Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

DARIEN– Impact Fairfield County (Impact FFC), the area’s premiere women’s collective
giving organization, awarded two $100,000 grants to Fairfield County nonprofits: Catholic Academy of Bridgeport and The Center for Empowerment and Education in Danbury. Each winner will also receive an additional $2,000 in unrestricted funding. In addition, Impact FFC awarded three $20,000 unrestricted general operating grants to the finalists: Cardinal Shehan Center, Bridgeport; Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center, Norwalk; and Mill River Park Collaborative, Stamford. Unique to this year, all of the finalists’ applications requested support for their youth programming, across a wide array of program areas such as educational support and enrichment and health and wellness care.

The winners of the $100,000 grants were selected by a vote of Impact FFC’s 264-women membership at their annual meeting in Darien on May 3. The vote followed a rigorous application process which narrowed down an initial pool of 65 nonprofit applicants to five finalist organizations which presented at the annual meeting. After undertaking a comprehensive review of the applications and conducting thorough site visits, members selected the five finalists, and ultimately the two winners, based on criteria including the organization’s demonstrated impact, the population served, and the long-term
sustainability of the project.

The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport (CAB) provides an academically rigorous education to 900+ PreK-8th grade students, where 87 percent live at or below the poverty level, and 93 percent qualify for financial aid. CAB has seen great success from its students, with 100 percent graduating from high school and 99 percent going on to college or post-secondary education.

CAB’s St. Raphael campus, located in one of the most violent neighborhoods in Bridgeport (“The Hollow”), educates 243 PreK-3rd graders, many of whom spend up to 10 hours per day at the school for safety reasons.

With the Impact FFC grant, CAB will open “The Happy Hollow Outdoor Learning Center,” providing a safe, educational environment beyond the classroom to its youngest students. Students will benefit from sensory play areas, an outdoor classroom, age-appropriate playground equipment, and a sports court for teamwork, social problem-solving and gross motor skills. The Center will also run a summer camp to support year-round programming for this impoverished community.

“We have long been committed to creating a safe and engaging outdoor learning and play space for our students, but this incredibly generous gift from Impact Fairfield County turned our Happy Hollow project from ‘plan to’ to ‘going to’ build in a matter of moments. Our families and community members are ready to pitch in, providing their skill and expertise to build out the project, so this project will be a communal labor of love. The improvement to our program and educational space will not only elevate the experience of our current students, but of every child that attends St. Raphael into the future. Imagine the ripple effects of an excellent, well-rounded education upon thousands of children – it’s immeasurable. We are so very grateful!” said Angela Pohlen, Catholic Academy of Bridgeport Executive Director.

“This project is really exciting. To me it’s about the preservation of innocence, so by building this space we can ensure these children have a safe outdoor space to be free to be children. I am proud to be part of Impact FFC, where we can support projects such as these that are all about protecting the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Impact FFC Board Member Kerrith Mackay.

With Impact FFC’s membership representing 19 towns across Fairfield County, Impact FFC continues to push the boundaries of where and how Impact can make a difference, across the spectrum of age groups and supporting a variety of initiatives ranging from education and skill training, to healthcare, to basic needs. In its eighth year of investing to transform the lives of Fairfield County’s neediest, Impact FFC has reached $1.8 million in total grant funding.

“We are thrilled to support this year’s winners, who were selected from an incredible group of finalists. The strength and dedication of women in the room today, with the five female-led organizations and our female members, was truly inspirational, and we look forward to seeing the impact we are able to make with this year’s grants, ” said Impact FFC Co-President Katharine Lumby.

Fairfield University Celebrates the Class of 2023 at 73rd Commencement

Harlem Children Zone President Geoffrey Canada, and Marcela Orvañanos de Rovzar, founder of international humanitarian organizations, delivered the Commencement addresses.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 21, 2023)—Fairfield University celebrated the graduation of 1,171 undergraduates, 519 graduate students, 49 doctorate recipients and 20 sixth-year certificate recipients, at its 73rd graduate Commencement ceremony. The graduate ceremony took place on Saturday, May 20, at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena, and the undergraduate Commencement ceremony took place on Bellarmine Lawn on Sunday, May 21.

Graduate Commencement

The graduate ceremony speaker and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree was Geoffrey Canada, president of the Harlem’s Children Zone — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization in New York City, and founder of the William Julius Wilson Institute. Canada, an innovator in the field of education who has made it his mission to help young people from under-resourced communities succeed through education, has been hailed as one of the world’s most influential people by Time, and one of the 50 greatest leaders by Fortune.

Canada shared how his experience growing up in the South Bronx sparked his promise to God to use his education “to rescue the children trapped in our urban ghettos.” His role models taught him that courageous acts could change the world, and that “the best of America is yet to come. The work we don’t complete that attempts to make this a better country, the next generation will finish it.” Referencing Dr. Martin Luther King’s Mountaintop speech, Canada said, “Dr. King confirmed what I believe today—the work of making this a better country is often started by someone, but left to others to complete.” He urged the Class of 2023 to help him keep his promise. “Someone else will have to pick up the mantle and say, ‘no matter what I end up doing as a career, I will make sure I leave my country a better place than was left to me.’ I promised my kids. I need you to promise me.”

Graduate students were honored with degrees from the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Engineering, and the School of Education and Human Development.

A Doctor of Laws honorary degrees was bestowed upon Charles MacCormack, PhD. Dr. MacCormack is currently the senior fellow for the NGO Futures at InterAction, the national association of over 200 U.S. humanitarian and development organizations.

Undergraduate Commencement

The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport offered the invocation to open the undergraduate ceremony on Sunday, May 21, on Fairfield’s picturesque Bellarmine Lawn overlooking the Long Island Sound. Student commencement speaker Renée Danielle Levesque ’23 followed, and reminded classmates, “What matters is that you choose to do everything from a place of love,” quoting Saint Ignatius of Loyola who said that “Love is shown more in deeds than in words.”

