Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will ordain Philip Lành Phan, a native of Vietnam, and Eric William Silva, a Trumbull resident, to the priesthood for the Diocese of Bridgeport in St. Augustine Cathedral on June 25.
Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT
K of C from St. Matthew Norwalk teams up with K of C Our Lady of the Assumption Fairfield.
Knights of Columbus councils are known for serving the greater good of their parishes and their communities, and many times they work as individual councils.
RESIDENCE FOR RETIRED PRIESTS—Bishop Caggiano, Vickey Hickey, administrator of Queen of Clergy, Andrew Schulz, director of real estate for the diocese, and Msgr. William Scheyd, episcopal vicar for retired priests,look over drawings for the Queen of Clergy expansion on Strawberry Hill Avenue in Stamford. The new 16-suite wing is expected to be completed this Fall. There are 80 priests in the diocese over the age of 75.
The long-awaited new wing of the Catherine Dennis Keefe Queen of the Clergy Residence in Stamford is taking shape and is expected to be completed in September.
“This is a very exciting time for the diocese and for our retired priests who are looking forward to moving into their new home at Queen of the Clergy Residence,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano.
June has always been a key month for the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) as it pushes toward its yearly goal to support the major programs and ministries of the diocese.
“June is traditionally the end of the public phase of the Appeal,” said William McLean, chief development officer of the diocese. “While people are welcome to make pledges throughout the end of the year, the June tally is crucial in helping the diocese budget and plan for the new year.”
“Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become,” Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Bridgeport when he ordained three men as transitional deacons on Saturday.
Harry Alfredo Prieto, 29, and José Abelardo Vásquez, 32, both natives of Bogotá, Colombia, and Timothy A. Iannacone, 26, a native of Norwalk, Ct, took their final steps on their way to the priesthood in front of family, friends and priests throughout the diocese.
Steve Bollman, founder of the national apostolate Paradisus Dei (ParadisusDei.org) and That Man Is You, vividly remembers the first time he saw his dad go to confession.
He was about 6 or 7 years old; his older brothers were 10 and 11. The family went to either an Advent or Lenten penance service.
Gamely sporting hair nets, potato peelers, oven mitts, and plastic aprons, over 30 young adults showed up at New Covenant Center (NCC) in Stamford to prepare 150 dinners that would be served the next day to hungry clients.
The inaugural event, dubbed “A Social Night of Service,” brought together “under 30s” from many different towns, parishes and backgrounds. Yet there was a single common denominator: to help feed the hungry.
At its 98th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) will recognize Sherri Roller, RN, MSN, staff nurse in the Family Birthing Center at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, as a 2016 Healthcare Hero. She was nominated for this award by Christine Dressel.
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
June 15, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is with deep regret that I must inform you that I have placed Reverend John Stronkowski on administrative leave and have removed his faculties to exercise any and all forms of public ministry as a priest.
My decision was made after I determined, with the assistance of the Diocesan Sexual Misconduct Review Board, that there is credible evidence of an incident of abuse of a minor on the part of Father Stronkowski more than a decade ago. Upon first learning of this allegation in late September of last year, I immediately notified Father Stronkowski that the Diocese would fully investigate the information brought forward. I also informed him that, pending the outcome of the investigation, his priestly faculties and his ability to exercise any public ministry would continue to be suspended. For reasons not having anything to do with abuse of a minor, Father Stronkowski has been on a leave of absence from ministry since May, 2014.
In accordance with both state reporting mandates and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (commonly known as the Dallas Charter), we notified both the police and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) of the allegation. Given the limited information available and the amount of time which had passed, neither the police nor DCF took further action. As required by the Charter as well as our own policies, the Diocese then began a lengthy investigation into the allegation. As a result of this extensive and deliberative inquiry, which involved outside investigative resources and Diocesan advisers on such matters, the allegation was found to be credible. Significant supportive resources were made available to the victim throughout this confidential investigation. At the request of the victim and the victim’s family, we took every precaution to protect their privacy and we ask for continued respect of their privacy at this difficult time.
As a result of and in accordance with the Dallas Charter, Father Stronkowski is prohibited from any future ministry. Parish clergy and lay leadership where Father Stronkowski served were notified of my action in advance of this letter. We have taken steps to work with Father Stronkowski in this transition and provide him with support. In addition, Diocesan personnel are available through the Safe Environments Office as a resource to those affected. You should be aware that, other than this one reported incident, we have not received any other allegation of abuse of a minor by Father Stronkowski during his priestly assignments.
I realize that this is distressing news for the faithful and it further wounds the Diocese and our Church as a family of faith. I can only reassure you that we remain committed to a zero tolerance policy for child abuse and total transparency in the handling of cases.
I ask your prayers for all involved and pledge that we as a Diocese will continue to do everything in our power to fulfill the sacred obligation we share to protect children, youth and vulnerable adults in our community.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano Bishop of Bridgeport
Like all people of good will, Courage International condemns the atrocious violence perpetrated at Pulse Orlando in the early hours of June 12, 2016.
We make our own the words of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which insisted nearly 30 years ago:“It is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the object of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church’s pastors wherever it occurs. It reveals a kind of disregard for others which endangers the most fundamental principles of a healthy society. The intrinsic dignity of each person must always be respected in word, in action and in law.”
Bishop Caggiano issues statement on Orlando shootings: “Sunday morning’s attack in Orlando has unmasked once again the evil face of hatred and bigotry in our society. It is an evil that must spur us to rededicate ourselves to fostering a true spirit of unity and reconciliation.
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A Prayer Vigil to pray for and honor the memory of those killed and wounded in the shootings at a gay nightclub in Orlando will be held at St. Pius X Parish in Fairfield on Wednesday, June 15 at 7pm. The Prayer Vigil is open to all people throughout the diocese.
The killings of at least 50 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., have left Pope Francis with “the deepest feelings of horror and condemnation, of pain and turmoil before this new manifestation of homicidal folly and senseless hatred,” the Vatican said in a statement Sunday.
Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the “Original” Feast of St. Anthony this weekend to enjoy a festival of of faith, fun, good food, live music and rides at St. Margaret Shrine, 2523 Park Avenue in Bridgeport.
There is another aspect of life here that is striking. I had not realized before my arrival that during the summer months, the sun is visible in the sky for most of the night. In fact, the sun was still visible last night past 11:30 PM and when I arose this morning at 4:00 AM, the sky was already bright with light! During the winter months, the opposite is true. The sun rises after 9:30 AM and sets by 4:00 PM.
