Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano today (October 3) announced that retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge Robert L. Holzberg, who is a partner in the law firm of Pullman & Comley LLC of Hartford and Bridgeport, will serve as counsel and lead investigator for the Clerical Sexual Abuse Accountability Investigation being conducted for the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Judge Holzberg, who has extensive experience as an investigator, mediator and arbitrator, will lead the Accountability Investigation by overseeing a comprehensive analysis and review of claims of clerical sexual abuse of minors, the Diocese’s knowledge of such abuse and its response to allegations and information presented to it concerning the alleged clergy abuse. As part of his investigation, Holzberg, a Middletown resident, will have complete and unrestricted access to all Diocesan files, records and archives dating from 1953, when the Diocese was founded, to the present, and the opportunity to interview Diocesan clergy and administrators with information relevant to his inquiry.

Work on the Accountability Investigation will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by Spring 2019. Judge Holzberg, who is not Catholic, will direct a team of attorneys and investigators to conduct the investigation.

Results of the investigation will be presented in a public report that will address sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Diocese of Bridgeport, along with the response of Church leadership to that abuse. The report will also contain any relevant recommendations to the Bishop resulting from the review.

“Judge Holzberg epitomizes long-term, dedicated and conscientious service to the community,” Bishop Caggiano said. “He possesses the highest integrity, and he has made substantial contributions to the administration of justice in Connecticut. We are grateful that he has agreed to lead this significant review.”

“I am committed to supervising a comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into clergy sexual abuse of minors and the Diocese’s response to that abuse over the past 65 years. As a condition of taking on this assignment, I met with and obtained the commitment of Bishop Caggiano that I will have full and unlimited access to all materials relevant to this investigation and that I will have full discretion to conduct this investigation as I deem appropriate. Bishop Caggiano pledged his full cooperation and commitment to this important initiative,” Holzberg said.

Prior to his retirement from the bench in 2012, Holzberg successfully mediated claims against St. Francis Hospital in Hartford involving allegations of decades long sexual abuse of minors by a hospital employee. In 2014 Holzberg was retained by the Stamford Corporation Counsel to lead an investigation into allegations that a Stamford Board of Education high school teacher was involved in a sexual relationship with her student.

The Bishop personally met with Judge Holzberg and assured him that he would have the full and unfettered access to Diocesan records and files necessary for a comprehensive review.

Bishop Caggiano announced plans for the Accountability Investigation on September 7 in response to the national clerical sexual abuse crisis and failures of Church leadership in accountability and transparency.

His letter was read in parishes throughout the diocese and widely distributed through the diocesan newspaper, website, and social media. He announced plans for the report and outlined some of the spiritual and administrative actions that the diocese will take to ensure transparency and accountability.

“My hope is that these measures will begin to heal the wounds that we feel and address the legitimate desire for real change that restores confidence in every level of leadership,” he said.

The Bishop also committed to presenting a financial report on settlement amounts for past claims of clergy sexual abuse of minors from the establishment of the diocese to date. The report will include sources from which funds were obtained to settle claims and provide an account of the financial support currently given to any priest who has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor and who is currently on administrative leave or has been laicized. The report will be released on October 31.

“These measures also build upon the extensive work we have done since 2002 to reach out to and support survivors of clergy sexual abuse in addition to providing the training and safeguards to protect our children and ensure that adults recognize the warning signs of any potential abuse,” Bishop Caggiano said.

“I believe that the Church is facing a moment of crisis that demands honesty and repentance from the bishops and decisive action to ensure that these failures will never happen again,” Bishop Caggiano said.

 

About Judge Holzberg (Ret.)

Retired Judge Robert Holzberg leads the Alternative Dispute Resolution practice at the law firm of Pullman & Comley, LLC. He has extensive experience serving as a mediator and arbitrator in civil matters in state and federal court, including personal injury, employment, construction, environmental, probate, insurance, intellectual property and commercial disputes.

He retired from the bench in September 2012 after more than 22 years of service as a Superior Court judge.

He was appointed to the Superior Court in 1990 by Gov. William O’Neill. While on the bench, he served as the presiding judge for civil matters in the Middlesex, New Britain and Waterbury judicial districts. During his career, he earned a reputation for his skill in crafting settlements in some of Connecticut’s highest profile and most complex cases and became one of the state’s most sought-after mediators.

He has received several awards, including the 2011 Connecticut Bar Association’s Henry J. Naruk Award for distinguished service and the 2005 Hon. Robert F. Zampano Award for Excellence in Mediation. In 1998, he received the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Judicial Award.

Before his appointment to the bench, he was on the faculty of the University of Connecticut School of Law and also served as an Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Chief Public Defender. He is a frequent speaker and author on the topic of mediation and arbitration. He has been an invited speaker on ADR strategies for the Practicing Law Institute, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and the Hartford County Bar Association. Holzberg serves as co-chair with Retired Chief Justice Chase Rogers of Day Pitney LLP of Connecticut Lawyers for Immigration Justice. www.ctjustice.org

Pullman & Comley will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2019 and is one of Connecticut’s largest firms, providing a wide range of legal services to clients in the New England region, as well as throughout the United States and internationally. The firm has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and Westport, Connecticut and White Plains, New York. The firm is an active member of the Law Firm Alliance, an international affiliation of law firms. For more information, please visit www.pullcom.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Brian Wallace, Director of Communications
Diocese of Bridgeport
Email: bdwallace@diobpt.org
Phone: 203.416.1464

Sally Laroche
Pullman & Comley, LLC
Email: slaroche@pullcom.com
Phone: 203.330.2007

ROME—As the Synod of Bishops on youth and young adults prepares to open, one of the American delegate bishops said that for any efforts to minister to young people today to bear fruit, the church must first reclaim credibility by addressing the clergy sexual abuse scandal head on.