This year’s undergraduate ceremony speaker and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree was Marcela Orvañanos de Rovzar, founder of several social and humanitarian organizations in Mexico and the U.S., including New York City based Qualitas of Life Foundation, dedicated to teaching financial literacy to Hispanic families. Orvañanos de Rovzar also established Fondo de Estrategia Social, A.C. (FES) in Mexico City, whose mission is to invest private resources in causes promoting social investment, and the consulting firm Fondea Asesorías, S.C.

Orvañanos de Rovzar asked the graduates to take a measure of the opportunities they have been given and decide today that they “will not forget or ignore or disdain those who do not have the opportunities to build and share with their loved ones a dignified, secure and hope-filled life.” She asked them to remember that “…we make mistakes, but we learn so much from them and this is what allows us to grow. We learn how to do things better, how to improve. Sometimes we even learn how to let things go.” Recalling her own life, and how she never dreamt that one day the humanitarian organizations she founded would touch the lives of 200,000-plus people in Latin America, the U.S. and Philippines, Orvañanos de Rovzar inspired the Class of 2023 “to dream beyond what seems reasonable or even possible.”

Following Orvañanos de Rovzar’s speech, undergraduates received bachelor’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences, Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, Dolan School of Business, and the School of Engineering.

A Doctor of Laws honorary degree was bestowed upon Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) President & CEO Mary Beth Powers at the undergraduate ceremony. Powers has dedicated her career to addressing the inequities in health and wellbeing around the world, serving with international organizations, including Save the Children.

Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, offered heartfelt congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2023, and closing remarks: “Our work here…is to educate individuals to go set the world on fire. For we as a Jesuit Catholic institution are committed to universal truth and justice. We as a Jesuit Catholic university most humbly acknowledge that no one individual or collective owns this truth, or knows the path, and thus we commit above all else through faith to the fullness of truth.”
For more information about Fairfield University and the 73rd Commencement ceremonies, visit: Fairfield.edu/commencement

TRUMBULL—“You will powerfully sanctify God’s people to the extent that you seek radical personal holiness yourself. For in the age in which we live people may listen to what you say, but they will look intently at how you live,” Bishop Frank J. Caggiano told the six men he ordained to the priesthood on Saturday morning at St. Theresa Church in Trumbull.

More than 1,400 people filled St .Theresa Church to witness the ordination of Ricardo Batista Comim, Miguel Betancur Lenis, James DiVasto, Ferry Galbert, Andrew LaFleur, and Matthew Loman.

The class of six men is the largest in the diocese’s recent history, and was a cause for celebration and joy on the part of family members, priest mentors, friends and faithful who turned out for the Pontifical Mass with the Rite of Ordinations of Priests.

The ordination class was notable for its diversity with men from Brazil, Colombia and Haiti alongside those born in Stamford, Bridgeport and Derby. It also represented a “first” as the newly ordained Fr. Comim became the first person ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Stamford.

The overflow of worshippers stood in the aisles and filled the choir loft of the largest church in the diocese. Others stood in the vestibule and reverently watched the live-stream on their cellphones with the church doors thrown open on a day of heavy rain.

Among the many priests joining Bishop Caggiano as concelebrants were the Most Rev. James Massa, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn and Rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.; Fr. Brian Kiely, Rector of Pope St. John XXlll National Seminary in Weston, MA; and Fr. Zbigniew Kukielka, Rector of Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Stamford.

The readings were proclaimed in Spanish, French and English. The magnificent music was provided by Dr. William Atwood, Diocesan Director of Music Ministry, Alex Hodgkinson, Director of Music for St. Theresa Parish, the Ordination Schola, and the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Choir.

“You are called to be prophets in our midst, which is to preach the word of God. And allow me on this sacred moment to remind you again, you are called to preach the gospel courageously, fearlessly and effectively,” said Bishop Caggiano, assuring the men that they will find the words and confidence to preach the Gospel as they bring Jesus to others.

The six men were given a sustained standing ovation by the congregation as they were brought before the bishop and presented as candidates for ordination.

In the most dramatic moment of the ordination rite, the elect lie prostrate in front of the altar while the Litany of Saints is sung. Then, one by one, they kneel before the bishop who places his hands on their heads, followed by dozens of priests who also impose their hands, invoking the Holy Spirit to descend upon them.

Photos by Amy Mortensen and Rose Brennan

After the prayer of ordination, the newly ordained men were vested with a stole and chasuble. The Bishop then anointed the hands of each man as a preparation for the sacred duties they will perform, and presented them with a chalice and paten, which signifies the central importance of celebrating the Eucharist.

In his homily the bishop said, “There are many ways to live life. You my brothers are entering into the great mystery of the priesthood to show the world that there is only one true way to live life. There is only one way to have true hope. There is only one name where every human heart that is broken will find healing and strength.”

The Bishop told the newly ordained that they must navigate a world that is filled with challenges to the Christian faith. “You my brothers are entering into this mystery in a time which for the eyes of those who do not believe may be a time of perhaps wonderment and discouragement.”

He encouraged the men to follow the example of Saint Bernard “who in his own age in the 14th century found a world that had lost its path. And oftentimes a church that had become lax in its worship and in its weakness. And what did he turn to? The holy name of Jesus… If you wish to separate what is false from what is true, bring forth the name, power, and teaching of Jesus.”

“If you wish to heal a broken world, if you wish to forgive, to bring hope to those who are lost, those who are searching, those who think there is no purpose and meaning to life, bring to them the name of Jesus and invite them and walk with them on the path before them.”

The Bishop concluded the ordination homily by pledging support to the newly ordained, “So my brothers, we are all praying for you and I ready to help you in any way I can to go forth from this church to be a happy, healthy, joyful priests, by the holy grace of Jesus.”

At the end of Mass as the Bishop announced the first appointments for the newly ordained priests. each assignment was met by thunderous applause from the congregation.

