Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

STAMFORD—On the Monday after Thanksgiving, Trinity Catholic High School students will get an extra day at home. Not to be confused with a vacation, the high schoolers will work on their assignments remotely during what’s being called a “digital day.” Meanwhile, at school, classrooms will be moved and shifted. When students and staff return on Tuesday, it’ll be to a newly rearranged building, the most recently completed phase of a new vision for Stamford’s Catholic schools.

The $5 million remodeling of Trinity, on Newfield Avenue, includes the renovation of nearly two levels, plus a new wing where middle school students from the Catholic Academy of Stamford will move in the fall of 2019.

The project was funded by the Diocese of Bridgeport and private donors.

Last year, the Catholic Academy of Stamford combined the city’s Catholic elementary and middle schools.

“It’s about unity,” said Trinity Principal Scott Smith. “It provides that connection. … This brings us all together.”

The high school students will be moving to take up the majority of the second and third floors of the Trinity building, alongside new administrative offices. Almost every classroom will be moved to form “clusters” by subject, which will help improve collaborative relationships between teachers, school officials said.

The centerpiece of the new high school is the renovated media center on the third floor, which will feature computers and a lounge area where students can take about 40 online courses for credit.

“This is big for us because up until a year ago, this media center and the office next to it was a library in a traditional sense,” Macari said. “This renovation helped it become a media center in a 21st-century sense.”

From December to February, renovation will also be done to change the appearance of the front of the building.

“When you drive here at night, this whole second floor will be lit up,” Macari said. “It’s like a beacon.”

This week, with the big move approaching, the smell of fresh paint still lingered in the halls alongside construction signs as the last of the renovation wrapped up. Trinity principal Smith said he’s excited and ready for the change.

“We’re working around the clock. We’ll be good to go,” he said. “I’m super excited about the whole projection. What we’re seeing is the vision the bishop had coming to fruition.”

By Erin Kayata | Stamford Advocate

BRIDGEPORT—“My friends, we have come here today because those of you who are being honored are being honored not simply because of all the good that you do, as important as that is, not simply because of the witness you give, as important as that is, but because you have discovered the mystery of love and willing what God wills,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, addressing the over 150 honorees gathered at St. Augustine Cathedral for the St. Augustine medal award ceremony on Saturday, November 17.

Every seat in the cathedral was filled as the pastoral leaders who nominated the recipients, their friends, family and loved ones gathered to acknowledge and celebrate the honorees for their volunteer service to parishes, schools and charities throughout Fairfield County.

Bishop Caggiano reflected on the words of St. Augustine: “love and do whatever you will,” during his Saturday homily.

“God is love, my friends…God teaches us that this life is about self-gift, self-offering, self-emptying for the good of the other before us,” said the bishop.

“Those who discover love, discover God…and those who discover God quickly realize that to be loving as He is, what we chose to do will be what God wants us to do.”

The bishop continued, addressing the medal award recipients, “You have been a force of unity and acceptance…you have been the agent to give life abundantly.”

The bishop said, “You are here because you do not walk the journey to paradise alone…you have many people walking with you because of your witness, your faith and your life,” a point that was brought to even greater light as each medal recipient did not walk up to receive their award alone, but were accompanied by their pastors, principals, or parochial administrators.

Bishop Caggiano reflected on the number of years this ceremony has been celebrated, saying, “This year above all others I am deeply grateful that we are here together…for we are living in a time of great storm, great crisis…and we will spend many of years ahead not simply purifying our church, bringing it to new life and reform, but to become once again a voice that is uncompromising in the world…showing the world the way of the will of God. There is much to do, but I am so grateful you are doing what you are doing now. For now more than ever, you are the light in the darkness…who are not afraid to love and do not what you want but what God wills in you, and for that I and the Church are deeply grateful.”

With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner, the bishop reflected on his gratitude for the medal recipients and what it means to give thanks:

“Next week, as you know, we will join our sisters and brothers throughout the country to celebrate the day of Thanksgiving. For those of us here in faith, we do that every day when we come to the altar to give thanks to Almighty God. But on that day, above all others, we give thanks to God for our country for the principles upon which it is founded, for the common good we form as Americans of every religion ethnicity culture and way of life…as in all things, we face challenges, but we commend our country to the lords mercy, love and providence.”