“I am going to advocate that the synod needs to make that a major topic now, without a doubt,” said Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, who spoke to NCR in an interview September 27. “If you’re going to speak relevantly to young people, you cannot but do that.”

He added that he hopes the synod will produce “not just words but some significant initiatives in that regard.”

The 59-year-old bishop said such a move is “essential,” a word he repeated several times, for the Catholic Church to be seen as credible in its outreach to young people. He described the present abuse scandal now in a second phase “all about authenticity. It’s about leadership being accountable. It’s about transparency. I think the greatest scandal is when, you know, things are not accounted for, or hidden or not transparent. That shakes people’s faith.”

Caggiano added that “authenticity speaks powerfully to young people,” and the church must demonstrate what it believes in how it lives and acts, and with the abuse crisis, how it responds.

“For young people, I think this is a moment for the church to recapture their imagination by using this as a moment of truth, humility and repentance and purification, and do what we have to do to hold people accountable. And those who remain, please God, to rededicate ourselves to lives of true personal holiness. That speaks powerfully,” he said.

A first-time delegate, Caggiano will be one of six U.S. bishops participating in the Synod of Bishops on young people, faith and vocational discernment, which will run October 3-28. He departed Monday for the Vatican, just days after he had returned from Italy, after leading his diocese’s annual pilgrimage.

The synod, which is led by Pope Francis, will bring together 300-plus bishops and non-voting observers and participants from around the world to examine how the church can develop new ways to join young people in their faith journeys, or as the pre-synod working document puts it, “to accompany all young people, without exception, towards the joy of love.”

While this will be his first Vatican synod, perhaps few bishops bring with them Caggiano’s experience in youth ministry. The Bridgeport bishop is a regular speaker at major youth events, including World Youth Day, to which he serves as episcopal liaison for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since 2013, he has served as episcopal advisor to the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. He is also chair of the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee on catechism.

Caggiano, who is fluent in Italian but acknowledges his Spanish is a bit rusty, also arrives to Rome with experience running a synod of his own.

In February 2014, he convoked the first synod in the Bridgeport Diocese in more than three decades. Among its four themes was empowering youth. Twenty-five youth delegates participated in the synod’s five general sessions, with another 400 youth co-delegates holding their own sessions. Caggiano also held a special listening session with the diocese’s young people, something that has become a staple of his five years in Bridgeport and Fairfield County.

Some initiatives resulting from the diocesan synod, which closed in September 2015, have been the creation of a diocesan choir and the Catholic Service Corps. Caggiano said both programs have allowed young people to express their faith in new ways and have offered new entry points to encountering God.

A major takeaway from the process, Caggiano said, was “one person at a time,” the idea of putting many different paths before youth and hoping one of them resonates.

“It’s going to be almost like planting seeds: Some sprout earliest, some sprout later, but to be patient because this is the Lord’s work, right? This is not about flashy headlines, this is about people’s lives,” he said.

As part of his preparation for the youth synod, he held another listening session with young people in his diocese Sept. 28, ensuring their voices would be among the final ones he heard before departing three days later for Rome.

“I’m going to ask them, so if you had an opportunity to address the synod, what would you say? You, as a young person, what is on your mind? What are your concerns? And I’m very curious to see what they come up with, to be honest,” he told NCR ahead of the event.

From his work with young people over the years, he said many of the questions they have are affective in nature — “questions of the heart, not the mind” — about belonging and self-worth, connection and community. He said the synod working document, the instrumentum laboris, does a good job of summarizing these concerns and discussing relationships. An important question for the synod to address, the bishop said, is “what is the relevance of being a part of an established community, rather than creating my own community?”

That is particularly true in an age of social media, which the bishop says can play a key role in how the church connects with youth, but also something it must better understand in terms of how new technological advances impact not only their lives but also their physiological development. Caggiano said he plans to urge the synod to explore such issues further as part of his intervention.

The Bridgeport Diocese under Caggiano has worked to expand its social media footprint. The bishop has a weekly video series on his Facebook page, where he has also shared updates from the recent pilgrimage and his experiences to date at the synod.

Another challenge he sees for the synod to address is how to transmit the faith, primarily done by words in modern times, at a time when images are becoming a more predominant medium. In the Middle Ages, the church built great cathedrals and basilicas as a type of “living catechisms” conveying the faith, Caggiano said. He’s not certain what that would look like today, but sees St. Thomas Aquinas’ idea of truth, beauty and goodness as paths to God as an essential paradigm for ministry.

As for approaches to reaching young people who have left the church or considering such an exit, he sees accompaniment and apologetics — explaining and defending church teachings — as “two sides of one coin,” believing arguments for one or the other as a “false choice.”