Fr. Ricardo Batista Comim was assigned to St. Charles, Bridgeport; Fr. James DiVasto to Our Lady of Fatima, Wilton; Ferry Galbert to St. Lawrence, Huntington and chaplain at St. Joseph High School; Fr. Miguel Betancur Lenis to St. Matthew, Norwalk; Fr. Andrew LaFleur to St. Mary, Bethel; and Fr. Matthew Loman to St. Gregory the Great, Danbury.

Fr. Ricardo Batista Comim was born in São Paulo, Brazil to Valdinei Comim and Marcia dos Santos Batista Comim. He graduated from Seton University in South Orange, N.J. in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in theology, and served his transitional diaconate at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport. As a seminarian from Redemptoris Mater, he is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way.

“My vocation was born through the Neocatechumenal Way community,” explained Fr. Batista Comim, who said it was through this charism that God called him to the journey of priesthood. “I always thought that a priest’s life was a sad and lonely life, which I was not looking forward to. However, a missionary priest from the Neocatechumenal Way formed at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Brasilia in Brazil came to my parish on a Saturday night and he shared his experience of his mission.”

Fr. Batista Comim said he was moved by this priest’s happiness, and could see that he had meaning in his life. So Batista Comim asked him if he was satisfied with the life of a priest, and he said, “Yes, because the grace of God is enough for me.”

“From that moment I understood that God was calling me to a beautiful mission, to be a witness to his love and be grateful for what he has done in my life,” Fr. Batista Comim said.

Fr. Miguel Betancur Lenis was born in Medellin, Colombia to Humberto de Jesus Betancur Piedrahita and Miryam Stella Lenis Velez. He received his theology degree while studying at the former St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford.

Fr. Betancur Lenis felt the call to the priesthood at a young age, attending the high school seminary in his home country when he became eligible. And now, he’s on the precipice of becoming a priest, a dream he’s had since he was 12 years old.

“I had wonderful examples from two priests,” he said. “I was attracted to the seminary because of its joyous atmosphere and the happiness I observed among the seminarians.”

Fr. Betancur Lenis served his transitional diaconate at St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk. And he’s excited to encounter the many different Catholic faith communities that exist within the Diocese of Bridgeport—now as a priest.

“We see many different communities from different backgrounds, cultures and countries coming together for the celebration of the sacraments,” he said. “through their expressions of faith and devotion, they enrich each other’s lives.”

Fr. Betancur Lenis will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Matthew’s on May 21.

Fr. James DiVasto was born in Stamford to James and Lena DiVasto. He graduated from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., and even though he was involved in parish life as a child, it was here where he began to develop a much deeper relationship with Christ.

“Until my years at St. Anselm College, where I began to study our Catholic faith, that my thoughts of priesthood were nurtured and matured by the witness and companionship of many of the Benedictine monks who taught at the college and prayed in the abbey on the college campus,” Fr. DiVasto said. “During my four years at St. Anselm’s, I found myself more and more drawn to time with Christ.”

Fr. DiVasto entered priestly formation, but withdrew in May 1981. He then worked as a compliance administrator for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office for 37 years, married and had three children—and four grandchildren. And it was much later in his life that the call to enter the priesthood began anew.

“When I shared my desire to actually apply to become a seminarian for priestly formation with our Diocese of Bridgeport in 2018, I found much support among my family, friends, and colleagues at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office,” he said. “One friend put it this way: ‘When you first became a seminarian for the Diocese of Bridgeport out of college, that was in your time. But now, it’s in God’s time.’”

Fr. DiVasto served his transitional diaconate at St. James Parish in Stratford, where he will celebrate his first Mass as a priest on May 21.

Fr. Ferry Galbert was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Soimil Saint Preuve and Yvonne Lops. He graduated from Norwalk Community College in 2014 with an associate degree in nursing, and from Sacred Heart University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

He previously worked as a data register at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford and as a registered nurse at Stamford Hospital. But he says he felt the call to the priesthood early on in his life.

“I first thought about being a priest when I was 11 years old,” he said. “My home parish priests and priest friends were very instrumental in my discernment.”

Fr. Galbert recognizes there are many different communities throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport. Nevertheless, he is hopeful that they can focus on the faith that unites them all.

“We celebrate our diversity in and through the one Lord Jesus Christ, who is present at the Holy Mass and calls us to unite and offer joys, pains, and sufferings of this life with his own victorious offering at Calvary,” he said. “There lies our hope amidst every difficulty we may encounter on the journey.”

Fr. Galbert served as a transitional deacon at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull. He will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford on May 21.

Fr. Andrew LaFleur was born in Bridgeport to James LaFleur and Pamela Smith LaFleur. He graduated from Sacred Heart University in 2019 and spent his transitional diaconate at St. Mary Parish in Bethel.

LaFleur describes his parish community at St. Ann Parish in Bridgeport as instrumental in helping him discern his call to the priesthood.

“It was seeing those priests at prayer and at work that initially made me think of becoming a priest,” he said. “When I was in high school, I faced some discouragement from some of my friends at school, and I found much greater support from my family and friends from the parish.”

According to LaFleur, challenges to the priestly ministry are ever present, especially when it means bringing true encounter with Christ to those who don’t know or refuse to know him. But he is also hopeful for the Church’s future.

“The thing that makes me hopeful is seeing and knowing the faithful in the diocese and seeing their devotion and love for Jesus Christ,” he said.

LaFleur will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Ann’s on May 21.

Fr. Matthew Loman was born in Derby, Conn. to Wallace Loman and Irene Lazowski Loman. He graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in geography and elementary education, and from Quinnipiac University in 2005 with a juris doctor. Prior to pursuing his call to the priesthood, Loman worked as a camp counselor, teacher and attorney.

“The Church has always been the center of my life,” said Loman. “From the time I served as an altar boy and a young reader until now, the Lord has been calling me to serve as one of His priests. I am humbled to receive a call from Christ to the sacred priesthood and thankful for all the blessings and graces He has bestowed upon me as I have journeyed through life.”

Fr. Loman served his transitional diaconate at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Danbury.

