11 Celebrating the restoration. 20 St. Jude School receives READY FOR SOMETHING BETTER? bridgeportdiocese.com. Inside this issue. Please visit us on:

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1 Iside this issue 11 Celebratig the restoratio of St. Mary Church, Norwalk 20 St. Jude School receives its Blue Ribbo for Excellece Please visit us o: at Fairfield Couty Catholics ad at bridgeportdiocese at dobevets, dobyouth Latest ews: bridgeportdiocese.com Frak E. Metrusky, CFP Presidet ad Fiacial Advisor 945 Beaver Dam Road Stratford, CT Securities ad Advisory Services offered through Natioal Plaig Corporatio (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC, ad a Registered Ivestmet Advisor. Catholic Way ivestmets ad NPC are separate ad urelated compaies. READY FOR SOMETHING BETTER? The it s time to ear your college degree. Sacred Heart Uiversity s part-time studies offer: Flexibility olie ad o-campus courses Numerous Degree Programs from associate to bachelor s degrees Geerous Trasfer Policy we ll evaluate the college courses you ve take for trasfer LEARN MORE AT SACREDHEART.EDU/UCADMISSIONS (Photo by Liz Tamarki)

2 2 Preparig for a Syod Callig the diocese to ew begiigs Each New Year, we fid our hearts are filled with gratitude ad hope. Whe we reflect upo the evets that marked the year that just eded, we caot help but give thaks to the Lord for all the blessigs, graces ad joys that He has give us ad our families. For myself, I am deeply grateful to the Lord Jesus for His merciful love ad His deep ad abidig presece i our lives. I am also grateful to all of you for your kidess ad gracious welcome as I bega my miistry as your shepherd. It has bee a excitig ad challegig three moths for me, learig as much as I ca about our diverse ad complex diocese while at the same time strivig to ope my heart to the promptigs of the Holy Spirit. For if each of us lears to discer ad follow the will of God, our lives will kow peace ad our work will bear great fruit. The New Year is also a hopeful time because the Lord gives us ew opportuities to address the challeges we face both persoally ad as a diocese with cofidece. Some of those challeges are ot ew: Too may youg people o loger fid a spiritual home i our Church. Far too may baptized Catholics have become idifferet to their faith ad see o eed to worship with us o Sudays. May families are hurtig ad seek healig. May Catholics log to lear more about their faith ad do ot kow where to tur. Too may of our sisters ad brothers kow much about the Lord Jesus but do ot kow him persoally as Lord ad Savior. What they seek is a persoal ecouter with Christ, but ofte they do ot kow that they ca best fid Him i the commuity of the Church. Likewise, moder commuicatio has created great opportuities ad risks i our lives. While social media has give us uprecedeted access to frieds ad family aroud the world, its ubridled use ca also create great isolatio, loeliess, ad detachmet, especially amog youg people whose lives are beig radically trasformed by the very techology that was meat to help them. Fially, the diocese ad may of its istitutios face growig fiacial challeges. As a result, we must tailor our programs to meet the eeds of our missio ad miistry a task that is ot easy ad always causes fear ad axieties. It is, ideed, a log list of challeges. However, we must ot fear! I have every cofidece that the Lord will grat us the grace, kowledge, stregth ad courage to meet these challeges ad fid ew, iovative ad excitig ways to foster His missio ad Church i the world. However, i order to move forward, leaders o every level of the Church s life must work together i a true spirit of dialogue ad collaboratio. Clergy, religious ad laity must discer together the pressig issues that we face. We must prayerfully seek to uderstad what each of these challeges mea, idetify creative ways by which we ca address them ad seek the courage to do what the Lord will ask of us. It is a task for which I ow ask your help ad support. More specifically, it is my pla to covoke the Fourth Syod of the Diocese of Bridgeport to begi i the fall of 2014, so that all God s people i Fairfield Couty ca