“It’s the journey and the destination,” Caggiano said.

With the synod itself, he hopes it produces a document that provides a “general roadmap” that bishops can take back to their home countries and dioceses to implement in ways unique to each’s culture and conditions.

“My hope is that the document will lay down a basic groundwork, and then it’s going to be different in Nairobi as it is in New York as it is in you know, I don’t know, Lima, Peru. But we’ll all kind of be going foundationally in the same direction, even though it may look very different in the lived experience,” the bishop said, adding it was important to allow the document “to become a living document and evolve.”

In the U.S., Caggiano is well aware of the trends of people, especially the young, leaving organized religion behind. (Connecticut was even identified as a somewhat “ground zero” for Catholics leaving the church.) He has heard the “spiritual but not religious” axiom — what he defines as “spiritual is me, religious is we” — and is familiar with surveys that show people desiring a more welcoming and inclusive church. To him, it all comes back to the relevance of community, and the church making itself credible again. “And credible, in my mind, means authentic.”

“All of that is different ways of saying we have to live what we believe. We have to love in the truly authentic way that Christ has taught us,” Caggiano said. “I think young people who encounter communities like that then find the rationale to say you know what, I am spiritual but maybe it’s worth being religious.”

By Brian Roewe | National Catholic Reporter

Premiere recording of William Rasar’s Mass “Christe Jesu” is a beautiful and unique album perfectly themed for the Season of Christmas

NORWALK—St. Mary’s Church and the St. Cecilia Society are pleased to announce that Lux Fulgebit, the debut CD of the acclaimed St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, has earned high praise from numerous reviewers since its official release last year.

Lux Fulgebit: The Mass at Dawn of Christmas Day is the professional recording debut of the St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum, featuring the world premiere recording of the 16th-century Mass Christe Jesu by William Rasar. This unknown gem from the Peterhouse partbooks is presented as part of the “soundtrack” to a full sung traditional Mass, including everything from the bells to the organ, the chant, and the choral polyphony (which also includes music by William Byrd and Alfonso Ferrabosco).

Since its 2017 release, Lux Fulgebit has garnered praise from Fanfare, Early Music Review, The National Catholic Register, The New Liturgical Movement, and other publications, as well as being featured on Robert Aubry Davis’s “Millenium of Music” program.

“A remarkable debut…a must for anyone interested in Tudor polyphony and recommendable to anyone who cherishes the Latin Mass.” —Fanfare

“All the more surprising that, with the current flurry of interest in Peterhouse repertory, this is the premiere recording of Rasar’s mass. It is a revelation….glorious music and [a] committed and spiritual performance by the Schola.” —Early Music Review

Lux Fulgebit captures the musical splendor of the traditionally-oriented life of St. Mary’s Church, internationally recognized as a beacon of liturgical renewal in the Roman Catholic Church. The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum is the heart of the multi-faceted sacred music program, directed by David J. Hughes, and contributes to making St. Mary’s a stand-out among Catholic parishes.

Lux Fulgebit can be purchased through the St. Mary’s website (www.stmarynorwalk.net/cd), in person at the St. Mary’s Bookstore, or in digital formats on Amazon.com, iTunes, and CDBaby. The attractively packaged CD includes the complete text of the Mass at Dawn in English and Latin, as well as an informative essay on Rasar’s Mass and the music of his period, and is available for US$15.00. For further information, including inquiries about bulk purchase discounts, please call Tom Heckel at 203.656.2389.

 

About Saint Mary’s Church
Saint Mary’s Church is a Roman Catholic Church within the Diocese of Bridgeport. Parishioners in this unique multi-ethnic community are united in their devotion to the Trinitarian God through aesthetically beautiful and reverent celebrations of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in three languages: English, Spanish and Latin. The Traditional Form of the Roman Rite lies at the heart of the parish’s liturgical life and its timeless essence infuses every Mass. The parish’s mission of evangelization through authentic liturgical renewal is enhanced by a sacred music program of rare caliber featuring the acclaimed St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum. Designed in Gothic Revival style and dedicated in 1870, this historic church was beautifully and lovingly renovated beginning in 2009 to support its essential and timely mission. For more information, please visit the parish’s website: www.stmarynorwalk.net.

October 2 is the memorial of the Guardian Angels in the liturgy. Here are 8 things to know and share about the angels it celebrates . . .

1) What is a guardian angel?

A guardian angel is an angel (a created, non-human, non-corporeal being) that has been assigned to guard a particular person, especially with respect to helping that person avoid spiritual dangers and achieve salvation.

The angel may also help the person avoid physical dangers, particularly if this will help the person achieve salvation.

2) Where do we read about guardian angels in Scripture?

We see angels helping people on various occasions in Scripture, but there are certain instances in which we see angels providing a protective function over a period of time.

In Tobit, Raphael is assigned to an extended mission to help Tobit’s son (and his family in general).

In Daniel, Michael is described as “the great prince who has charge of your [Daniel’s] people” (Dan. 12:1). He is thus depicted as the guardian angel of Israel.

In the Gospels, Jesus indicates that there are guardian angels for individuals, including little children. He says:

See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 18:10).

3) What does Jesus mean when he says these angels “always behold” the fact of the Father?

It may mean that they are constantly standing in his presence in heaven and able to communicate the needs of their charges to him.