Fairfield University’s 73rd Commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 20 for graduate students, and Sunday, May 21 for undergraduate students.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 1, 2023)—Fairfield University has announced that its 73rd Commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. on Bellarmine Lawn. The total numbers of expected degrees to be awarded are 1,171 bachelor’s, 519 master’s, 20 sixth-year certificates, and 49 doctorates.

This year’s undergraduate ceremony speaker and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree will be Marcela Orvañanos de Rovzar, founder of several social and humanitarian organizations in Mexico and the U.S., including New York City based Qualitas of Life Foundation, dedicated to teaching financial literacy to Hispanic families. Orvañanos de Rovzar also established Fondo de Estrategia Social, A.C. (FES) in Mexico City, whose mission is to invest private resources in causes promoting social investment, and the consulting firm Fondea Asesorías, S.C. which supports the development of social impact projects in the public and private sectors. Orvañanos de Rovzar’s organization Procura, A.C. training institute for fundraising and institutional development based in Mexico, has trained over 30,000 individuals in Latin America, the Philippines and U.S. Orvañanos de Rovzar was the chairperson for UNICEF’s Consulting Board in Mexico, and sits on the board of the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University where she earned a Global Master of Arts Program (GMAP) degree from Tuft’s Fletcher School. Orvañanos de Rovzar is Jesuit educated, having attended Ibero-American University in Mexico.

The graduate ceremony speaker will be Geoffrey Canada, president of the Harlem’s Children Zone — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization in New York City, and founder of the William Julius Wilson Institute. Canada is an innovator in the field of education and has made it his mission to help young people from under-resourced communities succeed through education. He will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. As president of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Canada launched a comprehensive cradle-to-career network of programs that has become a national model of place-based innovation for organizations across the county and the world. In 2010, President Barack Obama created the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative to replace the HCZ model in under-resourced communities throughout the U.S. In 2011, Canada was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time, and one of the 50 greatest leaders by Fortune in 2014. Canada is the author of two critically acclaimed books: Fist Stick Knife Gun about his experience growing up in the South Bronx; and Reaching Up for Manhood, where he recounts his years of work with inner-city youth and his turbulent boyhood.

Doctor of Laws honorary degrees will also be bestowed upon Mary Beth Powers at the undergraduate ceremony, and Charles MacCormack, PhD, at the graduate ceremony.

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) President & CEO Mary Beth Powers has dedicated her career to addressing the inequities in health and wellbeing around the world. For over 30 years she has served with international organizations to develop stronger health outreach programs, strengthen clinical services and create opportunities that build better health and resilience in mothers, children, and adolescents. At CMMB, Powers leads a team of professionals who deliver an annual average of $400 million worth of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to hospitals, clinics and ministries of health globally. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Power’s call to serve lead her to Pakistan for a year as an intern for Catholic Relief Services after her time at Georgetown. Powers also studied economics at the University of West Indies on a Rotary Fellowship and pursued a master’s degree in public health at the University of Michigan. Much of her career was spent at Save the Children where she played a key role in the development of the $160 million Saving Newborn Lives initiative funded by the Gates Foundation.

Charles MacCormack, PhD is currently the senior fellow for the NGO Futures at InterAction, the national association of over 200 U.S. humanitarian and development organizations. He also serves as the vice chair of the Millennium Development Goal Health Alliance. Throughout 2016 Dr. MacCormack served as an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University. He also served as executive-in-residence at Middlebury College from 2012 to 2016 and works with a number of international think tanks. Previously, Dr. MacCormack helped to lead Save the Children as CEO from 1993 to 2011. He served as the chair of the InterAction Board of Directors from 2006 to 2009, is a founding board member of Malaria No More, and currently serves on the Board of World Learning. Earlier in his career, as CEO of World Learning, MacCormack was chair of the International Exchange Association. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In addition to serving in many consultative and official roles such as sitting on the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and the Food Security Advisory Committee of the U.S. Government, Dr. MacCormack was president of the Non-Governmental Committee on UNICEF. He received a doctorate in Political Science/Comparative Politics, and a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, and earned his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College.

For more information about Fairfield University and the 73rd Commencement ceremonies, visit: Fairfield.edu/commencement

GREENWICH—Impact Fairfield County will present a check representing a $100,000 grant to the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport this Monday, May 22, at 9 am. All are invited to attend.

Impact Fairfield County was founded in 2015 by Wendy Block and Vicki Craver and is based on the Impact 100 model of collective giving. The goal was to gather at least 100 women in the area to pool their contributions to make significant philanthropic investments in local non-profits.

Since their initial grant year in 2016, they have provided nearly $1.6 million in grant funding to local exceptional non-profits, including twelve $100,000 Impact FFC Grants and significant general operating support.

TRUMBULL—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will ordain six men to the sacred priesthood on May 20 at 11 am at St. Theresa Parish. The class of priesthood candidates is the largest in the diocese’s recent history, and is a cause for celebration across Fairfield County.

The slate of candidates for ordination includes transitional deacons Ricardo Batista Comim, Miguel Betancur Lenis, James DiVasto, Ferry Galbert, Andrew LaFleur, and Matthew Loman. Batista Comim will be the first person ordained to the priesthood from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Stamford.

Among the other five candidates for ordination, DiVasto underwent his priestly formation at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Washington, while Betancur Lenis, Galbert, LaFleur and Loman studied at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.

Ricardo Batista Comim was born in São Paulo, Brazil to Valdinei Comim and Marcia dos Santos Batista Comim. He graduated from Seton University in South Orange, N.J. in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in theology, and served his transitional diaconate at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport. As a seminarian from Redemptoris Mater, he is a member of the Neocatechumenal Way.

“My vocation was born through the Neocatechumenal Way community,” explained Batista Comim, who said it was through this charism that God called him to the journey of priesthood. “I always thought that a priest’s life was a sad and lonely life, which I was not looking forward to. However, a missionary priest from the Neocatechumenal Way formed at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Brasilia in Brazil came to my parish on a Saturday night and he shared his experience of his mission.”

