he St. Lawrence Prayer Group, of St. Lawrence in Shelton will be sponsoring the Veneration of the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28.
Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT
The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport held its Fourth Annual Golf Classic at the Country Club of Fairfield on Thursday, May 19. The event was a “birdie” by all accounts—from picture-perfect weather to almost 100 enthusiastic golfers to nearly $200,000 raised for student scholarships.
St. Vincent’s College conferred degrees to 179 members of the Class of 2016 at Friday’s commencement exercises. Most of the students graduated with degrees in nursing: 114 students earned associate of nursing degrees, while 29 others received Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing.
In this Pastoral Letter, released on the Solemnity of Easter, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano provides a summary of the vision and mission that arose from Synod 2014 as the diocese works to implement its initiatives in the coming months and years. The Bishop tells us that the new initiatives underway in the diocese from strategic planning to the Diocesan Leadership Institute “remain rooted in, and return to, the vision of the Synod. Only in this way will they bear lasting, spiritual fruit.”
The Bishop writes that “the Synod journey of faith” provides the “roadmap for realizing the New Evangelization” in the diocese.
He also reflects in a more personal way on the “wonderful opportunity of grace “ that the Lord has provided the diocesan family that came together in the 18-month Synod journey.
“It is a great sign of hope that our Church remains faithful to our Lord. Despite the challenges we face, we can and will confidently and joyfully move forward,” writes the Bishop, who expresses his gratitude to all those who have participated in this journey of faith and the ongoing process of renewal in the Diocese of Bridgeport.
GOOD FRIDAY multi-parish procession of Stations of the Cross led by Bishop Frank Caggiano will begin 10 am on Fri., March 25, at St. Mary Parish, Bridgeport. East Main Street will be closed for the procession, which includes St. Mary’s, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Charles Borromeo and Our Lady of Fatima.
LENTEN CONCERT by the St. Cecilia Consort, a Fairfield County-based Sacred music ensemble, performing Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater as a Lenten Musical Reflection: Fri., March 25, 7 pm, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Fairfield. For more info or to hear audio samples visit stceciliaconsort.wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/FairfieldSacredMusic/.
DANBURY—The Knights of Columbus McGivney Council #29 in Danbury held its Sixth Annual Regional Catholic Geography Bee on March 12, with 26 students in grades 5 through 8 representing ten schools (Our Lady of Fatima in Wilton, St. Mary in Ridgefield, St. Joseph in Danbury, St. Peter in Danbury, St. Gregory the Great in Danbury, St. Mary in Bethel, St. Joseph in Brookfield, St. Rose of Lima in Newtown, Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, and Greenwich Catholic School) grappling with 112 questions about world, North American and regional geography.
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In addition to establishing the Centers of Mercy throughout the diocese, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano has announced a list of dates on which he will lead the diocesan observances of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy:
Diocesan celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday April 3, at 2 pm St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport
Bishop Caggiano will celebrate Mass and dedicate the new Divine Mercy Shrine on the Cathedral grounds. The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy will also be prayed. Special invitees include the diocesan WYD pilgrims and also those youth who are not going to WYD.
Jubilee for Religious Tuesday, May 17, 4:30 pm St. Luke Parish, Westport
The bishop will celebrate Mass with and for the women and men Religious throughout the diocese, particularly honoring jubilarians.
Jubilee for the Disabled Sunday, June 5, 2 pm, McClinch Family Center, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Trumbull
At this handicapped-accessible facility, Bishop Caggiano will especially welcome faithful from throughout the diocese who are developmentally or otherwise disabled.
Jubilee for Workers and Volunteers of Mercy Sunday, September 4, 12 noon Location TBD
In a bilingual Mass in conjunction with the feast day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the bishop will honor, thank and pray with the employees and volunteers of Catholic Charities, together with the volunteers in the Catholic Service Corps and other workers
and volunteers of mercy.
Diocesan Pilgrimage for the Year of Mercy to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. Saturday, November 5
At this Mass, to which the whole diocese is invited, Bishop Caggiano will consecrate the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Each parish will be asked to send a delegation. Organization has begun to prepare publicity and arrange for bus transportation. Cost for the day (not including meals) is estimated at $75. The day will also include a visit to the St. John Paul II National Shrine, across the street from the Basilica.