seek the Lord s grace to foster the log-term spiritual ad pastoral reewal of our diocese. Historically the Syod process covees the Christia faithful of a particular church who offer assistace to the diocesa bishop for the good of the whole diocesa commuity (cao 460). By meas of the Syod, we will have the opportuity through prayer ad study to develop a pastoral pla for the diocese. The last such Syod was held i 1981, ad much has chaged i the 32 years sice. For this reaso, I believe that the time has come to gather as a diocesa family ad work together to meet the challeges we face i our ow time. I the weeks ahead, you will receive much more iformatio regardig the ature, work ad structure of the Syod. For ow, because of its importace as the start of a ew chapter i the life of our diocese, I ask that you pray each day that our Lord will guide all who will orgaize ad prepare for its start. May the Syod bear great fruit to the hoor ad glory of our Lord ad deepe our love ad service of oe aother. Please be assured of my daily prayers for you ad your family. May this New Year brig blessigs, reewal ad hope to all. Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao Bishop of Bridgeport Iside this issue 11 Celebratig the restoratio of St. Mary Church, Norwalk 20 St. Jude School receives its Blue Ribbo for Excellece Please visit us o: at Fairfield Couty Catholics ad at bridgeportdiocese at dobevets, dobyouth Latest ews: bridgeportdiocese.com Frak E. Metrusky, CFP Presidet ad Fiacial Advisor 945 Beaver Dam Road Stratford, CT Securities ad Advisory Services offered through Natioal Plaig Corporatio (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC, ad a Registered Ivestmet Advisor. Catholic Way ivestmets ad NPC are separate ad urelated compaies. The it s time to ear your college degree. Sacred Heart Uiversity s part-time studies offer: Flexibility olie ad o-campus courses Numerous Degree Programs from associate to bachelor s degrees Geerous Trasfer Policy we ll evaluate the college READY FOR SOMETHING BETTER? courses you ve take for trasfer (Photo by Liz tamarki) LEARN MORE AT SACREDHEART.EDU/UCADMISSIONS ON THE COVER CRACKING THE CODE! Studets at St. Theresa participate i the Hour of Code program as part of the recet atiowide Computer Sciece Educatio Week. The program is desiged to ispire K-12 studets to take a iterest i computer sciece. More tha 2,000 studets i the diocese participated ad ejoyed the opportuity to lear computer codig. (Photos by Liz Tamarki) CONTENTS 5 MARCH FOR LIFE Joi the March i the atio s capital 10 WINDOWS INTO HEAVEN Icos o display at K of C Museum 13 THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL Pope Fracis o Evagelizatio 15 IT S ALL TOO BEAUTIFUL Matthew Heessey: A Dad s View 16 NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK A story of learig ad faith 18 ND IGNITE CONNECTION A pilot program i Bridgeport 22 NEW LEADERSHIP AT ST. VINCENT S Meet Stuart Marcus, MD 24 IMMACULATE HS CO-CAPTAINS Everybody is a Mustag

3 3 Local News Meet ew ABA chair couple By PAT HENNESSY If you take a tour of the diocese help make peaut butter ad jelly sadwiches at St. Catherie Academy, voluteer at the Merto Ceter, drop i at the Sheha Ceter you ll see how the moey from the Bishop s Appeal is beig spet, ad spet wisely, says Cece Dooghue, lay co-chair with her husbad, Mike, of the 2014 Aual Bishop s Appeal. We are thrilled that Cece ad Mike Dooghue have agreed to serve as our chair couple this year, says Chief Developmet Officer William McLea, Jr. We deeply appreciate their willigess to take a importat leadership role, which will help assure that the Aual Bishop s Appeal is a success. The Dooghues, members of St. Joh Parish i Darie ad the parets of five childre, ca poit to a family history of faith. Cece s brother is a Jesuit priest, ad she grew up havig two ucles who are priests. Mike ejoyed a strog Catholic school backgroud before attedig Dartmouth College ad gettig his MBA from Harvard. Their three older childre all chose to atted Jesuit uiversities. Two youger oes still live at home. Both come from large families. Cece grew up i Pittsburgh, the sixth of seve kids. Mike