Batista Comim said he was moved by this priest’s happiness, and could see that he had meaning in his life. So Batista Comim asked him if he was satisfied with the life of a priest, and he said, “Yes, because the grace of God is enough for me.”

“From that moment I understood that God was calling me to a beautiful mission, to be a witness to his love and be grateful for what he has done in my life,” Batista Comim said.

Miguel Betancur Lenis was born in Medellin, Colombia to Humberto de Jesus Betancur Piedrahita and Miryam Stella Lenis Velez. He received his theology degree while studying at the former St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford.

Betancur Lenis felt the call to the priesthood at a young age, attending the high school seminary in his home country when he became eligible. And now, he’s on the precipice of becoming a priest, a dream he’s had since he was 12 years old.

“I had wonderful examples from two priests,” he said. “I was attracted to the seminary because of its joyous atmosphere and the happiness I observed among the seminarians.”

Betancur Lenis served his transitional diaconate at St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk. And he’s excited to encounter the many different Catholic faith communities that exist within the Diocese of Bridgeport—now as a priest.

“We see many different communities from different backgrounds, cultures and countries coming together for the celebration of the sacraments,” he said. “through their expressions of faith and devotion, they enrich each other’s lives.”

Betancur Lenis will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Matthew’s on May 21.

James DiVasto was born in Stamford to James and Lena DiVasto. He graduated from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., and even though he was involved in parish life as a child, it was here where he began to develop a much deeper relationship with Christ.

“Until my years at St. Anselm College, where I began to study our Catholic faith, that my thoughts of priesthood were nurtured and matured by the witness and companionship of many of the Benedictine monks who taught at the college and prayed in the abbey on the college campus,” DiVasto said. “During my four years at St. Anselm’s, I found myself more and more drawn to time with Christ.”

DiVasto entered priestly formation, but withdrew in May 1981. He then worked as a compliance administrator for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office for 37 years, married and had three children—and four grandchildren. And it was much later in his life that the call to enter the priesthood began anew.

“When I shared my desire to actually apply to become a seminarian for priestly formation with our Diocese of Bridgeport in 2018, I found much support among my family, friends, and colleagues at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office,” he said. “One friend put it this way: ‘When you first became a seminarian for the Diocese of Bridgeport out of college, that was in your time. But now, it’s in God’s time.’”

DiVasto served his transitional diaconate at St. James Parish in Stratford, where he will celebrate his first Mass as a priest on May 21.

Ferry Galbert was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Soimil Saint Preuve and Yvonne Lops. He graduated from Norwalk Community College in 2014 with an associate degree in nursing, and from Sacred Heart University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

He previously worked as a data register at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford and as a registered nurse at Stamford Hospital. But he says he felt the call to the priesthood early on in his life.

“I first thought about being a priest when I was 11 years old,” he said. “My home parish priests and priest friends were very instrumental in my discernment.”

Galbert recognizes there are many different communities throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport. Nevertheless, he is hopeful that they can focus on the faith that unites them all.

“We celebrate our diversity in and through the one Lord Jesus Christ, who is present at the Holy Mass and calls us to unite and offer joys, pains, and sufferings of this life with his own victorious offering at Calvary,” he said. “There lies our hope amidst every difficulty we may encounter on the journey.”

Galbert served as a transitional deacon at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull. He will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford on May 21.

Andrew LaFleur was born in Bridgeport to James LaFleur and Pamela Smith LaFleur. He graduated from Sacred Heart University in 2019 and spent his transitional diaconate at St. Mary Parish in Bethel.

LaFleur describes his parish community at St. Ann Parish in Bridgeport as instrumental in helping him discern his call to the priesthood.

“It was seeing those priests at prayer and at work that initially made me think of becoming a priest,” he said. “When I was in high school, I faced some discouragement from some of my friends at school, and I found much greater support from my family and friends from the parish.”

According to LaFleur, challenges to the priestly ministry are ever present, especially when it means bringing true encounter with Christ to those who don’t know or refuse to know him. But he is also hopeful for the Church’s future.

“The thing that makes me hopeful is seeing and knowing the faithful in the diocese and seeing their devotion and love for Jesus Christ,” he said.

LaFleur will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Ann’s on May 21.

Matthew Loman was born in Derby, Conn. to Wallace Loman and Irene Lazowski Loman. He graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in geography and elementary education, and from Quinnipiac University in 2005 with a juris doctor. Prior to pursuing his call to the priesthood, Loman worked as a camp counselor, teacher and attorney.

“The Church has always been the center of my life,” said Loman. “From the time I served as an altar boy and a young reader until now, the Lord has been calling me to serve as one of His priests. I am humbled to receive a call from Christ to the sacred priesthood and thankful for all the blessings and graces He has bestowed upon me as I have journeyed through life.”

Loman served his transitional diaconate at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Danbury.

FAIRFIELD—Over 2,800 Sacred Heart University undergraduate and graduate students walked across the stage at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport on Sunday, May 14, to receive their diplomas and celebrate their accomplishments.

The SHU class of 2023 includes 1,484 undergraduates who earned bachelor’s and associate degrees and 1,341 graduate students who earned master’s degrees, professional certificates and doctorate degrees. Separate ceremonies were held for each group.

Undergraduate ceremony
One undergraduate, Keegan Pepin, 20, planned to celebrate her achievements with her parents and grandparents. She was under the impression her twin sister, Katelyn Pepin, was busy with training at the United States Naval Academy. Katelyn Pepin is a junior at the Maryland-based institute and has a hectic schedule. However, when Katelyn Pepin realized her free weekend was going to fall on the same day as her sister’s graduation—whom she hadn’t seen since Christmas and wasn’t going to see again until November—she knew she had to attend.

On Sunday afternoon, after a morning of traveling, Katelyn Pepin arrived at the amphitheater with her family. Keegan Pepin was asked to go backstage to be a part of a video interview with SHU President John J. Petillo. To her shock and delight, rather than the interview, it was a reunion with her twin sister. Onlookers applauded as the sisters embraced. Her family beamed, delighted by the meeting.