Alternately, based on the idea that angels are messengers (Greek, angelos = “messenger”) in the heavenly court, it may mean that whenever these angels seek access to the heavenly court, they are always granted it and allowed to present the needs to their charges to God.

4) What does the Church teach about guardian angels?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God [CCC 336].

See here for more on the Church’s teachings on angels in general.

5) Who has guardian angels?

It is considered theologically certain that each member of the faith has a special guardian angel from the time of baptism.

This view is reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which speaks of “each believer” having a guardian angel.

Although it is certain that the faithful have guardian angels, it is commonly thought that they are even more widely available. Ludwig Ott explains:

According to the general teaching of the theologians, however, not only every baptized person, but every human being, including unbelievers, has his own special guardian angel from his birth [Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 120].

This understanding is reflected in an Angelus address by Benedict XVI, who stated:

Dear friends, the Lord is ever close and active in humanity’s history and accompanies us with the unique presence of his Angels, whom today the Church venerates as “Guardian Angels”, that is, ministers of the divine care for every human being. From the beginning until the hour of death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection [Angelus, October 2, 2011].

5) How can we thank them for the help they give us?

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explained:

Devotion to the Holy Angels gives rise to a certain form of the Christian life which is characterized by:

  • devout gratitude to God for having placed these heavenly spirits of great sanctity and dignity at the service of man;
  • an attitude of devotion deriving from the knowledge of living constantly in the presence of the Holy Angels of God;- serenity and confidence in facing difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful in the way of justice through the ministry of His Holy Angels. Among the prayers to the Guardian Angels the Angele Dei is especially popular, and is often recited by families at morning and evening prayers, or at the recitation of the Angelus [Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 216].

6) What is the Angele Dei prayer?

Translated into English, it reads:

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love
commits me here,
ever this day,
be at my side,
to light and guard,
rule and guide.

Amen.

This prayer is particular suited for devotion to guardian angels, since it is addressed directly to one’s own guardian angel.

7) Are there dangers to watch out for in venerating angels?

The Congregation stated:

Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:

  • when, as sometimes can happen, the faithful are taken by the idea that the world is subject to demiurgical struggles, or an incessant battle between good and evil spirits, or Angels and daemons, in which man is left at the mercy of superior forces and over which he is helpless; such cosmologies bear little relation to the true Gospel vision of the struggle to overcome the Devil, which requires moral commitment, a fundamental option for the Gospel, humility and prayer;
  • when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels [op. cit., 217].

8) Should we assign names to our guardian angels?

The Congregation stated:

The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture [ibid.].

ROME—The future of the Catholic Church is with the young, which is why Pope Francis has called bishops from all over the world to meet in Rome October 3-28 for a synod on young people. If the church cannot attract and keep young people, it has no future.

This is the 15th general synod since Pope Paul VI called the first one in 1967 as a way to get advice from bishops. Earlier synods have dealt with topics like the family, priesthood, the laity, evangelization, the Eucharist, religious life, and justice and peace. The process involves speeches and small group discussions and usually concludes with nonbinding recommendations.

The church’s future, especially in the developed world, does not look bright. In the United States, great numbers of people are leaving the church and other religious institutions in their teens. Young people are turned off by scandals in the church, the patriarchal and homophobic attitudes of many in the clergy and the involvement of church leaders in conservative politics. They also find the church irrelevant to their lives and frankly boring.

There are at least four challenges that await the bishops attending the synod, whose official title is the 15th General Synod on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment.

First, the bishops need to acknowledge that they don’t have a clue how to evangelize young people. Many young people say they are “spiritual” but not “religious.” In other words, they are thirsty but don’t like what the church is serving. The clergy needs to listen to the young before speaking to the young. And it needs to be a wide range of young people, not just those going to church.

During the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, there was a lot of talk about the “new evangelization,” but for most bishops it was no more than the catechism of the Catholic Church with a smile. It was Pope Francis who made the new evangelization come alive with his stress on God’s love, mercy and compassion and our need to respond to that love by loving our brothers and sisters.

Bishops and priests need to follow his example and not be afraid to think outside the box. Lectures will not do it. Young people want to be interactive and involved.

The church also needs to learn how to make the Bible come alive for young people. Many of those who leave Catholicism for evangelical churches say they discovered the Bible there. The Catholic Church has the best Scripture scholars in the world, but their work has not impacted sermons or gotten ordinary Catholics to read the Bible.

Second, besides saying that they are spiritual but not religious, young people say that they want community. The irony is that combining spirituality and community is what religion is supposed to be about, but for young people the church is a bureaucratic institution, not a community. They find parishes stifling, judgmental and unwelcoming. Young people must be welcomed and empowered to create their own small Christian communities. Some of these will undoubtedly be virtual communities.

A significant number of young people, both men and women, would like to take a leadership role in the church, but they find it incredible that the priesthood is closed to women and married men. To become less boring, the church needs new blood.

Third, the church also must be relevant to the needs of young people.

Young people today are sensitive to injustice and inequality. In fact, most young people in the world are poor, exploited and living in areas of conflict. The social justice message of the church will resonate with the young who want to challenge the status quo. The church must be a leader in the fight for justice and in the work of reconciliation.