The bishop thanked the recipients once again before the closing of the ceremony, “I am very grateful, in light of that day to come, for each and every one of you who are the honorees. Thank you for your witness, generosity, faith, courage and what you do to make God’s will real in the world.”

Click here for a full list of 2018 St. Augustine Award recipients

Photos by Amy Mortensen

FAIRFIELD—“I am tremendously proud of our entire school community for rallying around this event each year. Knowing that hundreds of lives will be touched in one way or another today is fantastic. Today’s a great example of ND fulfilling our mission to build character, faith and intellect,” said Notre Dame High School Principal, Chris Cipriano, commenting on the school’s annual Service Day.

Notre Dame’s Service Day is coordinated by Jessica Medoff, director of campus ministry, and is part of the school’s celebration of Catholic School’s week and its 26 Acts of Kindness campaign.

“While a tremendous amount of planning and coordination goes into making the day possible, today fulfills and supports a core component of the school’s mission and certainly helps to put smiles on faces of all those involved,” commented Jessica Medoff.

Volunteers visited 41 different work sites in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Take a look at all of the wonderful work Notre Dame Fairfield students took part in the ND Service Day 2018 video!

The vision of Notre Dame High School is to be the model of secondary education in the state of Connecticut. They achieve that with demanding academics coupled with a supportive learning community, a range of enriching extra-curriculars, a competitive sports program, and a fierce commitment to service—all guided by Catholic values. Above all, they strive to instill in each student a sense of moral responsibility. Because, after all, leadership is worthless if it’s not guided by ethics.

(To find out more about Notre Dame High School visit notredame.org.)

DANBURY—Immaculate High School invites the public to attend a special Christmas Concert and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 2 at 4:00pm.

The free event,  A Very Immaculate Christmas,will feature seasonal performances by Immaculate’s A Capella group, Mixed and Concert Choirs, Guitar Ensemble and Concert Band, as well as a special guest performance by the St. Joseph School (Danbury) Choir.

In addition to hot cocoa and festive cookies, a special lighting of a Christmas tree, a visit from Santa Claus and outdoor caroling is scheduled. “The voices of our choirs, ensemble group and guest children’s choir group will capture the hearts of all who attend. We welcome our neighboring families and their friends to join us in celebrating the wonderful joys of the Christmas season,” said President of Immaculate High School, Mary Maloney.

HARTFORD—In its eleventh annual State of Abortion in Connecticut report the Connecticut Catholic Conference, which is the public policy office of the Catholic Bishops in Connecticut, calls for adoption of a parental notification law similar to the laws passed in forty-three other states, including the bordering states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The report also highlights that abortions in Connecticut have declined by 33.6% since 2008, reflective of the national trend. The largest decline of any age group was 72% among minors under 18 years of age. The abortion rate for all age groups declined from 20.9 to 13.9 abortions per 1000 women.

Connecticut remains one of seven states that has never adopted a parental notification law relating to a teen receiving an abortion. A teenage girl can receive an abortion in Connecticut without a parent or guardian being notified or asked to give their consent. In 2017, based on Connecticut Department of Health information, four twelve-year-old girls received abortions in our state. However, there is no process in place to ensure that these cases are reported to legal authorities as required by mandatory reporting laws. Under current state law an abortion provider in Connecticut, whose major source of revenue is from performing abortions, has tremendous influence on a teen who comes seeking their assistance. There is no current requirement for an adult to be involved, such as a parent, who is more mature and has the best interest of the teen as their primary focus. Although abortion rights advocates argue against the implementation of laws requiring parental involvement, public opinion polls show strong support for these types of laws.

Connecticut Department of Public Health information shows that 89% of the teens coming into the state for abortions between 2004 and 2017 came from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. These states have strict parental notification laws. Only 7% came from New York, which does not have a parental notification law. This shows a clear intention by teens, and possibly the men who impregnate them, to avoid the parental notification laws in their home states by coming to Connecticut.

Michael C. Culhane, the Executive Director of the Conference, stated, “The time has come for the Connecticut legislature to have a serious discussion about this issue. The increasing concern about the sexual abuse and harassment of women in our society should tend to support a parental notification law. Although there may be exceptions, parents still remain the best protectors of their children. Parents must give consent for a teen for many medical services or to participate in school activities. It seems that these rules should apply to a minor receiving an abortion.”

