Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

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.

BRIDGEPORT—Thousands across the diocese turned out yesterday for Reconciliation Monday.

Bishop Caggiano called for participation in Reconciliation Monday for the second year in a row to encourage people to experience the healing and blessing of Confession and “so that the lay faithful may experience God’s mercy as Holy Week begins.”

The invitation to participate Reconciliation Monday was created in the joyful spirit of Pope Francis who said, “Now is the time to be reconciled with God. Staying on the path of evil is only a source of sadness.”

Priests from 25 churches throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport heard Confessions yesterday from 3 pm to 9 pm.

“Last year’s Reconciliation Monday was a huge success throughout the diocese,” said Msgr. Thomas W. Powers, vicar general. “Bishop Caggiano called for participation in Reconciliation Monday to encourage people to experience the healing and blessing of Confession and ‘to be reconciled to the Lord in advance of Easter.’”

“While this is a new spiritual practice in our Diocese, the observance of Reconciliation Monday has become a tradition in the Dioceses adjacent to us for many years. It has grown in popularity in part because every Catholic knows that Sacrament of Reconciliation is available in every Catholic Church,” said the bishop, who thanked the priests and all those who participated.

Many people took to diocesan social media to encourage each other to attend confession, sharing their experiences from last year’s Reconciliation Monday.

“This is a beautiful event,” said Edward Wittkofski, “and I hope that many will take advantage of this diocesan-wide event. I have gone before and was so happy to be in such a wonderful group of Christians!”

Other social media users reported long lines of people eager to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

“Many people have misconceptions about what Confession really is. It is not solely a spiritual exercise during which you tell the priest your sins. Rather, it is a profound encounter with the Lord Jesus, who through the words and actions of the priest, meets us in our sinfulness and forgives, liberates and empowers us with the Holy Spirit so that we can go forth and sin no more,” said the bishop.

PARIS—Shortly after midnight Tuesday, firefighters said the main structure of Notre-Dame de Paris, the city’s cathedral, had been preserved from collapse.

“We now believe that the two towers of Notre-Dame have been saved,” Jean-Claude Gallet, Paris’ fire chief, said April 16. “We now consider that the main structure of Notre-Dame has been saved and preserved.”

Archbishop Michel Aupetit of Paris Tweeted: “As I speak, it seems that the towers of the facade of Notre-Dame are saved. The whole diocese prayed, and I joined the young people who were praying at Fontaine Saint-Michel. Let us remain united more than ever, in Hope.”

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said that “we will rebuild” the cathedral, and shared his relief that “the worst had been avoided,” while adding, “the next hours will be difficult.”

A fire broke out in the cathedral shortly before 7 pm April 15. The roof and the spire, which dated to the 19th century, were destroyed.

Some 400 firefighters worked to put out the blaze, and Reuters reported one firefighter has been seriously injured.

Firefighters will continue working overnight to prevent interior structures from collapsing.

Paris’ prosecutor has said it is inquiring into “accidental destruction by fire.”

Reports indicate that the major religious and artistic treasures of the cathedral were removed as the fire began, including a relic of the crown of thorns.

Etienne Loraillère, an editor at France’s KTO Catholic Television, reported that “Fr. Fournier, chaplain of the Paris Firefighters, went with the firefighters into Notre-Dame cathedral to save the crown of thorns and the Blessed Sacrament.”

Originally built between the twelfth through fourteenth centuries, the landmark cathedral in the French capital is one of the most recognizable churches in the world, receiving more than 12 million visitors each year.

The cathedral was undergoing some restorative work at the time the fire broke out, though it is unknown if the fire originated in the area of the work.

Officials had been in the process of a massive fundraising effort to renovate the cathedral against centuries of decay, pollution, and an inundation of visitors. French conservationists and the archdiocese announced in 2017 that the renovations needed for the building’s structural integrity could cost as much as $112 million to complete.

The Holy See press office stated that it has received the news of the fire “with shock and sadness,” calling Notre-Dame de Paris “a symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.”

“We express closeness to the Catholics of France and to the population of Paris and assure them of our prayers for the firemen and those doing everything possible in the face of this dramatic situation.”

Catholic News Agency
Photo by Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images.