comes from Worcester, MA, where he was the secod i a family of five childre. They met i Mahatta, where both had come for work. Workig as a executive search cosultat, Cece called Morga Staley with a busiess questio. Mike picked up, she recalls. We discovered we had the same last ame, with the same traditioal Irish spellig, ad agreed we should meet for luch o a blid date. Mike picks up the tale: Our first real date was o St. Patrick s Day. Three years later, o St. Patrick s Day, we got married. I m a Dooghue who s married to a Dooghue, Cece says with a laugh. Mike is curretly presidet ad parter of Phoeix Ivestmet Adviser, LLC i Mahatta. From the start, the couple was active i their local parish wherever they lived. They have served as catechists, ad Cece was a member of the parish coucil. The activities of five growig childre, though, limited their ivolvemet. At some poit, we felt that our faith eeded somethig more, Cece recalls. The couple respoded to a suggestio from frieds that they cosider joiig the Order of Malta. Their ow guided tour of the diocese, take as part of the Malta year of preparatio, was a revelatio. It opeed our eyes about what the diocese actually does, particularly for the less fortuate. A tour like this brigs you out of the focus o your ow parish, says Cece. So may people thik the diocese eds at the last step of their parish church. Of all the miistries they experieced, the studets at St. Catherie Academy i Fairfield, cotiued o page CHAIR COUPLE Cece ad Mike Dooghue of Darie have agreed to serve as chair couple of the 2014 Aual Bishop s Appeal, set to begi i February. (Photo by Amy Mortese) Area Catholics respod to the Holy Father s Questioaire o family BRIDGEPORT A total of 316 Catholics throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport filled out the recet questioaire i respose to the request by Pope Fracis for widespread lay iput o the pastoral care of families withi the cotext of evagelizatio. The full questioaire was posted o the diocesa website from November 15 through December 11. Versios were offered i Eglish ad Spaish. The Diocese of Bridgeport was oe of the first dioceses i the coutry to place the survey olie. Damie O Coor, seior director of Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Bridgeport, said that a executive summary, alog with a compilatio of idividual resposes, was set to the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which will the submit a atioal profile to the Vatica. It was a very challegig survey that made referece to may Church documets, ad we really appreciate those who took the time to respod to the questioaire, said O Coor. The Holy Father has sought support from the laity, as their iput is a extremely importat part of this process i additio to those whose miistry ivolves evagelizatio of the family. O Coor said that most of the resposes were elighteig, heartfelt ad costructive, while some participats took it as a opportuity to vet about a particular issue of cocer to them. Oe thig that came across i all of the resposes is that people are very passioate about their beliefs ad about the teachigs of the Church, O Coor said. What also jumps off the pages is that may people are really hurtig, ad they re desperately lookig to be welcomed by the Church. They do t always feel welcome, particularly if they ve bee through a divorce or are dealig with other issues. He said that Bishop Caggiao read idividual resposes before preparig his summary ad was very moved by people s cocers. The questioaire was developed as part of the preparatios for the 2014 Extraordiary Syod of Bishops that will explore pastoral challeges to the family i light of cotemporary life ad sigificat chages i our culture (such as the icrease i cohabitatio, use of birth cotrol, ad same sex attractio.) O Coor said that whe people leared about the survey i media reports, they were excited about the opportuity, but foud the questios somewhat dautig whe they bega to fill it out. The questioaire was ot a public opiio survey or poll o cotemporary issues, but a serious cosultatio documet based o Church traditio ad teachig, he oted. Each diocese was asked to aswer 39 specific questios ad gave idividual Catholics, clergy ad religious the opportuity to aswer the same questios. Distributio of the questioaire was approved at the recet Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops meetig. It also icluded a Preparatory Documet, a sacrametal descriptio of Marriage ad Family, provided by the Holy See. (To view the questioaire resposes go to files/bishop/holy-father-resposes- Ja2014.pdf. )