In addition, these young people are concerned about the environment. They and their children will have to live with the consequences of global warming. Francis has pointed the way, but he cannot do it alone.

Finally, and not least, the bishops cannot ignore the clerical sex abuse crisis enveloping the church.

In the past, bishops and Vatican officials claimed this was a local problem in the United States. Then it became an “English-speaking” problem as Ireland and Australia blew up. Then it became a Western problem as Europe was engulfed. Now it is exploding in Latin America. Asia and Africa will be next.

It is tragic that bishops in other countries do not learn from the mistakes made by the American bishops.

The sex abuse crisis is a worldwide problem that deserves the attention of the entire church. Although the pope has called a special meeting in February to deal with this crisis, the problem cannot be ignored by the synod.

At a minimum, the synod needs to recognize the problem, support zero tolerance for any priest who abuses a minor and call for the punishment of any bishop who does not remove abusive priests from ministry. There should be no place for sexual predators in the priesthood, including those who prey on seminarians and nuns.

The church has a message relevant to young people; it is just not getting through. Whether the bishops will rise to these challenges remains to be seen.

The synod is composed of around 300 bishops elected from episcopal conferences around the world plus delegates appointed by the pope.

Those elected from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are:
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the U.S. bishops’ conference.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishop’s conference Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a member of the bishop’s conference Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, chairman of the bishop’s conference Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.
The Americans appointed by Francis are Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey. Tobin has since asked to be excused from the meeting so he could deal with the fallout from the sexual abuse crisis in his archdiocese.

(Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese is a columnist for Religion News Service and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.)

By Thomas Reese | National Catholic Reporter

ROME- The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily updates from the 2018 Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.

I arrived in Rome a few hours ago and went immediately to register for the Synod on Youth at the Paul VI Synod Hall. While I was on line to get my materials, it was amazing to see the wonderful diversity that marks our life as a Church. Just among the six bishops on line, the countries they represented were the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Burma, China, and Mexico. In a world that is growing ever more divided and polarized, it is encouraging to see that the Body of Christ continues to bring together the four corners of the world in faith and worship!

After I submitted my intervention (i.e., a four-minute speech that every bishop who attends the Synod is invited to offer), I went into the Great Synod Hall where we will hold our general sessions. There are over 220 seats for the bishops who will be attending the Synod. We will meet each day in general session in this Hall. Bishops of the same language group will also periodically share in smaller group discussions to explore in greater detail the topics raised in the general sessions. One bishop whom I met this morning told me that he has attended six Synods in his ministry and found the small group sessions to be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the different pastoral experiences of bishops and to listen to their concerns. I am looking forward to these discussions.

Tomorrow I will share with you the two topics that I will address in my intervention at the Synod. For now, I am off to pranzo and my mid-day salad.

FAIRFIELD—This year, the annual Mass for those with down syndrome, their families and friends was celebrated on September 16 at St. Pius X Church. The Mass can best be summed up with one word… “Joy”. For annual attendees, that “Joy” is daily but for many attending weekly Mass, it was refreshing.

As it says in the New American Bible,  “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete”(John 15:9-11).

No one can deny the joy and light of Jesus Christ that shines forth from these children with down syndrome. They are truly a gift to our community. They bring happiness wherever they go and to whomever they meet. You see it in the beautiful smiles on their faces and from the families who love them and are trying to be the very best they can be for them.

You could see the “Joy” they brought to all who attended the Mass, the family members, friends, teachers, paraprofessionals and caregivers. It was a lovely sunny day outside and sunshine radiated through St. Pius X Church! We are certainly looking forward to the Mass next year.

The mission of the St. Robert Bellarmine Apostolate is to support and strengthen individuals with Down syndrome, their families and friends through prayer.

The members of the Apostolate live out this mission by:

1.)  Praying the intercessory prayers to St. Robert Bellarmine to increase devotion to this saint as a patron for individuals with Down syndrome

2.) Celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the feast day of St. Robert (September 17, or the Sunday before or after his feast day) for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and friends

3.) Encouraging Catholic parents to join or to form a MOMs+DADs (Mother of Mercy spiritual Divine Advocate for Down syndrome) prayer/support group at their local parish

For more information about the St. Robert Bellarmine Apostolate contact: strapostolate@optimum.net or visit the website: www.saintfordownsyndrome.org

 

Looking for another opportunity to celebrate those in your lives with special needs, as well as those who care for them?

On October 7 there will be a special needs mass at Saint Catherine of Siena in Riverside for those families with special needs, autism and all children who need a mass with accommodations and modifications.

The Parish Partners at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Riverside invite anyone who is, cares for, or cares about a person with disabilities or special needs to attend the 12 noon Mass and the lunch that follows on October 7. “We have great hope that the Spirit will kindle in all who attend the desire to foster loving relationships and meaningful partnerships with people with disabilities in our shared faith journeys, in all aspects of parish life,” say the Partners.

Later this afternoon I will be traveling to Rome to join the Synod on Youth and Vocational Discernment. While I still do not have the daily schedule for the Synod, the Synod Office has announced that the proceedings will last four weeks and involve over 300 participants from every continent. While I am humbled at the prospect to be part of such an important moment in the life of the Church, I am also very aware of the need for prayers for myself and everyone who will form part of this critically significant event in the ministry on behalf of young people.