5 things to know about the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris by Catholic News Service

The rose window at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris. Credit: Julie Anne Workman/wikimedia. cc by sa 3.0

Notre Dame Cathedral Restoration Fund link

PLANTSVILLE—Father James Sullivan, rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury was honored by the Knights of Columbus with its 44th annual Father Michael J. McGivney Award for advancing the ideals embodied by their founder.

More than 650 people attended the dinner, sponsored by the Connecticut State Council.

State Deputy Steven Bacon presented the award to Father Sullivan and recalled how two years ago Father Sullivan approached him with the idea of having a Mass in honor of Venerable Father McGivney at Holy Land USA in Waterbury, where the priest was born and raised. More than 1100 people attended the Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Leonard Blair.

“What an awesome job,” Bacon said. “What an awesome Mass it was.”

Bacon also praised Father Sullivan and his family members for their “love of Church, parish and the Knights of Columbus.”

In accepting the award, Father Sullivan said, “I’m deeply honored, especially because it is in honor of Father McGivney. We are from the same hometown, and I have had a great admiration for him since I was a child.”

The Father McGivney Award was established in 1975 to honor the ideals of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, recognizing individuals “who throughout their lives have made significant humanitarian, civic and social contributions to their state, church or country.”

Past recipients have included Helen Burland, executive director of St. Catherine Center for Special Needs in Fairfield, Peter Wolfgang, executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, Jim Calhoun, UConn men’s basketball coach, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, and Robert McCauley, founder of Americares.

In his remarks, Supreme Advocate John Marrella told the story of a woman who on the day she planned to take her life received a call from Father Sullivan that changed her forever and led to a nationwide ministry to help the homeless.

Donna Finneran was despondent after her twin brother Brian died homeless and alone. Father Sullivan called her to ask permission to have a funeral Mass for him, which was attended by 350 people. It inspired Donna to begin the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project with a network of several hundred volunteers, including members of the Knights of Columbus, who make “Brian Bags,” which contain snacks, water, gift cards and toiletries that are distributed to the homeless.

“Father Jim started with that one corporal work of mercy…and set off a chain reaction of grace that has had effects literally on thousands and thousands of lives far beyond Ansonia and the Valley,” Marrella said.

Calling on the Knights to follow the example of Father Sullivan, he said, “God needs the cooperation of faithful souls who are attentive to his word and Father Jim is one of the souls.” He praised his “constant orientation to God and being faithful in prayer every day…He sets an example for all of us of what it means to conform ourselves to Jesus Christ.”

As a freshman at Providence College, Father Sullivan joined the Knights with the encouragement of his uncle, Father John McMahon, O.P. who was vice president of student affairs. He has been a member for 40 years.

After graduating cum laude with a degree in economics, he joined the Dominican Volunteer Corps and worked in an inner-city school in Washington D.C., where he taught, coached basketball and helped repair a rundown convent, which inspired him with a love for building and restoration work.

When he returned to Connecticut in 1987, he and his brother John established Sullivan Brothers, LLC, a building and contracting business. For the next 25 years, he worked in the construction business.

In 2003, he felt the call from God to become a deacon and was ordained in 2008, serving six years in the Torrington Cluster of Roman Catholic Parishes. In 2012, he entered St. John’s Seminary in Boston for two additional years of study and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Hartford on May 17, 2014. His first assignment was in Torrington as a parochial vicar.

In 2015, he was assigned to Church of the Assumption in Ansonia, where during his three-year tenure he renovated the school’s old auditorium and gymnasium after raising funds through a bike ride to Montreal, Canada.

In August 2018, he coordinated the first Mountaintop Mass at Holy Land USA, honoring Venerable Father McGivney. More than 1100 people gathered at the former religious theme park, known for its 60-foot illuminated cross.

The mountaintop offers a view of the places in Waterbury where Father McGivney was born, baptized, educated and buried for 92 years until his remains were moved to the Church of St. Mary in New Haven, where he began the Knights of Columbus.

This year, Auxiliary Bishop Betancourt will celebrate the Second Annual Mountaintop Mass at Holy Land on April 28, Divine Mercy Sunday. Cosponsored by the Holy Land foundation and the Knights of Columbus, the Mass will be held rain or shine at 3 pm.

Father Sullivan, a Waterbury native, often jokes that he and Father McGivney were neighbors, who lived near each other on the banks of the Naugatuck River…a century apart.