4 4 $10,600,000 raised 2013 ABA, thak you! Chair Couple from page 3 the oly Catholic school i Coecticut for childre with special eeds, claimed first place i their hearts. Both of them have sice served o St. Catherie s board. Every third Friday is PB&J Friday, Mike explais. Some of the studets work together ad make a assembly lie. Maybe oe kid will spoo out the peaut butter ad spread it, aother spreads the jelly, ad aother puts the slices of bread together. They make 300 sadwiches for the cliets of the Thomas Merto Ceter. The St. Catherie studets are so appreciative they kow that most of the time they re o the receivig ed, ad it meas a lot whe they ca be the givers. Retired priests claim aother part of their geerous hearts. My mother s brother would come to our house every weeked, says Cece. He d sit dow ad the kids would swarm all over him. He came from a big family, so there were always lots of family members aroud to give him support. May priests are ot so lucky. They sacrifice so much for us, Cece adds. Beig a priest ca be very loely. So much is expected of them people are always comig with their troubles ad hardships. After retiremet comes, they do t always have families close by. We have to provide for them. The diocese curretly has 56 retired priests, with 18 livig at the Catherie Deis Keefe Quee of the Clergy Residece. May of them cotiue to assist with weeked Masses at local parishes. As parets of teeagers, the couple are deeply appreciative of Bishop Caggiao s emphasis o outreach to the youth. If we lose them, we lose the Church, Mike says. They have high praise for the youth group at St. Joh s. You have to make youth activities a mix of fu ad service, says Mike. Sometimes kids i a tow like this ca grow up i a bubble. The youth group experiece opes their eyes ad at the same time, service builds commuity. The older Dooghue childre had a chace to meet Bishop Caggiao at a social evet sposored by the Order of Malta for youg adults i college ad who have recetly graduated. After spedig some time with him, their college freshma, Mara, whe asked how the eveig wet respoded, Mom, the Bish is chill! No higher praise exists for a tee. Youth, priests ewly-ordaied or getly older, religious educatio, Catholic schools, assistace to the sick ad eedy the Aual Bishop s Appeal supports all of these ad more. Whe we ask for support for the Appeal, we should also ivite people to get ivolved with the miistries of the Church, say Cece ad Mike. The more they experiece the great thigs the diocese is doig, the more they ll uderstad the goals of the Appeal. They ll get tured o. We cosider it a privilege to help i the Appeal, ad they will, too. Beefit Plaig Services, LLC Isurace Made Simple. For You / Your Busiess / Your Family Life, Health, Disability, Detal Healthcare exchages ad Defied Cotributio Plas COBRA, FSA & HRA Admiistratio Claims Resolutio Assistace Medicare ad Retiremet Plaig 3 Belde Aveue P.O. Box 551 Norwalk CT Idividual Parish Results VICARIATE 5 VICARIATE 4 VICARIATE 3 VICARIATE 2 VICARIATE 1 Pledged Basilica of Sait Joh the Evagelist, Stamford $86,026 Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford $43,902 Holy Spirit, Stamford $105,783 Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford $91,740 Sacred Heart, Greewich $46,965 Sacred Heart, Stamford $38,042 Sait Ages, Greewich $50,440 Sait Beedict-Motserrat, Stamford $26,874 Sait Bridget, Stamford $86,733 Sait Catherie of Siea, Riverside $188,567 Sait Cecilia, Stamford $104,077 Sait Clemet, Stamford $51,080 Sait Gabriel, Stamford $55,130 Sait Joh, Darie $331,273 Sait Leo, Stamford $466,235 Sait Mary, Greewich $401,659 Sait Mary, Stamford $31,866 Sait Maurice, Stamford $52,904 Sait Michael, Greewich $296,416 Sait Paul, Greewich $107,304 Sait Roch, Greewich $58,855 Sait Thomas More, Darie $524,861 Assumptio, Westport $205,806 Our Lady of Fatima, Wilto $192,449 Sait Aloysius, New Caaa $736,344 Sait Fracis of Assisi, Westo $120,585 Sait Jerome, Norwalk $83,320 Sait Joseph, South Norwalk $59,447 Sait Ladislaus, South Norwalk $13,102 Sait Luke, Westport $232,168 Sait Mary, Norwalk $108,508 Sait Matthew, Norwalk $194,798 Sait Philip, Norwalk $75,392 Sait Thomas the Apostle, East Norwalk $110,492 Holy Cross, Fairfield $25,000 Holy Family, Fairfield $63,519 Notre Dame, Easto $103,326 Our Lady of Assumptio, Fairfield $174,496 Sait Adrew, Bridgeport $72,769 Sait A, Bridgeport $45,257 Sait Athoy of Padua, Fairfield $142,524 Sait Emery, Fairfield $22,050 Sait George, Bridgeport $20,050 Sait Peter, Bridgeport $38,244 Sait Pius X, Fairfield $232,631 Sait Thomas Aquias, Fairfield $189,104 Shrie of Sait Margaret, Bridgeport $29,526 The Cathedral Parish, Bridgeport $87,079 Blessed Sacramet, Bridgeport $11,405 Christ the Kig, Trumbull $78,768 Holy Name of Jesus, Stratford $54,009 Our Lady of Fatima, Bridgeport $26,660 Our Lady of Grace, Stratford $88,114 Our Lady of Peace, Stratford $63,191 Sait Catherie of Siea, Trumbull $185,519 Sait Charles Borromeo, Bridgeport $45,782 Sait James, Stratford $140,000 Sait Joseph, Shelto $79,592 Sait Jude, Moroe $180,299 Sait Lawrece, Shelto $190,993 Sait Margaret Mary Alacoque, Shelto $53,222 Sait Mark, Stratford $135,688 Sait Mary, Bridgeport $25,895 Sait Michael the Archagel, Bridgeport $45,000 Sait Stephe, Trumbull $116,865 Sait Theresa, Trumbull $182,255 Saits Cyril ad Methodius Parish, Bridgeport $18,795 Holy Triity Parish, Sherma $71,680 Immaculate Heart of Mary, Dabury $20,768 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dabury $25,129 Sacred Heart, Dabury $39,706 Sacred Heart, Georgetow $81,233 Sait Edward, New Fairfield $196,737 Sait Elizabeth Seto, Ridgefield $99,124 Sait Gregory the Great, Dabury $94,526 Sait Joseph, Brookfield $127,137 Sait Joseph, Dabury $130,629 Sait Marguerite Bourgeoys, Brookfield $74,777 Sait Mary Parish, Bethel $158,012 Sait Mary, Ridgefield $300,632 Sait Patrick, Reddig Ridge $65,800 Sait Peter, Dabury $129,487 St. Rose of Lima, Newtow $231,360 Total $10,631,669

5 5 March for Life Bishop Caggiao to joi diocesa pilgrims By PAT HENNESSY BRIDGEPORT Pilgrims from aroud the diocese will be makig the trip to the aual March for Life i Washigto o Jauary 22. It is held each year durig the aiversary week of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decisio that legalized abortio. This year marks the 41st aiversary of Roe v. Wade ad we hope to have as may pilgrims as possible joi us, said Mauree Ciardiello, director of Respect Life Miistry for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Last year, the 40th aiversary of the decisio, saw the highest umber yet of participats, she added, icludig a delegatio of more tha 400 from the Diocese of Bridgeport. Catholic Coferece reports o abortios i State HARTFORD The State Departmet of Public Health does ot licese abortio cliics performig surgical abortios i the same way it does outpatiet surgical cliics, ad oly ispects them every four years. That is amog the fidigs compiled by the Coecticut Catholic Coferece (CCC), the public policy ad advocacy office of the Catholic Bishops i the state, i its sixth aual report o the state of abortio i Coecticut The vast majority of abortios i Coecticut are performed i abortio cliics, ot i hospitals or doctor s offices. Curretly, there are 19 abortio cliics i Coecticut; oly six of these cliics provide surgical abortios. The remaiig 13 cliics provide abortio-iducig drugs (medical abortios) or refer wome to oe of the surgical cliics. Despite the sigificat differece i the services provided, both types of cliics are oly ispected oce every four years as family plaig outpatiet cliics, the report said. The surgical abortio cliics are ot ispected every two years, as are all other outpatiet surgical cliics i Coecticut. Additioally, they are ot required to meet the same strict staffig ad facility requiremets. This is critical, because the risk to the