful not only for Bishop Caggiano’s enthusiastic support at our founding, but for the close collaboration we have enjoyed in his efforts to strengthen the spiritual lives of all the faithful of the diocese, to make available to individuals, parish communities, to clergy, religious and laity, the rich resources of Ignatian Spirituality…We honor him for his unflagging commitment to the growth in Christ of the clergy, religious and laity of Diocese of Bridgeport, whom he has served with outstanding wisdom, courage, fidelity and compassion.”

He referenced Bishop Caggiano’s installation Mass six years ago, when he said the church must build bridges to those seeking God, to the poor, the sick, the lonely, the disabled, the unborn, those who live in fear, distress or may have given up hope in life. “We thank you for your tireless dedication to that task,” Father Blaszczak said. “We thank God that with you as our model and inspiration, Fairfield University and the Murphy Center have been privileged to collaborate with you and the Diocese of Bridgeport in building bridges.”

In accepting the award, Bishop Caggiano, a graduate of Regis High School, said, “I stand before you as a product of Jesuit education, and for that I am deeply grateful.” Recalling the motto of the Jesuits, “Ad majorem Dei gloriam” (“For the greater glory of God”), he said, “Hearing that phrase caught my imagination and has formed me ever since. It helped give me a compass in my life.”

“I cannot imagine the full renewal of our diocese without a thriving Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality being at its heart,” he said. “So imagine how grateful I am for the hundreds and soon to be thousands of people whose lives have been completely rearranged by grace because they have come to this center, allowing that compass who is the Lord to touch them, enlighten them, empower them, lift them up, give them hope, give them direction and lead them to glory. That is what we are about, and that is what we are celebrating tonight. It is not one man. It is all of us, finding that safe harbor who is Jesus Christ.”

Mark R. Nemec, PhD, president of Fairfield University, praised Bishop Caggiano and stressed the “shared mission, vision and purpose” of the university and diocese.

“There is no doubt the world needs the transformative power of a Jesuit education, an education which cultivates the pursuit of truth grounded in faith and reason,” he said. “Fundamental to this effort is the work of the Murphy Center and our dedication to Ignatian spiritual formation across the generations. We at Fairfield are blessed to work so closely with Bishop Caggiano not only in offering spiritual direction to the community but also in accompanying the youth of this region as they begin their own developmental formation.”

Co-chairs of the event were Rev. Robert Kinnally, Diocesan Chancellor and pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in New Canaan, and Deacon Patrick Toole, Episcopal Delegate for Administration and Chairman of the center’s advisory board.

Father Kinnally said, “Bishop Frank’s support of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality speaks to his desire that each of us develop a closer relationship to Christ through prayer. The center provides the resources and relationships necessary to navigate a complicated world by placing God at the center. Such a place is essential in our part of the world, where we are restless and sometimes don’t realize that we are longing for God.”

Deacon Toole, who assisted Father Bowler in developing the center, said it works toward the goal that Bishop Caggiano has called us to embrace, which is to evangelize one person at a time.

The Murphy Center offers spiritual direction in the Ignatian tradition to guide individuals and groups in their journey toward this encounter, as St. Ignatius did, by “finding God in all things.” As part of this outreach, it also trains spiritual directors who can assist in the discernment of God’s direction in their lives. The center promotes expressions of Ignatian spirituality at individual and group levels, both on campus and in parish settings. (For more information, visit fairfield.edu/mcis.)

Kathleen Donnelly of St. Pius X Church in Fairfield described the path that led her to become a spiritual director, recalling that in 2015, “Father Jim Bowler casually but firmly invited me on the journey to become a certified spiritual director.” With that invitation began what she called her “journey of a lifetime.”

“They led us to an awakening awareness of the every so slight yet always present drop of God’s grace in our lives and in the lives of others,” she said.

She also thanked Colleen Gilbertson, Administrative Coordinator for the center, who helped Father Bowler implement his vision and was responsible for creating a space for the center at Dolan House on the Fairfield University campus. “She is our main support person,” Donnelly said. “We all consider Colleen to be our soul sister.”

Kate Ferdock, a sophomore at Fairfield University, said that for the past 10 weeks, she has been on the Ignatian spiritual journey of finding God in her life: “I had no idea how my life was about to be changed. I was embarking on the biggest spiritual journey of my life…Thanks to the Murphy Center, I have been able to see God working in ways I never thought of before.”

Susan Stone of New Canaan, who is in the formation program to become a certified spiritual director, said, “I am very grateful for the bishop’s enthusiastic support of the Murphy Center, which makes available the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and spiritual direction to all those who seek a deeper personal relationship with our living God, as well as the important work of their formation programs to train the laity to become spiritual directors. The formation of the laity in the Ignatian tradition of spiritual direction allows us to take on more responsibility to carry on our faith and be united with our clergy and religious in bringing Christ to others because we are all the Church.”

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will celebrate the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, April 18, at 10 am at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport. All are invited to attend.

More than 300 priests and deacons will process into the cathedral for the yearly Chrism Mass, in which priests renew their priestly promises and the bishop blesses the sacramental oils that are used throughout the year in parishes.