“For me, Father McGivney is a ‘priest’s priest’ because of his holiness of life and his care and concern for those in need,” Father Sullivan said. “As Pope Francis says, ‘Don’t stay in the rectory. Take on the smell of the sheep.’ Don’t wait for people to knock on the door of the rectory; you have to go out into the highways and the byways and invite everyone in, and that is what Father McGivney did. Something about his persona was very attractive, and by cooperating with God’s grace, he motivated men to act charitably for others at a difficult time in the church for immigrants.”

When he graduated from Providence College in 1982, it was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Knights. That October, Father McGivney’s remains were moved from Waterbury to the Church of St. Mary in New Haven and Father Sullivan served at the Mass.

He also told the story of finding the cemetery for St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, where Father McGivney served as pastor for six years until he died August 14, 1890, two days after his 38th birthday.

In the cemetery in the woods, there is a circle where seven priests are buried who served at St. Thomas Church. Twenty-two years ago, before he was ordained, Father Sullivan started planting flowers around the graves of the priests where he went to pray.

“I feel these seven priests I went to visit all those days were instrumental in my vocation,” Father Sullivan said. “And I am sure they pray for me.”

Bishop Emeritus Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford praised Father Sullivan and talked about the importance of staying focused on the Eucharist and Christ at a time when we are embattled by countless distractions in society.

He emphasized, “the mystery and reality that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, is alive on Earth at this moment in you and me.”

Msgr. J. Peter Cullen, state chaplain, offered the benediction and said, “Father Sullivan, thank you for getting the Holy Spirit to work so aggressively tonight and touch all of our hearts, to give us enthusiasm for each other, for our unity, our fraternity and our charity.”

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, for the second year in a row, has designated the Monday of Holy Week, April 15, 2019 as “Reconciliation Monday” throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport.

A total of 25 parishes, two or three from each of the nine Deaneries, will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 3-9 pm, so that the lay faithful may experience God’s mercy as Holy Week begins.

The invitation to participate in Reconciliation Monday was created in the joyful spirit of Pope Francis who said, “Now is the time to be reconciled with God. Staying on the path of evil is only a source of sadness.”

“Last year’s Reconciliation Monday was a huge success throughout the diocese,” said Msgr. Thomas W. Powers, vicar general. “Bishop Caggiano called for participation in Reconciliation Monday to encourage people to experience the healing and blessing of Confession and ‘to be reconciled to the Lord in advance of Easter.’”

“While this is a rather new spiritual practice in our diocese, the observance of Reconciliation Monday has become a tradition in the dioceses adjacent to us for many years. It has grown in popularity in part because every Catholic knows that Sacrament of Reconciliation is widely available,” said the bishop.

The bishop, who will also hear confession on that day, said he is grateful for the pastors and parishes participating in Reconciliation Monday and he hoped that Catholics throughout the diocese would take advantage of the opportunity.

“Many people have misconceptions about what Confession really is. It is not solely a spiritual exercise during which you tell the priest your sins. Rather, it is a profound encounter with the Lord Jesus, who through the words and actions of the priest, meets us in our sinfulness and forgives, liberates and empowers us with the Holy Spirit so that we can go forth and sin no more,” he said

The names and addresses of the parishes participating in “Reconciliation Monday” this year will be posted on the diocesan website and available in parish bulletins.

Deanery A (Queen of Peace)
1. St. Andrew Parish: 435 Anton Street, Bridgeport
2. St. Ann Parish: 481 Brewster Street, Bridgeport
3. St. Augustine Cathedral: 399 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport

Deanery B (Mystical Rose)
1. St. James Parish: 2070 Main Street, Stratford
2. St. Lawrence Parish: 505 Shelton Avenue, Shelton

Deanery C (Queen of Martyrs)
1. St. Catherine of Siena Parish: 220 Shelton Road, Trumbull
2. St. Jude Parish: 707 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe
3. St. Rose of Lima Parish: 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown

Deanery D (Our Lady, Queen of Confessors)
1. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish: 46 Stone Street, Danbury
2. St. Edward the Confessor Parish: 21 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield
3. St. Joseph Parish: 8 Robinson Avenue, Danbury