“I don’t even have words right now, I did not expect her to be here whatsoever … she’s the one person I wanted here,” Keegan Pepin said through tears. The twins hugged and cried together. They rejoiced when they realized they would have a long drive back to their home in New Hampshire together to talk and catch up.

“I’m really proud of you,” Katelyn Pepin told her sister as their parents and grandparents looked on.

At 3 p.m., the undergraduate class of 2023, processed inside the amphitheater on a windy spring day. The SHU band provided the pomp as the giddy students walked eagerly to their seats, waving to friends and family nearby.

In his opening remarks to the undergraduate class, Petillo told them they made the University better just by being there.

“I too have been blessed in getting to know and watch many of you,” he said. “My hope and wish is that as you depart you continue to reflect on your journey. The years ahead will be filled with challenges and opportunities. Be bold and listen less to your fears and more to your dreams. Be not afraid of doubt. Muster the courage to stretch and believe.”

Jeff Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford Healthcare, was the keynote speaker at the undergraduate ceremony. He also received an honorary doctor of humane letters, honoris causa. Flaks is one of health care’s most progressive leaders, transforming care delivery over the course of nearly three decades.

“Graduates, SHU is a lot like you: entrepreneurial, transformative—growing and getting better all the time,” Flaks said. “SHU has been your gateway—your bridge to transformation.”

He told the graduates to “Never lose that pioneer spirit. You are members of the best-educated, the most diverse, the most technologically savvy group of graduate the world has ever seen … the class of 2023.”

Flaks, a Connecticut native, went on to tell the audience about his career starting back when he was a 17-year-old delivery driver for a local pharmacy. This early experience instilled a calling in health care and Flaks said it’s a “memory that motivates me to this very day. I couldn’t then have imagined the roles I would be privileged to serve in.”

“With your combination of education and experience, you are ready,” Flaks said toward the end of his address. “You have the benefit of time and the road ahead is long and promising. I am confident you will do amazing things.”

Ben Carson, 21, of Foxboro, Mass., was one of many graduates elated to receive his bachelor’s degree from the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology. The management and marketing major was gushing about his college career.

“Sacred Heart University has given me more than I could have imagined. SHU has presented me with an abundance of opportunities to foster personal, professional and academic growth. From the meaningful relationships I created with fellow students and faculty, to the ample opportunities for leadership, I can attest that attending Sacred Heart University has been one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Carson said. “The positive welcoming culture on campus, along with the amazing academic programs and support, are just a few things that set Sacred Heart apart from other universities. I am happy to have been a part of this community for the past four years.”

Carson hopes to pursue his MBA at Sacred Heart.

After the conferral of degrees, Olivia LaRosa, SHU’s class of 2023 president, addressed the crowd. She asked her peers to think about how they felt the day they first stepped onto campus and how it likely felt uncomfortable.

“From being dropped off for our overnight orientation with a bunch of strangers to roaming the halls trying to find classrooms on the first day … All those moments of discomfort soon became moments of comfort as we found our people, our place and our home,” LaRosa said.

LaRosa took her class through their four years at SHU and reminded them how they survived the pandemic and all its challenges. She said they were lucky their college experience returned to “normal” and students took full advantage of all the many extracurricular activities SHU offered. “We found our passions and allowed them to motivate us to keep learning and to stay curious.

“Sometimes you do not realize the value of these moments until they become memories,” LaRosa continued. “Here we are on the day of graduation with bright futures ahead of us all. A new journey awaits as more doors open to us to fuel our curiosity and heighten our motivation. Remember that you have the ability and passion to do what you love and make the change you want to see.”

LaRosa concluded her speech by leading the class of 2023 through the ceremonial turning of the tassel from the right to the left side of their caps. The amphitheater exploded in cheers and applause.

Graduate ceremony
Earlier in the day, SHU’s graduate students received their awards. In his address to the graduates, Petillo reflected on the classic Simon & Garfunkel song, “The Sound of Silence.”

“It is an introspective song that speaks to the human experience of isolation and struggles to communicate with others,” he said. “Well, as you transition now to the workforce with your degree, remember to do so with the courage of reflection.”

At the end of his speech he said, “Let the sounds of silence be those of reflective hope and not of disillusionment. Let those sounds of silence be enriching and not isolation. Let the sounds of silence enable you to find your voice boldly and with confidence.”

Before the conferral of degrees, Richard A. Robinson, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address to the graduate students and also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, honoris causa.

“After years of hard work—the fact that you were able to pull this off during a pandemic, unimaginable social unrest and a never-ending 2020 election cycle shows what a resilient, tenacious and dedicated group of people that you are,” Robinson said to the students.

Robinson said when he sat down and thought about what he would talk about in his address, he realized he was born five years before SHU’s very first commencement ceremony. “The world back then was very different from the world we live in today,” he said.

He talked about how the world allowed for civil unrest and how it was acceptable to discriminate against people based on gender and race. Such standards upset Robinson who decided to pursue a career in the legal system so he could fight injustices.

“Today, I urge you to harness that power and to set lofty goals that are bigger than you,” Robinson said. “Rely on your head and draw from your life experiences. Learn from your successes and your failures. Draw upon the tremendous education for which you have worked so hard, but also use the skills and common sense that you have mastered to get to where you are today.”

Robinson reminded students that there will be exciting times ahead, but also loss and sorrow. “After all, that’s part of the wonderful, albeit short, time we have on Earth. Be assured, though, that your head will reliably assist with the logic and critical thinking needed to make decisions when obstacles present themselves—and the heart will become a resilient and steady soldier in keeping you on the right path,” he said.

During the conferral of degrees, Petillo handed out a posthumous diploma to the family of Josh Hermsen, a graduate student who died last summer. He was studying clinical mental health counseling.

“Josh began his graduate studies at SHU in September 2020 after stepping away from his full-time job in human resources and marketing,” said Michael Alfano, vice provost of strategic partnerships and dean of the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development. “He has a remarkable story as a three-time heart transplant recipient. At the time of his passing, Josh was just a few months shy of completing his coursework in clinical mental health counseling and pursuing his dream of becoming a therapist to help children struggling with life-threatening illnesses.”