patiet durig ad immediately followig a surgical abortio should be reaso eough to require that the surgical abortio cliics meet the same requiremets as all other outpatiet surgical cliics i Coecticut. Aother sigificat fidig is that eve though the umber of abortios performed i Coecticut has declied for the fifth cosecutive year ad four cliics have closed Plaed Parethood is preparig for major reovatios ad expasios of its facilities. This course of actio is apparetly takig place to accommodate the aticipated iflux of cliets resultig from the chage i coverage for family plaig services allowed by the Affordable Care Act ad adopted by the State of Coecticut. I previous aual reports, the CCC has expressed cocer over the icomplete documetatio submitted by abortio providers regardig the age of wome receivig a abortio ad the gestatio period of the child beig aborted. Despite several remiders issued by the Coecticut Departmet of Public Health to abortio providers, this irresposible practice cotiues to be a problem. Every provider should kow a patiet s medical history prior to performig a abortio to esure that proper medical care is give ad that madatory reportig requiremets cocerig the sexual assault of miors ca be met. Aother recurrig fidig by the CCC is that Coecticut remais oe of oly seve states that have ever eacted a paretal/ adult otificatio or coset law relatig to teeage abortios. The lack of such a law fails to protect youg wome from exploitatio withi the state by ot requirig a paret or guardia to be ivolved i such a life-alterig decisio. (The iformatio cotaied i this report has bee compiled ad made available to the members of the Geeral Assembly ad to the geeral public. To review The State of Abortio i Coecticut Sixth Aual Report i its etirety, visit: Florecia Silva, director of the Diocesa Youth Miistry, poits out that every year a strog cotiget of youth from throughout the diocese participates i the march. This year, they re excited to kow that Bishop Caggiao is goig to the Youth Rally with them ad will be with us for the march. Because most Catholics are uable to atted the March for Life persoally, the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has aouced that a ovea for life will take place aroud the aiversary of the Roe v. Wade decisio. O Jauary 22, our atio will remember the 41st aiversary of Roe v. Wade, the coferece otes o its website. Sice that tragic decisio, more tha 55 millio childre s lives have bee lost to abortio, ad the lives of millios of their parets have bee shattered. I prayerful recogitio, Nie Days of Prayer, Peace ad Pilgrimage will take place Jauary 18-26, (Busses will depart at 5:30 am from the Catholic Ceter i Bridgeport ad 6 am from the Basilica of St. Joh the Evagelist i Stamford. The cost of the trip is $75. For more iformatio or to register, cotact Mauree Ciardiello: or mciardiello@ diobpt.org. For iformatio o youth travelig to the march, cotact Florecia Silva: or srsilva@diobpt.org.) Rated #1 i New Eglad i Total Customer Satisfactio Year after Year 767 Bridgeport Aveue (Rt. 1) Milford, Coecticut courteyhoda.com

6 6 Local News Diocese issues 2009 fiacial statemet BRIDGEPORT The Diocese of Bridgeport has released the Disaggregated Codesed Combied Fiacial Statemets for the 18 moths that eded December 31, 2009, as part of the overall Stewardship Report issued i December. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao described the release of the Stewardship Report as a ecessary first step i buildig the future of our diocese i service of the Lord. It icluded a summary of diocesa miistries as well as a picture of the curret fiacial positio of the diocese. The earlier report, prited i the December issue of Fairfield Couty Catholic ad made available olie, icluded fiacial statemets ad commetary for fiscal years 2010, 2011 ad 2012 for the Bridgeport Roma Catholic Diocesa Corporatio. The 2009 audit was ot icluded i the iitial report because it reflects a 18-moth audit, as the result of a chage i the diocesa fiscal year at that time from Jue 30 to December 31. The chage was made to provide greater cotrol over diocesa fiacial activities ad to lie up the Aual