Deanery E (Seat of Wisdom)
1. St. Elizabeth Seton Parish: 520 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield
2. St. Mary Parish: 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield

Deanery F (Queen Assumed into Heaven)
1. Church of the Assumption: 98 Riverside Avenue, Westport
2. Our Lady of the Assumption Parish: 545 Stratfield Road, Fairfield
3. St. Pius X Parish: 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield

Deanery G (Mother of Divine Grace)
1. St. Aloysius Parish: 21 Cherry Street, New Canaan
2. St. John Parish: 1986 Post Road, Darien
3. St. Matthew Parish: 216 Scribner Avenue, Norwalk

Deanery H (Cause of Our Joy)
1. St. Cecilia Parish: 1184 Newfield Avenue, Stamford
2. Holy Name of Jesus Parish: 325 Washington Boulevard, Stamford
3. Sacred Heart Parish: 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford

Deanery I (Mary, Mother of the Church)
1. St. Catherine of Siena Parish: 4 Riverside Avenue, Greenwich
2. St. Mary Parish: 178 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich
3. St. Michael the Archangel Parish: 469 North Street, Greenwich

Vatican City, Apr 14, 2019 / 04:37 am (CNA).- On Palm Sunday, Pope Francis warned against the temptation of “triumphalism,” encouraging Catholics to follow Jesus’s way of humility and obedience exemplified in His Passion.

“Joyful acclamations at Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, followed by his humiliation. Festive cries followed by brutal torture. This twofold mystery accompanies our entrance into Holy Week each year,” Pope Francis said in his homily April 14.

The pope prayed for the grace “to follow in faith our Savior’s example of humility, to heed his lesson of patient suffering, and thus to merit a share in his victory over the spirit of evil.”

“Humility does not mean denying reality: Jesus really is the Messiah, truly the King,” Pope Francis said.

Processing through the crowds with palms and olive branches in St. Peter’s Square for the first liturgy of Holy Week, Pope Francis said that Christ responded to the temptation of “triumphalism” in His entrance into Jerusalem by “holding fast to his own way, the way of humility.”

Pope Francis explained that by “triumphalism” he means engaging in “shortcuts and false compromises,” without being “forged in the crucible of the cross.”

“Brothers and sisters, there is no negotiating with the cross: one either embraces it or rejects it,” Francis said.

“True triumph involves making room for God and the only way to do that is by stripping oneself, by self-emptying. To remain silent, to pray, to accept humiliation,” he continued.

“Jesus shows us how to face moments of difficulty” with “confident abandonment to the Father and to his saving will, which bestows life and mercy,” the pope explained.

The pope emphasized the importance of “the silence of Jesus” throughout His Passion. “By our silent witness in prayer we give ourselves and others ‘an accounting for the hope that is within,’” he said.

“Our place of safety will be beneath the mantle of the holy Mother of God,” Francis explained. “In the footsteps of Mary, countless holy men and women have followed Jesus on the path of humility and obedience.”

“In this way, triumphalism, destroyed by the abasement of Jesus, was likewise destroyed in the heart of his Mother. Both kept silent,” he said.

Palm Sunday is celebrated as the local “World Youth Day” for Italians. Pope Francis invited the young people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to read his recent post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Christus vivit.

“In this text each of you can find fruitful cues for your life and your journey of growth in faith and in service to your brothers,” Francis said.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with the crowd, he then rode through St. Peter’s Square on the popemobile, greeting pilgrims.

“Dear young people, do not be ashamed to show your enthusiasm for Jesus, to shout out that he is alive and that he is your life. Yet at the same time, do not be afraid to follow him on the way of the cross,” Pope Francis said.

He continued, “when you hear that he is asking you to renounce yourselves, to let yourselves be stripped of every security, and to entrust yourselves completely to our Father in heaven, then rejoice and exult! You are on the path of the kingdom of God.”

By Courtney Grogan | catholicnewsagency.com

DARIEN—More than 250 guests provided extraordinary generosity, while Catholic school students delivered the inspiration at the Spring Gala of Foundations in Education held last night at Woodway Country Club in Darien.

The evening began on the right note when members of the Select Choir of Saint Aloysius School in New Canaan, under the direction of Alexander Patrie, sang “I choose to believe” at the reception before dinner.