Jubilee for Prisoners Sunday, November 6, 7 pm
Bishop Caggiano will celebrate Mass at the Garner Correctional Institution. This event will not be open to the public.
Conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Saturday, November 19, 4 pm St. Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport
At this Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano on the Vigil of the Solemnity of Christ the King, the last Sunday in the Church year, the bishop will close the Holy Door at the Cathedral.
As at the opening of the Holy Door at the beginning of the Jubilee of Mercy, special invitees will include the youth of the diocese together with members of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, with involvement from the Order of Malta.
Looking for a Catholic church in Fairfield County?
You can find one on your smartphone or tablet with the Diocese of Bridgeport’s new app. You can also hear sermons and speeches by Bishop Frank Caggiano at your leisure, or find a support group sponsored by the diocese or a parish. Naturally, it has a section for youth, but it’s meant for all Fairfield Catholics.
“People throughout the diocese have told us that they want to see the church on social media, which is the new marketplace of communication in our culture,” Caggiano said in a release. “Our youth along with many adults have urged us to use social media to engage, inform and inspire people of faith.”
The app is the responsibility of the diocese’s newly named social media leader, John Grosso. It includes opportunities for giving service, information about the diocesan synod and videos about the Catholic faith.
“Reflecting a renewed push by the bishop to engage the youth as an integral part of our church, there is an entire section of the app where young people can find opportunities to engage in their parish and the diocese, from information on youth groups, to mission trips, and a section titled, ‘Ask the Bishop,’” Gross said.
But more broadly, “Our hope is that the app will serve as a tool for evangelization and enrichment in our lives as Catholic Christians in today’s culture,” he said. The app is available for iPhone and Android devices.
Neither the Archdiocese of Hartford nor the Diocese of Norwich has an app yet, although Norwich spokesman Michael Strammiello said, “We’ve discussed it. … It’s on our imagination board. … It’s likely we will be far along in 2015. This is the year we want to do it.”
“This is it?”
I’m in Israel touring Qasr el Yahud, a baptism site for Christian pilgrims situated near Jericho and the Dead Sea on the Israeli side of the Jordan River. Christian-themed tour buses in the parking lot signify the importance of Qasr el Yahud as a must-see spot for pilgrims seeking to retrace Jesus’ footsteps.
Tony Magliano, best known as an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist, enters the children’s book genre with “Cracks in the Sidewalk.” In it, Magliano stays true to his vocation by instilling the seeds of social justice, “sharing, fairness and love for life,” into the minds and hearts of young readers, inviting them to “deepen their awareness of the many wonders that surround them.”
DANBURY—Knights of Columbus McGivney Council #29 in Danbury held its Fifth Annual Regional Catholic Geography Bee on March 28, with 19 students representing eight schools (Our Lady of Fatima in Wilton, St. Mary in Ridgefield, St. Joseph in Danbury, St. Peter in Danbury, St. Gregory the Great in Danbury, St. Mary in Bethel, St. Joseph in Brookfield, and St. Rose of Lima in Newtown).
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FAIRFIELD—With the synod underway, 2015 is a landmark year in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Contributing to the uniqueness of this year, Convivio, the annual Catholic youth conference, was held on one day this year, rather than the three days it has been in the past.
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DANBURY—The 22nd annual White Mass and breakfast honoring health care professionals will be held on Sunday, April 12, 8:30 am at St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan. The Mass, open to the general public, will be celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Caggiano. Breakfast will follow at Woodway Country Club in Darien. Father Kevin Fitzgerald, S.J., associate professor of bioethics at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine and an expert in ethical issues related to cloning and genetic testing, will be the featured speaker.
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Edward Cardinal Egan’s signature achievement for vocations to the priesthood is St. John Fisher Seminary. Since its founding in 1989, nearly 100 men have been ordained who spent some time at Fisher during their priestly formation. On June 20, 2014, Cardinal Egan was the homilist at the Mass celebrating Fisher’s 25th anniversary. Excerpts from the homily that he gave that evening are contained below. It was one of his last official visits to the Diocese of Bridgeport.
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