Appeal the major source of reveue for diocesa miistries with the first half of the fiscal year. As a result, the 2009 report does ot led itself to a comparative presetatio to either the 12-moth period before or after it. Thus, the ew report is preseted as a stad-aloe discussio o the 18-moth period. The fiacial statemets reflect a et deficit at December 31, It resulted pricipally from ivestmet losses experieced i pesio pla ad other ivestmet portfolios i the fall of 2008 ad cotiuig ito March 2009 as a result of the precipitous declie i the stock market ad the global recessio. I additio, the reportig period icluded reveue from a sigle Aual Bishop s Appeal, but 18 moths of Aual Bishop s Appeal-fuded expeses, which cotributed sigificatly to the decrease. The 2009 report also documets a shortfall i reimbursable reveue from diocesa schools for employer beefits provided through the diocese for the school s employees. To address these challeges, the diocese bega corrective actios durig this time period ad has cotiued to take additioal steps each year as the circumstaces demad. Those steps iclude: The freezig of the Bridgeport Diocesa Pesio Pla for lay employees ad replacig it with a defied cotributio pla for employees; Implemetatio of a lay pesio shortfall fudig assessmet; Close moitorig of the pesio fud s asset allocatio ad ivestmet strategy by the Diocesa Fiace Coucil Ivestmet Committee; Ogoig review ad reorgaizatio of diocesa operatios to geerate efficiecies ad reduced expeses. As we kow, the past five years have see great chage ad preseted sigificat challeges i our coutry s broader fiacial markets. The diocese has also experieced similar chage ad challeges, as outlied i our fiacial statemet, Bishop Caggiao said, addig that he s optimistic about the future of the diocese. My visio for the future of the Diocese of Bridgeport is oe of a growig ad vibrat Church that welcomes everyoe who seeks to deepe their relatioship with the Lord Jesus withi our Catholic commuity of faith. (The codesed 2009 summary ad fiacials alog with the complete audited reports for fiscal years 2010, 2011 ad 2012 ca be foud olie at com/stewardship.html. The fial piece of the Stewardship Report is a full accoutig of the diocesa edowmet fud, Faith i the Future. It will be issued at the ed of Jauary.) Catholic siger-composer to appear at St. Philip Church NORWALK Noted Catholic musicia, composer ad siger Steve Agrisao will perform at St. Philip Church i Norwalk o Jauary 25, at 7:30 p.m. Youth ad family members throughout the diocese are ivited to atted the cocert. Steve is udoubtedly oe of the most effective ad versatile miistry leaders i the Church today. Those who are youg ad youg at heart embrace the passioate message of faith, hope ad love wove throughout his music ad storytellig, says Mike Pappa, director of the Faith Formatio office at St. Philip. For may years we have dreamed of brigig Steve Agrisao to our diocese. We have see Steve speak ad perform at Natioal Catholic Youth Cofereces (NCYC) ad may other youth rallies ad cofereces. Agrisao has bee featured at six World Youth Days, several NCYC, ad may diocesa youth covetios ad cofereces. Pappa says that after seeig him speak ad perform at the New Eglad Covocatio for Catechetical Leadership i Sprigfield this past August ad speakig with some of the other DREs, youth miisters, ad catechists who were i attedace, he decided it was time to take a leap of faith ad ivite Agrisao to St. Philip s to ispire youth ad families. Steve s easy, hoest style of miistry is bor from who he is: a committed witess to the life ad love of Jesus Christ. No matter if the sog is deep ad movig like Welcome Home or a drivig athem callig us to discipleship like Go Make A Differece, there is a cosistet awareess that Steve is ot just a performer. His geuie ad sicere desire to brig everyoe to a closer relatioship with the Lord is what gives each evet its ow distictive spiritual eergy, says Pappa (Admissio is free but a good will offerig will be accepted at the door. For more iformatio, cotact Kali DiMarco or Mike Pappa at the Faith Formatio Office at St. Philip: or faith formatio@stphilip-orwalk.org.)