Please pray for me and the other bishops at the Synod. Please ask the Holy Spirit to guide what we will be discussing, so that it can be of true service to our youth and young people. I myself am praying for the gift of listening to my brother bishops, each of whom brings a unique perspective and will share the different challenges that their young people face in ordinary life. I am praying for a spirit of humility for everyone in attendance, that we will not seek to advocate our own personal agenda but to become instruments through whom the Lord will make His will known.

I will share periodic updates on the work of the Synod as it unfolds. For now, I need to finish packing and then to JFK!

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

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Signaling his belief that the Catholic Church is facing a serious crisis, Pope Francis asked every Catholic in the world to pray for the protection of the church from attacks by the devil, but also that the church would be more aware of its sins and stronger in its efforts to combat abuse.

Pope Francis asked Catholics to pray the rosary each day in October, seeking Mary’s intercession in protecting the church, and “at the same time making her (the church) more aware of her sins, errors and the abuses committed in the present and the past, and committed to fighting without hesitation so that evil would not prevail,” the Vatican said in a statement released Sept. 29, the feast of the Archangels.

United “in communion and penitence as the people of God,” the statement said, Catholics should plead for protection against “the devil, who always seeks to divide us from God and from one another.”

Pope Francis met earlier in September with Jesuit Father Federic Fornos, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, formerly known as the Apostleship of Prayer, to ask that the recitation of the rosary in October conclude with “the ancient invocation ‘Sub Tuum Praesidium’ (‘Under your protection’) and with the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, who protects us in the battle against evil.”

The first prayer, to Mary, has a variety of translations. One reads: “We turn to you for protection, Holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs.  Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin.”

The prayer to St. Michael reads: “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

The Vatican, announcing Pope Francis’ prayer request, cited his homily Sept. 11 at morning Mass where he spoke about the devil as the “Great Accuser” who “roams the world looking how to blame” and spread scandal.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former nuncio of the United States, who has called on Pope Francis to resign, claiming the pope knew about and ignored the sexual misconduct of former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, issued another statement Sept. 27 accusing the pope of “subtle slander” with that homily.

As of Sept. 29, neither Pope Francis nor the Vatican had responded to Archbishop Vigano’s original allegations.

In addition to the case of Archbishop McCarrick, the Catholic Church in the United States is still coming to grips with the mid-August release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report covering decades of alleged abuse by more than 300 priests; the report identified more than 1,000 victims.

A widespread abuse scandal and broad police investigation is ongoing in Chile; Cardinal George Pell, Vatican secretary for the economy, is on trial for abuse in Australia; and the bishops of German in late September released a report on thousands of cases of abuse in their country, some going back to 1946, but some as recent as 2000.

By Cindy Wooden | Catholic News Service

BRIDGEPORT—In a joyful and reverent Evening Vespers Service lifted by the music of the Diocesan Youth Choir and the Latin Schola of St. Augustine Cathedral, Bishop Frank Caggiano conferred Papal Honors on 20 men and women from the diocese.

“There are angels in our midst,” said the Bishop, explaining that the prayer service was held on the Feast of the Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

The Bishop said that angels are “messengers and protectors who bring the message of God and his presence in the world.”

Praising the medal recipients for generously sharing their experience, talent and gifts with those in need, the bishop said “They’ve become messengers of the presence, mercy and hope of God.”

During the beautiful one-hour prayer service the bishop inducted ten men and women into the Order of Saint Gregory the Great and ten into the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester, Pope and Martyr.

“Bless these insignia and those who will receive them. Renew within these men and women the gifts of Your Spirit that they may continue to serve Your Church” the Bishop said in the blessing of the medals after the reading and his homily.

The recipients, many of them couples, came forward as Fr. Robert Kinnally, Pastor of St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan, read their names and the Bishop congratulated them.

“Our sisters and brothers are being given a great and richly deserved honor by Pope Francis, the successor of Peter himself,” the Bishop said.

“You’ve left the world for the better because of your witness of faith and love,” said the Bishop to the recipients. “You have changed lives for the better throughout our diocese. The Holy Father wants to say ‘thank you.’”

Photos by Michelle Babyak and Brian D. Wallace

The Bishop said that it is not only up to the angels to reflect God’s presence, “All of us are the only instruments God has of His mercy, patience and kindness. You and I are the only hands, feet, and voices He has to reach the world.”

“Thanks for being our light in a world that is perhaps growing darker, and for charity in a word that is divided and polarized. You’ve reached the lives of so manym and all people of goodwill are saying thank you today,” the Bishop said.

The 100-member Diocesan Youth Choir led by Mary Bozzuti Higgins sang a memorable arrangement of Open My Eyes/Amazing Grace as a prelude and led the singing of the three antiphons. The St. Augustine Schola sang the Magnificat in Latin and joined the Youth Choir for the final Salve Regina.

Pastors, priests, friend and families, and all those in attendance joined the honorees in a reception following the service. A large white tent was set up along the Cathedral as guests enjoyed refreshments in the beautiful early autumn light.

Photos by Amy Mortensen

Induction into the Order of Saint Gregory the Great
This honor is bestowed upon Catholics and, in some cases, non-Catholics, to express the esteem of the Holy See, and in recognition of their personal service to the Roman Catholic Church, through their exceptional labors and the excellent personal example they have given in their communities and in their countries.