Student speaker and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School 8th grader Joshua Dixon delivered the main course with a talk about the value of Catholic education, which brought the audience to their feet in a standing ovation for the young man who overcame many challenges, including the loss of his mother when he was 8 years old, to receive a Catholic education.

He said that his life and his studies fell apart after his mother’s death to cancer. He attended five different schools in the two years after her passing before his older sister enrolled him at St. Thomas in Fairfield.

“I am a different person mentally and spiritually than I was before I got to St. Thomas,” said the 13-year-old who will be attending Fairfield Prep in the Fall and hopes to be an architect. “It has brought balance to my life and I’ve grown in faith.”

Proceeds from the evening are expected to exceed $1.3 million for the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund, which provides more than $2.5 million in aid to nearly 1,400 Catholic elementary school students throughout the diocese each year.

“If you believe, you see miracles,” the Bishop said in referring to the performance of St. Aloysius students. “My message tonight is that we should look upon the miracle of Catholic education, a work of love unfolding in the lives of the students entrusted to us.”

The Bishop thanked donors and the Foundations in Education Board of Trustees for supporting “the mission to strengthen and transform Catholic education by supporting innovation, professional development and scholarship assistance.”

“Doing things the same way is not good enough anymore,” the Bishop said. “I’m deeply grateful for all of you who joined us to transform one school, one program and one child at time.”

Foundations in Education Executive Director Holly Doherty-Lemoine said that “tuition assistance brings students to our schools and innovation keeps them here.” She thanked the Bishop for his vision to “make Catholic education more vibrant and more accessible to all those who seek it. He is the driving force and why we’re here tonight.”

Dinner & Auction Photos by Amy Mortensen

Thomas McInerney, Vice Chair of the Foundations in Education Board of Trustees, said that when he visits Catholic schools he is impressed by the innovation and leadership and the “remarkable transition” underway. McInerney, who is a major donor to Foundations, said that the students have “embraced personalized learning” and it’s changing their lives.

Mr. McInerney and Bishop Caggiano recognized the evening’s honorees: Barbara and R. Bradford Evans honored for their philanthropic giving and service on the Board of Trustees; the faculty of St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Brookfield for its role in introducing multi-age personalized education; and Fairfield University for its institutional partnership with diocesan schools.

In his brief remarks Bradford Evans said he and his wife Barbara, a former elementary school teacher, are strongly committed to educational choice for parents, particularly for those who are financially challenged.

“Financial aid is the first priority of Catholic education. It all starts there with helping parents to have a choice,” he said.

Fairfield University President Mark Nemec accepted the award on behalf of the school’s elementary and secondary education programs that have assisted diocesan schools in transforming the curriculum and adopting new teaching techniques.

Dr. Nemec said the university is committed to assisting in the formation of young people during a time of exponential change, when the young themselves often have the skills to lead older people. He said the university’s support is based on its “Jesuit values of finding God in all things and helping people to live their lives more profoundly.”

Pam Fallon, Education Director and leader of St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Brookfield, accepted the honor on behalf of the faculty members who led the transition to a multi-age personalized learning model which has revived the school and become a model for other programs throughout the diocese.

Mrs. Fallon said the new program has empowered students and exceeded expectations. “The teachers learn to teach differently and the students learn how to learn differently,” she said of the personalized learning approach.

Immediately following the recognition ceremony, celebrity auctioneer Patrick Tully drove up bidding during the live auction with his energetic, humorous and skillful style, as guests raised their paddles on a variety of donated items including dinner with New York Giants owners Frank and Lynn Mara and quarterback Eli Manning, golf and vacation destinations and other items.

Through the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund and its special initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, Foundations in Education strives to make transformational Catholic education more affordable for families, regardless of their financial circumstances.

In this past year, Foundations in Education awarded over $2,540,000 in Bishop’s Scholarship Fund tuition assistance to 1,380 students at Diocesan elementary schools throughout Fairfield County, with the Leaders of Tomorrow program awarding $201,250 to 44 elementary school students. In its effort to support teacher’s creative project or initiatives by providing funding $125,000 in the Innovation and Leadership Grants to 19 Diocesan elementary schools.

For more information on how to support Foundations in Education, call Holly Doherty-Lemoine at 203.416.1642. Online: www.foundationsineducation.org

Reception Photos by Amy Mortensen