Current state law requires that a minor be given counseling prior to receiving an abortion. However, two facts revealed in this report raise concerns about how consciously this law is followed by abortion providers.

First, the report lists several examples of the sexual assault of minors in Connecticut over the last several years that were never reported to authorities by abortion providers. How in-depth and comprehensive is the counseling provided if these cases, and potentially many others, were not flagged by the counselor? Although it is a small number, these stories do raise questions about whether mandatory reporting requirements are taken seriously by abortion providers.

Second, many times the documentation required by state regulation to be submitted to the Department of Public Health when an abortion is performed fails to include the age of the person receiving the abortion and the gestation period of the baby being aborted. This is basic information that every medical professional should know about their patients. How could a provider who seriously cares about their patient not have taken the time to learn this basic information?

The passage of a parental notification law in Connecticut is a step in the right direction to ensure that the physical and mental health of minors seeking an abortion are protected in our state.

To view The State of Abortion in Connecticut – Eleventh Annual Report in its entirety, please visit

Click here for the PDF version of the press release.

The information contained in this report has been compiled and made available to the members of the Connecticut General Assembly and to the general public. It uses abortion data for the last ten years up to 2017, which is the most current data available.

FAIRFIELD—Special Masses for young people with disabilities are both a joyful celebration of what Jesus calls us to do and an important way to promote their inclusion in the life of the parish.

Saint Catherine Center will host its 2018 Mass Celebrating People with Special Needs on Sunday, December 2nd, 2 pm at Holy Cross Church, adjacent the Center at 750 Tahmore Drive in Fairfield.

As many as 15 young people from all over the diocese will receive the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation. It is a moving experience each year. Individuals of all ages and their families are welcome to join in the celebration, with refreshments following.

“It is beautiful to see Anna and her classmates participate in the Mass,” said Dave Stowe, parent of a Saint Catherine Academy student who was confirmed at the 2017 Mass. This year, Anna will be one of the readers for the celebration.

In addition to promoting inclusion of people with special needs in parish life, the Office for Parish & Community Support serves as a resource across the diocese to help families with the process of preparing their special needs children and young adults to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. They are available to advise families and Directors of Religious Education about accommodations or modifications that might be needed, and even to “practice” with the individuals. For more information, call: 203.540.5381.

Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God”  Luke 18:16.

Updates from the Center:
Bringing Stories to Life
Role-playing is all part of the weekly TheaterWorks program with “Mr. Matt” (Hennessy), a music therapist at Arts For Healing in New Canaan and director of TheaterWorks.

The program integrates music, art, movement, and education into a fun theater experience for individuals with special needs. Using music and repetition, music therapists like Mr. Matt adapt familiar Disney stories, fairy tales, songs and nursery rhymes to engage participants in the story while also developing language, cognitive and social skills. Each session begins with a welcome song and an overview of the story. Then the story is acted out twice, giving everyone a chance to participate and express themselves in different roles. A goodbye song closes the session.

“It’s a pleasure coming in every week and using their ideas as the foundation of a shared experience that we work through,” Mr. Matt said.

“The adults have a great time,” said Mr. Rich, a staff member. “You should have seen Ryan as the little old lady the second time through the story. He really took the role to heart.”

Tricks and Treats…

Halloween is one of the most anticipated days of the year at the Center. In the Academy, each class let their imaginations go wild for the Pumpkin Decorating Contest—with awards for the Most Colorful, Most Creative, Most Scary and Most Funny. Magician Jay Reidy offered up a few perplexing tricks in his Magic Show, such as the upside-down crayon and the knotted rope. After the show, everyone enjoyed some popcorn treats before heading home to trick-or-treat.

Participants in the Adult Day program especially enjoyed a day to dress up as their favorite characters—which included angels, a princess, a butterfly, a fairy, a clown, a policeman and fireman, army sergeant, Superman, Cat-in-the-Hat and more! The morning was full of homemade entertainment, thanks to some spooky games (“Sack Drac” and a skull toss) contributed by Kelley and Drew Schutte. A pizza lunch and homemade cupcakes from Michelle Rivelli followed

Doin’ the Monster Mash

More than 125 guests attended the fall Dinner Dance for people with special needs on October 19th—some in costume, and all eager to enjoy a delicious pasta dinner together. Dinner, however, is just a prelude to the main event—dancing. Our dedicated DJ, Herb Ramirez, had the dancing crowd going with a set of Halloween favorites, from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to “Monster Mash.”