Alfano told the audience that his family is honoring his memory with the creation of a scholarship for students who also aspire to be mental health counselors. “It is with a mixture of sadness and pride for all that Josh embodied that we present this posthumous master’s degree to Josh’s family,” Alfano said.

After degrees were awarded, Carlos Ruiz ’21, who received his master’s degree in digital marketing, spoke on behalf of his graduating class.

“While I have been at SHU for the past six years, these last two years have been fundamental,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz spoke about his involvement in extra-curricular activities, his graduate assistant positions and the committees he’s served on. Ruiz explained that they all gave him to the necessary tools to succeed.

“We learn from our mistakes, our experiences and from the people around us. Hopefully, the lessons we’ve learned, especially here at SHU, have prepared us to not only be successful in our professional careers, but in our lives,” Ruiz said.

Through the good and the bad times, through the doubts and sacrifices, he said the class’s “courage and determination are what led us here and will continue to lead us in our future.

“You should be proud of this accomplishment and the ones that are about to come. No matter where life takes us next, I hope we are all successful,” Ruiz said at the end of his speech. “I hope to hear or see that some of us go off to be the next well-known sports reporter, recognized as a successful educator within your school district, or simply be the change in the lives of those who need it most within our respective fields or in our local communities. And remember no matter where you go, home is where the heart is. Thank you and congratulations; we did it!”

TRUMBULL—Most Wednesday mornings, students at Diocese of Bridgeport schools are getting ready for another day of learning. But 26 of them made their way to the McClinch Family Center at St. Catherine of Siena Parish on May 11 for the annual Breakfast of Champions.

The breakfast each year honors the recipients of the St. Thomas Aquinas Award, which is given to students who “exemplify the Catholic faith through community service and Christ-like behavior as well as their academic performance.” Each school chooses one student from its graduating class to receive the award—with the exception of Cardinal Kung Academy, which selects two students from the eighth and 12^th grade, respectively.

The Breakfast of Champions is a favorite event of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Cheeseman.

“We get to celebrate the young people who represent the very best of our Catholic school students,” Cheeseman said to the students and their families at the breakfast. “Given that we have over 7,000 students in the diocese, I hope you realize just how unprecedented it is that you’ve been chosen to be here.”

Cheeseman reflected on the life and work of the award’s namesake, St. Thomas Aquinas. The Dominican friar is one of the most influential philosophers and Catholic saints, and he believed that knowledge was something of God.

“But St. Thomas was more than just his legacy,” Cheeseman said. “He challenges us to use our knowledge to improve the world, and then implores us to make good choices and to act with virtue.”

Cheeseman recognized the student award recipients as “a shining example of all that is good in our Catholic schools.” Notably, he remarked, two of the high school-aged recipients had also received the St. Thomas Aquinas Award as eighth graders, calling them excellent predictors of future success.

In addition, two brothers—Tommaso and Paolo Marena—were selected as award recipients. Tommaso is a senior at Cardinal Kung Academy, while Paolo is in eighth grade at the Catholic Academy of Stamford.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano also addressed the students, reflecting upon the meaning of the word “champion” within the context of the event. He didn’t think the first definition, which refers to a person who is victorious in a contest, quite fit the event. But according to him, the word’s second definition was much more appropriate for the occasion.

“A champion is someone who takes up a cause for the good of another,” the bishop said. “And I think that is why you are here, because my young friends, the cause you are taking up is the cause of Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Caggiano noted as Catholic school students, the young people in the room weren’t just learning what’s in the curriculum, but were also being introduced to Christ, who will help guide them on their path to success.

“Long after you go from elementary school into high school and college, remember this gathering,” he said. “Because Christ is calling you to something great: his cause, to let the world know he is alive in you. And that is the best gift that anyone can give you.”

Before the students returned to their respective schools, Cheeseman shared some words of encouragement, reminding them of their “champion” distinction as they move forward in their lives—as students and beyond.

“I have no doubt that you will represent us well as you go on to high school and college,” Cheeseman said. “You’ll be champions there: champions of Catholic education and champions of our faith.”

Photos by Amy Mortensen

St. Thomas Aquinas Award Recipients

• Eileen Bossio, St. Catherine of Siena School
• Julia Cirone, Immaculate High School
• Michael “MJ” Crawford, St. Mary School (Bethel)
• Joshua Cruz, Kolbe Cathedral High School
• Kathleen Dineen, St. Joseph High School
• Layla DiScala, All Saints Catholic School
• Cara Fahey, Holy Trinity Catholic Academy
• Albert Fenaroli, St. Gregory the Great School
• Lillian Gayer, St. Aloysius Catholic School
• Scarlett Giannettino, St. Mary School (Ridgefield)
• Camryn Irby, St. James School
• Colin Johansen, St. Mark School
• Lichel Johnston, Notre Dame High School
• Autumn Joseph, St. Augustine Academy
• Adriana Kari, St. Rose of Lima School
• Andrea Macuil, Assumption Catholic School
• Gemma Marchetti, Cardinal Kung Academy
• Paolo Marena, Catholic Academy of Stamford
• Tommaso Marena, Cardinal Kung Academy
• Diego Marquez, St. Ann Academy
• Allison Marsh, St. Joseph School
• Olivia Medeiros-Pinto, St. Peter School
• Sara Miller, Greenwich Catholic School
• Ava Morello, St. Thomas Aquinas School
• Illyana Sanchez, St. Andrew Academy
• Augustine Yallaly, St. Theresa School

Pope Francis on Saturday expressed his sorrow over the legalization of euthanasia in Portugal.

“Today when we celebrate the memory of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the little shepherds of Fatima, I am very sad, because in the country where Our Lady appeared, a law to kill has been enacted,” the pope said May 13 at the Vatican.

“It is one more step in the long list of countries with euthanasia,” he added.