Mr. Rocco Cingari, Knight/Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford Mr. George Landegger, Knight/St. Mary Parish, Ridgefield Mr. Frank Martire, Knight/St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan Mrs. Marisa Martire, Dame/St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan Mr. Thomas McInerney, Knight/Church of Assumption, Westport Mrs. Paula McInerney, Dame/Church of Assumption, Westport Mr. Denis Nayden, Knight/St. Leo Parish, Stamford Mrs. Britta Nayden, Dame/St. Leo Parish, Stamford Mr. Paul Queally, Knight/St Aloysius Parish, New Canaan Mrs. Anne Marie Queally, Dame/St. Aloysius Parish, New Canaan

Induction into the Order of Pope Saint Sylvester
The Order is intended to express the esteem of the Holy See and to honor Catholic and non-Catholic lay people who are actively involved in the life of the Church, particularly as it is exemplified in the exercise of their professional duties.

Mr. Lawrence Bossidy, Knight/St. Mary Parish, Ridgefield Mrs. Nancy Bossidy, Dame/St. Mary Parish, Ridgefield Mr. Salvatore Cingari, Jr., Knight/Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford Mrs. Catherine Cingari, Jr., Dame/Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford Mr. Thomas O’Malley, Knight/St. Catherine of Siena, Riverside Mrs. Mary Alice O’Malley, Dame/St. Catherine of Siena, Riverside Mr. Joseph Roxe, Knight/St. Thomas More Parish, Darien Mrs. Maureen Roxe, Dame/St. Thomas More Parish, Darien Mr. Brian Young, Knight/St. Thomas More Parish, Darien Mrs. Anne Young, Dame/St. Thomas More Parish, Darien

GREENWICH—Polpo Restaurant Greenwich hosted donors of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport at a sparkling dinner held the evening of September 25. Over 50 donors to the Academy joined together for the event. The school serves more than 900 students in the City of Bridgeport and encompasses four campuses: Sts. Andrew, Ann, Augustine and Raphael.

“I’m fired up about what we’re doing academically,” said Bradford Evans of Southport, Board Chair of the Academy. “I’ve been involved with the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport for seven years, and this is the most exciting year academically.” He mentioned in particular the new collaboration of the Academy with The Southport School, which provides evidence-based approaches for children who learn differently, and a grant from the Wilton-based Tauck Family Foundation to help develop social-emotional learning skills necessary for students to become “Leaders of Tomorrow.”

During the evening, guests were invited to examine first-hand accounts written by current students and peruse a list of colleges and universities, from Cornell to Yale, attended by graduates of the Academy. They also heard from Maivi Nguyen, a graduate of the St. Augustine campus now enrolled in the Distinguished Scholar’s Program at Notre Dame High School in Fairfield.

Sister Joan Magnetti, rscj, Executive Director of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport, called forward Ron and Dominque Rosa, owners of Polpo, for special thanks for their generosity in hosting this funding dinner for the past five years. “They have philanthropy in their DNA,” said Sister Magnetti. “It’s a great mission and a great work you do for these children,” Ron Rosa said in reply. The Academy has been holding an Annual Fall Dinner since 2011, and to date the event has raised more than $1 million over the years for the Bridgeport students.

Toward the end of the evening, Jim Colica of Greenwich, who is the retired Senior Vice President of Global Risk Management for GE Capital, spoke passionately about the Leaders of Tomorrow program and sponsorship opportunities. He and his wife, Kathy, have been Leaders of Tomorrow sponsors since 2015. They started by sponsoring four students and that number grew to seven through the years. “By the end of the tonight we plan on making that number 10,” Mr. Colica emphatically said. “Children are our future,” he said. “All children deserve a chance to flourish, whatever life has given them.”

A robust “Hands Up for Scholarship” followed led by Academy Board Vice Chair Jim Bailey, a former resident of New Canaan who currently resides in Naples, Fla. After 16 sponsorships at $5,000 each were taken, Paul and Anne-Marie Queally of New Canaan challenged the guests to take 10 or more from that point on. If that could be achieved, they generously offered to match that money raised dollar for dollar. Thirteen additional scholarships were taken. This, combined with other monies raised prior to the event, brought the total raised to $350,000, a record fundraiser for the Academy. All money will go to support students in the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport, prompting Bailey to call it “The greatest event we’ve ever had.”

FAIRFIELD—On Sunday, September 30, the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University will welcome the “Hallelujah Train” as it rolls onto campus, featuring Pastor Brady Blade Sr., Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, and Brady Blade Jr., with the Zion Baptist Church Choir. The day will begin when the “Hallelujah Train” musicians perform at the 11 am Mass in Fairfield University’s Egan Chapel. Following the worship service, the Quick will host a 12 pm brunch with the artists, to be followed by a 3 pm “Hallelujah Train” concert that will have toes tapping and hands clapping.

A devout man and natural musician, 80-year-old Pastor Blade first preached a sermon in 1953. He elevated his praise with song after becoming pastor of Shreveport’s Zion Baptist Church in 1961. Pastor Blade’s unique style of worship came to be known as the “Hallelujah Train” and was launched as a public service broadcast of song and faith over the region’s airwaves throughout the 1970s. At the behest of Pastor Blade’s son, famed jazz drummer Brian Blade, a live “Hallelujah Train” revival debuted in 2009, after it was discovered that recordings from the original 70s show had been erased.