The Dinner Dances continue to draw many people from group homes and individuals across the diocese. The special events are also an opportunity for local parishes to get involved. Our thanks to Cathy Romano and the youth group at Assumption Church in Westport for creating the festive fall centerpieces, and to Sue Baldwin at St. Andrew in Bridgeport, who gathered as many as 20 teens to serve food and beverages to the many guests who packed the beautiful Parish Hall, and to Rev. Sam Kachuba at St. Pius X Church in Fairfield.

The evening concluded as it often does with a conga line of laughing family and friends circling the big room. “The camaraderie and everyone’s pure enjoyment make the evening so worthwhile,” said one attendee. “I always have a good time.”

BRIDGEPORT- “Are you ready to take up the Lord’s call to be a missionary disciple by serving as a Catholic educator? For to live the mission of Catholic education means to give life to our students by opening their minds, hearts and lives to Christ and his Gospel. It means challenging our young people to know and live the Truth. It is to stand with them as they grow in wisdom and grace. If you are ready for take up this mission, then the Aquinas Fellowship Program is waiting for you,” said Bishop Frank Caggiano.

The Diocese of Bridgeport (DOB) Aquinas Fellowship Program (AFP) is designed to form leaders and develop highly motivated and committed educators for the purpose of supporting Pre-K-12 Catholic education in Catholic schools. Professional development, community and spiritual growth are the foundational principles of this program developed to attract talented, faith-filled college graduates from Catholic colleges and universities who wish to renew and transform Catholic school classrooms.

Participants accepted into AFP live communally with other program participants, are given opportunities to develop their individual spirituality and work towards a Master’s degree either in Education, in a specific subject (such as Mathematics or Biology), School Counseling or School Psychology, while teaching full-time in one of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport.

The program seeks to create a holistic formation of both teacher and individual while supporting the mission of enhancing Catholic school education. These educators, who will live in community and study together as part of a university collaboration, will make a significant impact on the lives of the children that they serve.

Participants must commit to a minimum of five years – two years as a fellow as they complete the coursework and three years as a paid employee of the Diocese of Bridgeport once the degree is completed.

Ignited by their faith and wanting to serve, participants get the opportunity to make a deep and profound difference in the lives of children they teach and are supported with educational opportunities, a supportive community and spiritual guidance.

During their two years of service, Aquinas Fellowship Teachers:

• Are placed in affordable housing, arranged by the diocese
• Receive a modest living allowance ($15,000 per year)
• Are placed in a teaching position within the Diocese of Bridgeport Schools
• Receive educational and spiritual support as they balance life, college, and teaching
• Focus on professional development, community and spiritual growth
• Will live in a community and study together as part of a university collaboration and make a significant impact on the lives of the children that they serve
• Gain an extraordinary teaching experience
• Upon completion of the program, receive a cost-free Master’s Degree in one of the degree areas offered through our collaboration with Fairfield University
• Are eligible for loan deferment with full-time student status

The DOB Aquinas Fellowship Program prepares teachers by integrating graduate level coursework with an immersion teaching experience in our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Aquinas Fellows will:

• Work for two years in elementary or secondary schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport
• Receive extensive coursework training as they work to complete a master’s degree.
• Contribute their gifts and talents to their school communities

The Aquinas Fellowship Program provides subsidized housing for cohorts of 4-7 members that enables a spirit of community around shared experience, mission, and support. Participants are called to grow together, to support one another, and to challenge each other as they develop personally, professionally, and spiritually. Fellows will live in a residence provided by the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Aquinas Fellows are invited to deepen each fellows’ relationship with God and encouraged to integrate spirituality into their community life and schools, and to use spirituality as a support to provide strength and nourishment. A spiritual director will work with the community of Aquinas Fellows throughout the two years to assist in deepening one’s relationship with God by developing an active, vital prayer life through coursework, retreats, Mass, and prayer services.