At last year’s Chrism Mass, the bishop addressed the priests gathered, saying, “There is no greater work we do than to offer this sacrifice in the name of Christ. We hold this sacred, awesome mystery in our hands. This mystery of grace is wrapped up in our unworthiness. It is the one sacrifice that has set all of creation free.”

The Chrism Mass traditionally manifests the unity of priests with their bishops and includes a homily in which the bishop directly addresses his brother priests in attendance.

During Bishop Caggiano’s homily last year, he urged the priests to remain “joyful, obedient, and faithful” and not to get discouraged.

During the service, the bishop blesses the Oil of the Catechumens, the Oil of the Infirm and the Holy Chrism (a mixture of olive oil and balsam used in ordinations and confirmation.)

After Mass, the holy oils that were consecrated on the altar are distributed to priests who will use them in their parishes when blessing the sick and in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

Chrism Masses are traditionally celebrated during Holy Week or on the morning of Holy Thursday. It is a beautiful liturgy that celebrates the communion of the Church.

BRIDGEPORT— “Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

At the end of Mass on Holy Thursday, the Blessed Sacrament is placed on a temporary “altar of repose.” It has become a tradition for the faithful to process together to this altar and spend time in quiet prayer and adoration. Out of this custom has grown the Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches, practiced by many Catholics around the world.

Before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his disciples to stay and keep watch with Him. In a similar way, those who visit the altar of repose during their pilgrimage are keeping watch with Him.

Different churches correspond to each of the seven places or “stations,” that were made by Jesus between the Last Supper and His crucifixion. The seven stations consist of: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 39-46), Jesus bound and taken before Annas (John 18: 19-22), Jesus taken before the High Priest, Caiaphas (Matthew 26: 63-65), Jesus taken before Pilate (John 18, 35-37), Jesus taken before Herod (Luke 23: 8-9; 11), Jesus taken before Pilate again (Matthew 27: 22-26) and Jesus given the crown of thorns and led to his crucifixion (Matthew 27: 27-31).

Upon entering each church, pilgrims visit the altar of repose, kneel, make the sign of the cross, read the appropriate Scripture for each station and engage in private prayer and adoration. Groups may also read the corresponding Scripture or pray a Rosary on their way to the different churches. At the seventh station, many will close their pilgrimage by observing a Holy Hour.

This practice can be traced to the tradition of the Station Churches in Rome credited to Saint Philip Neri, back in the 16th Century. Beginning on Wednesday of Holy Week, Philip and his companions would set out to visit the four major basilicas of Rome (St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. John Lateran), as well as the three significant minor basilicas along the way. George Weigel’s book “Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches,” follows this popular pilgrimage.

In the Diocese of Bridgeport, many groups will be participating in the tradition of the Seven Churches. A group from St. Catherine of Siena will begin their pilgrimage after their Mass on Holy Thursday (9 pm) and finish at St. Catherine’s before midnight. Transportation will be provided. To sign up please call: 203-377-3133 or email: office@stcatherinetrumbull.com.

Last year, a group of young adults met after Holy Thursday Mass at St. John the Evangelist in Stamford for a Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches. The group prayed before the Blessed Sacrament at each church for about 5-10 minutes. “It was beautiful to see how many people were out late adoring our Lord,” said Diane Kremheller of Catholic Adventures. “We ended the night with some food and a social right before the Good Friday fast began at midnight, after we completed the pilgrimage.”

This year, Catholic Adventures is planning two pilgrimages. The Stamford pilgrimage will begin right after Holy Thursday Mass at St. John the Evangelist. There will also be a group leaving from St. Mary’s in Norwalk.

The Pilgrimage to the Seven Churches is a powerful way to spend time in adoration, meditating on Christ’s sacrifice of love in preparation for the joy of Easter. “It is a participation in Christ’s invitation to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane on the first Holy Thursday: ‘Watch and pray,’” said Father Joseph Marcello, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena in Trumbull.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano—HOLY WEEK, 2019

Press/Photos welcome
Contact: Brian Wallace 203.416.1464

Chrism Mass
Holy Thursday April 18, 10 am
St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport

CHRISM MASS—One of the most beautiful and solemn liturgies of the year, the Chrism Mass celebrates the anniversary of that day the when Christ bestowed the Priesthood on the Church. At the yearly Chrism Mass, priests renew their priestly promises and the bishop blesses the sacramental oils that are used throughout the year in parishes and at ordinations.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Holy Thursday April 18, 8 pm
St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport

Good Friday
Way of the Cross Procession
Good Friday April 19, 10 am
Begins at St. Mary Church, ends at Our Lady of Fatima in Bridgeport

Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
Good Friday April 19, 3 pm
St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport

Easter Vigil
Holy Saturday April 20, 8 pm
St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport

EASTER VIGIL—In this service, adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. The Easter Vigil liturgy is the most beautiful liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. It is the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. It is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Thursday and sunrise on Easter Day—most commonly in the evening of Holy Saturday or midnight—and is the first celebration of Easter.