Brian and his brother, Brady Jr., also a renowned drummer, convinced their father to take the new “Hallelujah Train” up to Connecticut for a featured performance at the Quick. The September 30 concert will feature Pastor Blade’s booming, soulful voice, backed by an ensemble that includes the congregational choir and an all-star band whose deft rhythms round out the music with some of the best percussive skill in the world.

This performance marks a return to Fairfield’s campus for jazz drummer Brian Blade, who most recently performed at the Quick with Children of the Light. This time around, he’ll be joined by his brother and fellow drummer Brady Blade Jr., who has played with Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews & Friends, and others.

Grammy Award-winner Daniel Lanois, a longtime friend and collaborator of Pastor Blade, is also a featured band member. Lanois is best known as a guitarist and producer of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, and Willie Nelson, as well as for co-producing two U2 albums with Brian Eno (The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby).

The “Hallelujah Train” ensemble’s uplifting message is carried aloft by a unique blend of traditions fostered by Pastor Blade in his Louisiana church. Expect supple funk and jazz-wise flexibility. Whether you are a person of faith or you consider music to be your church, you won’t want to miss the “Hallelujah Train.” All aboard!

    This event is sponsored by Abbey Tent, Bridgeport Holiday Inn, Laurel Road Bank, TV Eyes, Moffly Media, WPKN, and the Chelsea. Tickets for Concert are $25. For more information or to reserve your seat, visit the Quick Center or call the box office at 203.254.4010 or toll free at 1.877.ARTS.396.

 

    Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.

DANBURY—The “40 Days for Life Vigil” will be observed within the Diocese of Bridgeport from September 26 to November 4.

“Our community will unite with many others from coast to coast—and internationally—for a major simultaneous pro-life mobilization—the 40 Days for Life campaign,” said Christine Murphy of Danbury who is organizing the vigil.

Murphy, a parishioner of St. Mary Parish in Norwalk, said the vigil will be in the public right-of-way outside the Planned Parenthood facility located at 44 Main St., Danbury.

“This is the largest 40 Days for Life Campaign ever, with vigils taking place in 415 cities around the world. Faithful believers are praying that these efforts will mark the beginning of the end of abortion,” she said.
She said the mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting and peaceful activism.

“The vigil is one of repentance to seek God’s favor, and to turn hearts and minds,” said Murphy. “What will God accomplish when people of faith across our community and beyond unite for 40 days of prayer and fasting?”

Please join us to find out! For more information, visit our website at: www.40daysforlife.com/danbury or contact Christine Murphy at: cmurphy1224@comcast.net or 203.733.9597.

Photos by Caitlin Tobin

STAMFORD—Earlier this week, I made a visit to Our Lady Queen of the Clergy Retirement Home in Stamford, CT to interview Msgr. John Sanders, who played with Duke Ellington for five years and then became a Catholic priest.

Msgr. Sanders’s memory was not up to a full podcast interview on the day I visited, but I had a wonderful visit nonetheless. He is a very sweet and humble man who clearly wanted to do his best to give me what I needed.

The memories that remained were seemingly the most important things. Above all, Msgr. Sanders kept repeating how wonderful it was that as a boy, his Aunt Edith took him to the Apollo Theater over and over again to hear the likes of Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. He never could have imagined he would be playing in Ellington’s band some day.

Yet by God’s providence, after a stint with the great saxophonist Lucky Thompson, Sanders ended up replacing long-time Ellington band member Juan Tizol (two of whose tunes, “Caravan” and “Perdido,” are jazz standards) in both his roles—as trombonist and score copyist. The latter job was one most band members considered tedious, but Sanders considered it a great honor.

Sanders played with Ellington from 1954-1959, during which time the band recorded such albums as Such Sweet Thunder; Black, Brown and Beige featuring the great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson; Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook; the first full recording by jazz musicians of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess; and Ellington’s film score Anatomy of a Murder. He also took part in the famous concert at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, in which a 27-chorus blues solo by saxophonist Paul Gonsalves made the crowd go wild and effectively revived Ellington’s career.

When Sanders decided to leave the band and enter seminary, Ellington was supportive, and even attended his former trombonist’s first Mass. Msgr. Sanders spoke with as much gratitude and awe of having been able to spend his life as a priest as he did of the amazing experience of having played with one of jazz’s greatest giants.

Msgr. Sanders told me numerous times that his life had been more wonderful than he had ever imagined it would be. At the end of our conversation I asked if he had ever missed the musician’s life after becoming a priest. He responded:

No, I think whatever was called for to be or to do, I was always able to go in the right direction. And I thought I was very fortunate to be led one day to becoming a priest. I never thought it would happen to me, and I am thankful for it. Even now when I’m retired, I am thankful for the blessings that I have received; I can’t thank God, our Lord enough. And I hope that every day that I live, I do and think in a way that is doing God’s work. It’s good. Just thankful.

For a more detailed version of Msgr. Sanders’s story, see this L.A. Times article from 1990.

By Thomas V. Mirus |  Catholic Culture