The Mission of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, guided by the Holy Spirit, is to care for the education and faith formation of our Catholic School Communities through leadership and service while advancing sustainable, thriving school models centered in the excellence of Christ.

“Our schools, while each individually possessing their own unique environment and charisma, are an educational community of families committed to academic excellence and faith development and guided by the belief that all are created in the image and likeness of God,” says Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Cheeseman.

(For more information on the Aquinas Fellowship Program visit: dioceseofbridgeportcatholicschools.com or email: afp@diobpt.org.)

BRIDGEPORT—The Saint Augustine Medal of Service prayer service and awards ceremony will be held at St. Augustine Cathedral this Saturday, November 17, beginning at 1 pm. A reception will follow at Kolbe-Cathedral High School on the grounds of the cathedral campus.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will lead the prayer service and present medals to more than 150 recipients from parishes and ministries across the diocese.

Honorees will be recognized for their volunteer service to parishes, schools and charities throughout Fairfield County.

“True generosity comes from those who are grateful for their lives and who faithfully use the gifts God has given them,” said Bishop Caggiano. “We will celebrate the St. Augustine medalists as mentors, guides and prophets in their love and service. I look forward to meeting them and their families and recognizing their great commitment to others through the Church.”

Last year, friends and family of the recipients turned out in droves for the Medal of Service ceremony to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones.

Pastors, priests and deacons throughout the diocese accompanied the recipients as they came forward to be presented the medal by Bishop Caggiano.

The St. Augustine Medal of Service was instituted in 2005 to recognize the “unsung heroes” who unselfishly give of their time and talents to build up parish communities. On one side of the medal is an image of St. Augustine of Hippo, patron saint of the diocese. The reverse features the coat of arms of the diocese.

(For further information contact Elizabeth Auda 203.416.1636, email: eauda@diobpt.org.)

BALTIMORE—The following is a reflection from Bishop Frank Caggiano on the November 2018 meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

As the meeting of bishops continues here in Baltimore, much is being discussed about the change of direction the Holy See has asked regarding the proposed action items designed to address the issue of bishops’ accountability. I recognize the deep frustration that so many people feel about this delay, and I can’t imagine the hurt that survivors of abuse may be feeling as they try to make sense of why this has happened. However, in times when such unexpected events happen, I always seek to discern what the Lord may be asking, often in hidden ways. In this case, I believe that the Lord is inviting us, as bishops, to face a crucial underlying issue that the action items, as important as they are, cannot address alone.

More specifically, while a code of conduct, a lay commission, and a third part reporting system will be important tools to keep bishops accountable in their leadership, what is equally and fundamentally necessary for true reform is the need for personal conversion in the life of every bishop and leader in our Church. It is a conversion that understands, accepts and lives a lifestyle of true servant leadership. As I reflect on my own ministry, I know that I make countless decisions each day that are an exercise of ecclesial “power”- decisions that must always be made in the heart and mind of Jesus. When a bishop or any leader makes decisions that are authentic in faith, the culture that is created protects, enhances and celebrates the people around him. In contrast, when those decisions are driven by a desire for ambition, comfort, or the desire to make one’s position felt over another, the culture that is created puts people in jeopardy, especially the most vulnerable in our midst. It is the culture that a bishop creates by his decisions and the attitude of his heart that must be converted to achieve real personal accountability. No policy or commission can do this for him.

Perhaps it was for this reason that the Pope asked all the bishops of the United States to enter into spiritual retreat in January? Perhaps we must first have the courage to face Jesus in contrition and humility, over a long period of time and with His grace, to dismantle whatever clericalism may exist in our midst, before we can make the decisions that were delayed this week?

I ask for your prayers for me and all my brother bishops. May we do whatever the Lord is asking of us, no matter how painful or unexpected it may be, to bring true accountability for ourselves and renewal to the Church.

BALTIMORE—Seasoned bishop watchers know that just about every fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a surprise. Sometimes it’s an election result. Sometimes it is the debate you never expected. Sometimes it’s that there’s no debate.

But the first day of the 2018 fall meeting was one that caught just about everyone in the room flat-footed. Right on the eve of what looked to be a decisive meeting of the U.S. bishops in dealing with sexual abuse within their own ranks, the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops asked them not to vote on two of the key proposals that were to be put before them.

When Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the conference, made the announcement within the opening minutes of the meeting, the entire room— bishops, staff and journalists— were gobsmacked.

This, after all, was the meeting when the bishops were going to get their own house in order following the latest wave of sex abuse stories — Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the subsequent flood of subpoenas and investigations and self-published lists of priest offenders.

The McCarrick scandal in particular raised questions about who knew what and when. It also highlighted the fact that even when adults were involved, there could be harassment and abuse of power. In an Aug. 16 statement, Cardinal DiNardo called for “an investigation into the questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick, an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops, and advocacy for more effective resolution of future complaints.”

Following meetings in Rome, some of the early requests by the U.S.—particularly for an apostolic visitation to investigate the questions surrounding the McCarrick scandal —were rejected or modified by Rome. Likewise, a request by Pope Francis that the fall meeting become a weeklong retreat for the U.S. bishops was rejected as logistically impractical, and plans were made for such a retreat in January in Chicago.

What is not clear is how much of the discussion and planning by the U.S. bishops involved Rome. By the eve of the November meeting, the U.S. bishops were planning to ask for votes by the entire conference on three key issues:

—A proposal for “Standards of Episcopal Conduct.”

—A proposal to establish a special commission for review of complaints against bishops for violations of the “Standards of Episcopal Conduct.”

—And a protocol regarding restrictions on bishops who were removed from or resigned their office due to sexual abuse of minors, sexual harassment of or misconduct with adults, or grave negligence in office.

In addition, there was to be a report on a third-party reporting system that would allow victims or those knowledgeable of abusive situations regarding bishops to report such cases confidentially.

According to Cardinal DiNardo’s announcement, word was received Nov. 11 that the Vatican was asking the conference to delay their vote because of the previously announced meeting at the Vatican of the presidents of all the world’s bishops’ conferences to discuss the abuse crisis in February.

In his remarks, Cardinal DiNardo expressed his disappointment at this request, which threw the planned agenda for the four-day meeting into disarray.

Theories abound about what happened and why, ranging from the darkly conspiratorial to the surmise that Rome simply did not want the U.S. bishops to get too far ahead of the Vatican on the very sensitive issues involving the disciplining of bishops. Such discipline in church law is normally the prerogative of the pope himself.

One observer said that the U.S. bishops’ sense of urgency — inspired in part by the anger of many lay Catholics and their priests — clashed with the more cautious way that Rome would approach any issue with such far-reaching implications.

What will be the implications of this sudden twist is still unknown. Protesters and bishops alike may now see Rome as the obstructionist, and the growing pressure on Pope Francis will continue. Ironically, this may take some heat off the U.S. bishops, at least temporarily, but is unlikely to help Rome-U.S. relations.

Critics of the proposed action items also may be relieved, since there were those who viewed the proposals as opening the door for other conferences to make similarly unilateral changes in areas of discipline or doctrine.

Perhaps most frustrated are those bishops — many of them appointees after 2002—who want to open their archives, name priests credibly accused, and forthrightly address issues of accountability and transparency.

Following the announcement of the delay, the bishops of the Missouri province released a letter originally written Oct. 6. It expressed support for the proposals suggested by Cardinal DiNardo but added: “We fear these measures will not be enough in either substance or timeliness to meet the demands that this pastoral crisis presents.”

Delay is inevitable, however. And now the bishops have the rest of their meeting to decide what, if anything, they are still able to do.

By Greg Erlandson | Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Jews worldwide will remember the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

In a direct German translation, it means “Crystal Night,” but it is more commonly thought of as “Night of Broken Glass,” as Nazis and their sympathizers rampaged through Nazi Germany — which by this time had absorbed Austria and the Sudetenland — the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938.

More than 7,000 Jewish-owned stores and businesses were damaged, more than 250 synagogues destroyed, more than 3,000 Jews arrested and sent to concentration camps, and nearly 100 more killed during the rampages, which shocked the world.

It was an open question, though, as to how American Catholics felt about Kristallnacht, which some had likened to a pogrom in which Jews are forcibly exiled. Father Charles Coughlin, the “radio priest” during the Depression, had been for years salting anti-Semitic commentary into his weekly broadcasts, which reached tens of millions of people, despite the grumblings of several U.S. bishops who wanted him off the air.

