STRATFORD — Members of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Stratford stepped into their second hundred years by marching in the town’s parade on Memorial Day. Carrying a banner that proclaimed “Celebrating 100 Years-1923-2023,” parishioners wore T-shirts of purple and gold, traditional colors to honor a centennial anniversary. Leading the group, the Knights of Columbus hoisted flags for the Church and the United States.
Father Albert Pinciaro, Holy Name’s pastor, shepherded his flock down Main Street and said, “Our parish is growing with an influx of new members in search of home, community and faith. To celebrate our diversity, we made and wore flags for our different cultural heritages.”
Holy Name of Jesus is beginning a year-long celebration “to frame the future on the foundation of faith.” The march was the first of many events planned for the year.
On June 3, which marked the founding of the parish in 1923, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano joined hundreds of parishioners to celebrate the centennial anniversary, blessing the restored facade and urging them to “throw open the doors and invite those who once were with us to come back and discover a new way.”
The anniversary celebration began with a concert that featured former and current musicians, soloists and choir members. Parishioners then went outside as Bishop Caggiano blessed the restored facade. Upon returning, the liturgy for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity was celebrated. Afterward, parishioners gathered in the parish hall for a reception that featured food from the many nationalities represented in the parish.
Holy Name was the second Roman Catholic parish founded in Stratford and was established by the then-Diocese of Hartford to serve the growing Slovak immigrant community. The new parish worshipped in the former St. James Church on Broadbridge Avenue and then moved to a wooden church on Barnum Avenue in 1923.
On March 23, 1941, the current English Gothic church was dedicated, and the wooden church was moved nearby and became the parish hall. It supported an elementary school from 1957 to 1991.
