(Editor’s note: During this unprecedented coronavirus crisis, the priests of the Diocese of Bridgeport may be separated from their flocks physically but they are connected with them spiritually. Their message is a simple one: Christ is with us even in the storm … and he will never leave us. Here are some of their stories.)
NEW CANAAN—Parishioners at St. Aloysius have been lighting candles in front of the statue of the church’s patron and praying to the saint who was a servant to the sick. An Italian aristocrat, Aloysius Gonzaga left behind his life of affluence and entered the Society of Jesus, and he died at 23, caring for victims of an epidemic that ravaged Rome in 1591.
“He served during the plague and he died during the plague, and his life has brought many of our parishioners closer to our church and to our faith,” said Father Robert Kinnally, pastor and Diocesan Chancellor. “We have been asking everyone to pray for his intercession during the coronavirus pandemic.”
One parishioner who brought her grandson to light a candle said to Father, “Aren’t we blessed to have St. Aloysius as our patron right now because he is such a friend and servant of the sick.”
For Father, it was one of many “grace-filled moments” he has experienced in recent weeks since the parish turned to technology to fill the void that developed when the faith community could no longer gather.
“I am very proud of our parishioners because they are doing the best they can under these circumstances,” he said. But the longing for Christ in the sacraments is great.
Father Bob Uzzilio, a retired priest in residence, was recently walking around the block near the church when a couple from the parish spotted him and called out, “We miss the Eucharist!” When he mentioned the encounter during the staff meeting, Father Rob said their eyes filled with tears.
“For us, this Lent was a time in the desert, a time of longing to go back to what we love—Jesus in the Eucharist,” he said. “And I hope this brings a stronger desire for him. I think that is where God is leading us.”
Despite the challenges the separation has caused, the parish is working hard to keep people connected. The youth group and their families have been reaching out to the well over 100 seniors of St. Aloysius.
“They pray with them on the phone, they laugh with them and they listen to them,” Father Rob said. “It makes me think about my own ministry, and I find myself asking how I can rearrange what I do so that I spend more time with parishioners.”
Of course, technology has its limitations when it comes to the pastoral ministry of priests.
“Sometimes the best we can do is talk to someone on the phone but even with those who don’t have the virus and are dying because of natural causes, we can’t get to,” he said. “We talk to them while nurses are holding phones up to their ears. But God does what God does, and we are confident in his mercy.”
In the first reading at Mass on a Sunday when the crisis was in the early stages, the Israelites asked, “Is God in our midst?” For Father Rob, that question has been a recurring theme in recent weeks.
“We should be able to answer a hearty ‘yes’ to that. He is in our midst and challenging us to go deeper in our faith,” Father said. “We should ask ourselves, ‘What does this mean for me as a Christian, for my family, for my parish, for the Church and for the world?’ We have time to think about that now. It is an opportunity to find God in our own lives and recognize that he is present and that, yes, he is in our midst.”
The coronavirus crisis is a call from the Lord for the faithful to look inward, to sit and think and pray about our relationship with God and get to know him better amid the challenges we are experiencing.
“All this happened in Lent, which is a time for us to go deeper in our spirituality and look for Christ in a very intentional way, so we can draw closer to the Paschal mystery of suffering, dying and rising with Christ,” he said. “I tell people to just be with God and ask, ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ And in asking that, know that God loves us through all this. Not that God is angry with us or disappointed with us, but loving us. This time has made us more aware of God and of our need to change and be more aware of the other person.”
God is always in control
DARIEN—Several days before the coronavirus pandemic began to ramp up, Father Christopher Perrella, parochial vicar of St. John Church, was called to Stamford Hospital to give the Anointing of the Sick to a woman who was dying. Several days later, she passed away, and it emphasized for him once again the importance of administering the sacraments to people when they are sick or in danger of dying.
This crisis has made his ministry more difficult. Serving others is the life of a priest, and being separated from the sacraments is particularly challenging for faithful Catholics, he said.
Nevertheless, he has been focusing on trying to connect with people on a personal level through Zoom and social media. He has also been regularly calling parishioners to say hello and ask if they need groceries, and he continues to do pastoral counseling and spiritual direction through the available technology.
“I miss my people, and I really look forward to the day when we can get back to the church again. It has taken some time to realize how much it weighs on me, and other people too,” he said. “I would love to be able to take this burden away from people and solve this, but I have to recognize that is far beyond my ability. It is pulling down some of the illusions of control that I had and that a lot of us had, when we were laboring under that illusion that we have control.”
God is the only one in complete control, he said, and he has always been in control.
“What do we do when we are forced to confront our helplessness?” Father Chris said. “We can despair. We can give up. Or we can say, ‘Lord, I am scared. I am anxious. I am lonely … and I am going to trust you.’ It is easy when our anxiety is high to think that God is absent. God has always been in control, and he is in control of the situation now. He is a loving father who won’t leave us or let us carry our burden alone. He wants to use this present situation to draw us closer to him. There are so many things we get attached to even when we are following God, and sometimes it takes something serious to help us reprioritize.”
Father Chris recalls the Gospel story in which Jesus calls a little child to himself and tells the disciples, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
This is one of Christ’s most powerful statements, he said, because it points to the importance of childlike dependence on God in all things. Nothing is outside of God’s plan, Father Chris says.
“God is a loving, wise father, and he wants the best for his children,” he said. “God has never punished us according to what we deserve, and he always tries to be lenient and forgiving, but sometimes when we become obstinate, we need a wake-up call. All things are under his control, and he will bring good out of every situation, including the one we are in right now.”
‘I haven’t forgotten you. I’m praying for you’
TRUMBULL—In his Easter videotaped message to the St. Joseph High School community, Father Eric Silva, the episcopal chaplain, reminded them to celebrate during this time of great joy and great challenges.
“The Lord is risen, alleluia, alleluia. Happy Easter, St. Joe’s,” he said from the school chapel. “We know that the end of a story changes the meaning of every page, and Lent only makes sense in the light of what’s to come and in the light of what we celebrate today….Celebrate. Eat ice cream, have cake, watch a movie with your family. It’s spring break now, so just enjoy yourselves and really celebrate, remembering that this time is supposed to be a time of great joy…”
Since the school closed because of the pandemic, he has been sending regular video clips to the 820 students and the rest of high school community, along with links to resources that will help them pray the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and live-stream liturgies and prayer services.
“I want to encourage them and make sure they have the resources they need during this time,” he said. “And sometimes my message is simple: ‘I am praying for you. I haven’t forgotten you.’”
His ministry is primarily one of “presence,” and to maintain that presence, he has been relying on communications platforms such as Zoom and Google Hangouts, to stay connected with students. Every day, he makes himself available and has from one to four “digital office hours” in addition to saying daily Mass.
“Even though I am a young priest, I never imagined myself as being a priest who overuses the digital platform,” he said. “It is something unappealing to me personally, but that is what needs to be done, as well as praying and interceding for my people. My flock and my sheep are not able to go to Mass so first and foremost, I am hunkered down in prayer for them and making them know that beyond a shadow of a doubt I am praying for them at the altar.”
Young people, in particular, are dealing with anxieties because of the crisis and their inability to leave home.
“Being in lockdown for a teenager can be a particularly difficult time,” he said, so during his twice weekly videos he addresses topics of special concern to the students in addition to parents, alumni and staff.
Father Silva, who assists at weekend Masses at Our Lady of Fatima in Wilton, also celebrates the Eucharist at three convents in the area, where Masses are still permitted.
“We have so many good and faithful religious,” he said. “Celebrating Mass with these sisters has been a huge source of consolation and grace for me.”
By Joe Pisani