Portugal’s Parliament voted May 12 to allow medically-assisted suicide in limited cases. The legislation states that a person requesting assisted death should be “in a situation of great intensity of suffering, with definitive injury of extreme gravity or serious and incurable disease.”

A doctor can also euthanize a patient when “medically assisted suicide is impossible due to a physical disability of the patient.” Assisted suicide is the providing of lethal drugs so patients can take their own lives, while euthanasia is the direct killing of patients by doctors.

Portugal’s new law, which was passed by a strong majority on Friday, overturns earlier vetoes from Catholic President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Pope Francis made an impromptu comment on Portuguese legislation during a meeting in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall with participants in the general assembly of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations.

On May 13, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared six times to three shepherd children in a field in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. She brought with her requests for the recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and a secret regarding the fate of the world.

Pope Francis canonized two of the Fatima visionaries, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, in 2017. Sister Lucia dos Santos, the eldest child to witness the Fatima apparitions, is on the path to beatification. She died in 2005 at the age of 97.

The apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima are some of the most well-known Marian apparitions in the world.

—
By Hannah Brockhaus @ catholicnewsagency.com

Pictured: Pope Francis meets with the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, and encourages women to help others find peace through their capacity to build relationships

The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, or WUCWO, held a special rally in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Saturday, as the umbrella group gears up to hold its General Assembly in Assisi on 14-20 May.

Pope Francis encouraged the 1,500 women to find inspiration in their mission by looking to the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In his address, the Pope expressed his hopes that the women may be enlivened by the Spirit while keeping in mind the founding principles of WUCWO.

He urged them to “look to the future with your eyes and heart open to the world, to listen to the lament of so many women in the world who suffer injustice, abandonment, discrimination, and poverty.”

Peace begins in heart

Pope Francis noted that our world is in dire need of peace, which he said must begin in our hearts that have been “torn apart by the division of hatred and resentment.”

He also lamented the threat women face in various parts of the world where they risk becoming tools in the midst of “political disputes and cultural ideologies”.

“There is a need for greater appreciation of women’s capacity for relationship and giving, said the Pope. “And men need to better understand the richness of the reciprocity they owe to women, in order to recover those anthropological elements that characterize human identity and, with it, that of woman and her role in the family and society, where she does not cease to be a beating heart.”

Generating life and caring for others

Since the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, Pope Francis urged the women of WUCWO to look to the Virgin Mary as a model of life.

He said she lived her mission to the full, offering the world her gift of motherhood and faithful carrying out her task to care for her children in the Church.

“Mary,” he said, “teaches you to generate life and to always protect it, relating to others from tenderness and compassion”.

The Pope also urged them to combine three “languages”, which he said are those of “the mind, heart, and hands.”

“I believe that women have the ability to think what they feel, to feel what they think and do, and to do what they feel and think,” he said. “I encourage you to continue to offer this sensitivity in the service of others.”

Fullness of life found in union with Christ

The Pope went on to reflect on the power which gave Mary strength and lent credibility to the simple shepherd children to whom the Blessed Virgin appeared in Fatima.

The secret to discipleship, he said, lies in cultivating an inner union with God, and remaining united with Him in order to “live, like Mary, the fullness of being women with the awareness of being chosen to carry out God’s saving work.”

Union with Christ, added Pope Francis, must be manifested in the everyday lives of women through communion with the Church and service to others.

“You have to ‘pray’ in your work, and ‘put into practice’ what you have experienced in prayer, in order to get in tune with the mission of the Church,” he said.

In conclusion, Pope Francis encouraged the women of WUCWO to strive forward in their evangelizing activities, as they follow the inner voice of the Spirit.

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By Devin Watkins @ vaticannews.va

FAIRFIELD—Sacred Heart University is one of only 16 institutions of higher education that the Parkinson Voice Project (PVP) recently selected to help develop SPEAK OUT! Therapy and Research Centers across the country. The PVP awarded Sacred Heart $60,000 to increase its clinical outreach in support of the SPEAK OUT! initiative.

SHU’s speech-language pathology program manages the only college-based clinic in Connecticut chosen this year to receive the grant and help advance the PVP’s specialized, research-based speech therapy program as part of its Campaign to Reach America initiative. A nonprofit organization based in Richardson, Texas, the PVP is committed to helping people with Parkinson’s regain and retain their speech and swallowing abilities.

Staff and students at SHU’s on-campus speech clinic already have been trained in the SPEAK OUT! method. The funding will enable SHU to expand the clinic, which offers free services to individuals with Parkinson’s disease, by paying for increased service-learning opportunities for students. The grant also will accelerate promising Parkinson’s treatment studies by funding additional graduate research assistants.

“We aim to increase our presence within the community as a service-driven, graduate training program. Amazing work is done when graduate student clinicians can provide needed service to their clients while gaining valuable clinical practice and knowledge in their field of study,” said Cristina Pino, clinical assistant professor of communication disorders.

“We are honored to have been selected for this amazing opportunity. We will continue to devote our time to providing essential SPEAK OUT! services to individuals statewide who are determined to live their best life with Parkinson’s disease,” Pino said.

The new SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Centers across the country will specialize in offering free online therapy, eliminating barriers that prevent thousands of people with Parkinson’s from receiving speech treatment.

“This will enable patients who are homebound, don’t drive or who live in rural areas to now receive the speech therapy they need while eliminating insurance and financial challenges,” according to the PVP website.

Many individuals with Parkinson’s who develop speech disorders face barriers to treatment, including lack of information and transportation, and a limited number of service providers, which negatively affects their access to quality services.

“We want to increase our role in removing these barriers to service in Connecticut,” Pino said.

Pino will work with Ciara Leydon-Korn, professor of communication disorders, and Natasha Moran, adjunct professor of communication disorders, in overseeing SHU’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy and Research Center.

“The services are meant to be delivered via teletherapy to improve client access to the program. However, services may be provided in person at a client’s request. All services are provided at no cost to the client,” said Pino.

Samantha Elandary, PVP founder and CEO, said Sacred Heart was selected for its compassion and commitment to serving the Parkinson’s community.