But it was the discovery in The Catholic University of America’s archives in 2004 of an old, scratched record, labeled only “Catholic Protest Against Nazis — Nov. 16, 1938,” that set the wheels in motion for a long-overdue reconsideration of Catholic attitudes toward anti-Semitism in general, and Kristallnacht in particular.

The record, which was unplayable with the university’s own equipment, had to be sent elsewhere to be digitized. What it contained was a half-hour program featuring Catholic bishops from across the nation, and former New York Gov. Al Smith, who became the first Catholic presidential nominee of a major political party in 1928, roundly condemning the Nazis’ actions and expressing solidarity with Jews under the Nazis’ rule.

Based on the discovery of that disc, Catholic University is hosting its own Kristallnacht remembrance Nov. 16, the 80th anniversary of that broadcast.

The free event will feature performances by faculty and students of musical selections by Jewish composers, and a composition written by Catholic University music professor Joseph Santo, “Malachey Elyon” (“Messengers of the Most High”), which incorporates texts from the broadcast.

Speakers will include university president John Garvey; Zion Evrony, former Israeli ambassador to the Vatican and a visiting Catholic University professor; CUA education archivist Maria Mazzenga on her research of the recording; and Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw, dean of CUA’s School of Music, Drama and Art.

After determining the record’s content, “I contacted the folks at the (United States) Holocaust (Memorial) Museum,” said Mazzenga in a Nov. 6 telephone interview with Catholic News Service. “This was something huge,” she added. “It’s changed the literature on Catholic responses to the Holocaust — distinctly Catholic responses.”

Further fruits from the recording netted a front-page New York Times article on the broadcast the day after it aired on both NBC and CBS — a joint presentation unusual even then for competing networks.

Mazzenga also was able to track down five legal-size pages featuring the full transcript of the broadcast distributed by CNS’ predecessor, National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service. “NCWC did a great job publicizing” the events of the time, she said. Mazzenga later edited a book and contributed an essay in a series of academic papers presented at a Holocaust Museum workshop inspired by the discovery.

A little further digging in the CUA archives found correspondence that spanned nearly a year between Irving Sherman, head of the Atlas Publishing and Novelty Co. of New York City, and Catholic figures who spoke on the broadcast.

In a Nov. 25, 1938, letter to Cardinal Dennis Dougherty of Philadelphia, Sherman wrote: “I, and I believe millions of others, cannot believe in your sincerity to teach democracy while you have a Father Coughlin openly preaching hate against his fellowmen,” with the “e” printed by hand over the typed “a.”

Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a Canadian-American priest based in Detroit who used radio to reach a mass audience. During the 1930s, an estimated 30 million listeners tuned to his weekly broadcasts. He eventually was forced off the air in 1939 because of his pro-fascist and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Sherman received a reply from Cardinal Dougherty, but it must have been unsatisfactory, for the businessman wrote back to the prelate: “With the Catholic Church and it strong organization, there should be no difficulty in squelching Father Coughlin at all. Instead of being humble and fully admitting that he did not tell the truth in regards to his accusations against the Jews, International Bankers, etc., he now shouts it further.”

Later, in a missive to Catholic University rector Father Joseph Corrigan — later a bishop — Sherman complained about the “so called man of God Father Coughlin.”

Father Corrigan wrote back: “Those who would stigmatize the Catholic Church for such conduct of one individual come very close themselves to the standard of judgment which they deplore when applied to themselves. It would be a wrong, and it truly is, to condemn Jews for the culpable actions of some Jews. How, then, can it be right to blame the Catholic Church for the attitude of one member?

“I have written you to this extent, my dear Mr. Sherman, in the hope that you will understand the difficulties of our position.”

Thus began a fairly fruitful exchange between the two. In a letter to Father Corrigan dated Sept. 15, 1939 — two weeks after World War II began in Europe — Sherman sounded hopeful. “Our mayor is now taking evidence so as to prosecute the speakers who incite to riot and I think that now that Russia and Germany have aligned themselves together, these conditions of which I complain of may be eliminated.”

He added that fellow members of the Jewish War Veterans of America were planning to sue Father Coughlin for his on-air remarks. It took another year, but Father Coughlin was forced off the air. The priest was silenced by the Vatican in 1942.