Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

By Rose Brennan

Also: View Bishop Caggiano’s homily for this mass

BRIDGEPORT—For what was the seventh weekend in a row, it rained in Fairfield County. But even that dreary atmosphere couldn’t dampen the spirits of those gathered in St. Augustine Cathedral for the 70th Anniversary Mass of the Diocese of Bridgeport on October 21.

The gathering was truly a “who’s who” of the Diocese of Bridgeport, welcoming priests, deacons, religious sisters and lay faithful from all corners of Fairfield County, all joined together as one to celebrate the most joyous occasion.

The Mass also served as a celebration of the different faith communities within the larger Church in the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Scripture readings were proclaimed in Spanish and French, while the Gospel was read in English. Later in the Mass, the Universal Prayer was read in six languages: English, Spanish, French-Creole, Vietnamese, Portuguese and Polish.

The diversity was also reflected in the liturgical musicians, which included not only the Diocesan Jubilee Choir formed specially for the occasion, but also the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Choir, the Haitian Choir of St. Joseph-St. Ladislaus Parish in Norwalk and the Spanish and Vietnamese Choirs of the Cathedral Parish.

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano opened the Mass by blessing the new chasubles and stoles worn by the priests and deacons present, which were specially commissioned for the diocese’s 70th anniversary.

“May these new chasubles and stoles be blessed, and may your priests who use these vestments be prepared for the celebration of the liturgy and now set apart by your blessing, wear them with reverence and honor them by the holiness of their lives,” the bishop said.

In his homily, the bishop began by reflecting not on Scripture or on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and its oft-repeated adage, “To thine own self be true.” For, the bishop noted, being true to one’s self is easier said than done, but nevertheless achievable through Christ.

“Although all of us are sinners, nevertheless from the day of our baptism, we were claimed by the Father,” Bishop Caggiano said. “And we were given a destiny and a mission of holiness—a destiny of eternal life.”

The Gospel reading for the 70th anniversary was from Matthew, when Christ renamed Simon as Peter, saying “upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” But whether it was founded 70 years ago or 2,000 years ago, establishing and maintaining a Church is not easy—and neither the Diocese of Bridgeport nor the universal Church are ignorant of that fact.

“For 70 years—nearly four generations before us—they struggled with zeal, with courage, with fidelity, with generosity, and made the Church alive and real in so many ways that I could not even begin to enumerate here today,” Bishop Caggiano said.

Photos by Amy Mortensen

Yes, upholding Christ’s Church can be challenging. But that challenge is made a bit easier, the bishop said, because the life of the disciple is not meant to be lived alone.

“Look at this church; look at the diversity of God’s people, who alone could claim us as his own and forge us into a family where the bonds of grace are more powerful than the bonds of blood and nature,” the bishop said. “We come here with gratitude, and we stand on the shoulders of giants: bishops, priests, deacons, women and men religious (and) lay faithful of every race and language and culture.”

Among those belonging to that family united by grace was Joseph P. Ganim, mayor of the City of Bridgeport and an alumnus of two Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic schools, who presented a proclamation to the bishop recognizing the good work of the diocese on the 70th anniversary of its founding.

Every generation of the Catholic faith has been marked by its own obstacles. And as the bishop noted, those facing this generation lurked just beyond the walls of St. Augustine Cathedral.

“We face the specter of mediocrity (and) irrelevance,” he said. “We face the specter and the challenges of that world that wants us to simply go away. And we are going nowhere.”

But Bishop Caggiano was hopeful, as the joy and zeal of the diocese celebrating a milestone anniversary might change some hearts. And rather than beckoning those inside the cathedral to come out into the world, those in the cathedral might be able to invite those outside to come in.

“The joys of one are the joys of all: to walk with each other—in courage, in zeal, in joyful optimism—shining fervently in faith, hope and love,” Bishop Caggiano said. “That world out there will stop in its tracks and come to realize what it seeks (and) what it hopes for can be found right here in Jesus Christ.”