7 7 Local News Bishop appoits Msgr. Doyle to ew post BRIDGEPORT Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, J.C.D., has bee amed Episcopal Vicar for Caoical Affairs of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The appoitmet was made by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao as part of his reorgaizatio of the diocese. Further appoitmets will be made i the comig moths. Last moth, the bishop also appoited Msgr. Doyle, a cao lawyer, to a three-year term edig i 2017 as judicial vicar of the Diocesa Tribual, the diocesa court with jurisdictio over sacrametal ad spiritual issues. Msgr. Doyle will cotiue to serve as a valued advisor. Ideed, we are ot oly grateful for his log-term service i the chacery, but also for his steady ad prayerful goverace of the diocese over much of the past two years, Bishop Caggiao says. He served with humility, steadfastess ad a commitmet to the missio of the diocese. A priest for 44 years, Msgr. Doyle first served i the Diocesa Tribual i 1974 ad was amed judicial vicar i I additio to presidig over marriage aulmets, the tribual also provides caoical advice to the bishop, members of the diocesa curia, clerics ad the faithful of the diocese. Msgr. Doyle says he is lookig forward to servig the bishop i his ew post while returig fulltime to the tribual. May have praised him for his quiet ad humble leadership i the log spa betwee bishops. I may ways, a lot of what I was doig as admiistrator i the iterim was the same kid of geeral admiistratio that I had hadled while workig with Bishop Lori, says Msgr. Doyle. I ll always be grateful for the full support of our priests ad the seior leadership team of the diocese who worked with me to maage our schools, charities ad other missio iitiatives. I May 2012, Msgr. Doyle was amed admiistrator of the diocese followig the istallatio of Bishop William E. Lori Cradle of Hope BRIDGEPORT Cradle of Hope Adoptio Ceter, a U.S.-based iteratioal adoptio agecy, is recruitig families to host Catholic orphas from Colombia who will visit the U.S. for about three weeks i summer of 2014 through the Bridge of Hope hostig program. We are seekig hosts who have strog iterest i adoptig a older child, says Kathy Rezulli of Shelto, who is coordiatig the local effort. She says that iformatio sessios have already bee held at St. Michael Parish i Greewich ad St. Mary Parish i Norwalk. The ext iformatio sessio is set for Jauary 28 at 7 pm i St. Augustie Rectory. BOH will coduct iformatio sessios for prospective host families i Jauary ad February. Families must apply to be hosts, go through a orietatio iterview ad traiig, ad complete pre-hostig miihome studies. Host families will receive photos ad extesive iformatio o their host childre i advace ad will have priority to apply to adopt these childre at the ed of the program. Both sigle childre ad siblig groups of two will be available. Childre will be 9-12 years old. Colombia accepts sigle me ad wome, married couples, ad commo law couples who have bee together more tha three years. Age requiremets are years old, though exceptios may be made for older couples. Adoptig parets must travel to Colombia to complete the adoptio. Bridge of Hope will sposor social activities ad will work closely with families durig the program, Rezulli says. Cradle of Hope, which is based i Marylad, has facilitated adoptios of over 3,500 childre. The deadlie for the host program is set for March. (For more iformatio cotact Kathy Rezulli: kar41west@sbcglobal.et -subject- Bridge of Hope or call ) as Archbishop of Baltimore. He the led the diocese through the 16-moth period util Bishop Caggiao was appoited Fifth Bishop of Bridgeport i July He ofte raised a laugh at diocesa fuctios whe he idicated how fervetly he was prayig for the appoitmet of a ew bishop. Msgr. Doyle, 70, was appoited as episcopal vicar for admiistratio by Bishop Lori i As such, he worked alogside the bishop to oversee all diocesa operatios, istitutios ad programs. I April 2008, he was amed Prelate of Hoor, with the title of Mosigor, by Pope Beedict XVI i recogitio of his work as judicial vicar of the Diocesa Tribual ad his service to the Church. Bor ad raised i Bridgeport, Msgr. Doyle graduated from St. Thomas Semiary i Bloomfield ad completed his theological studies at Gregoria Uiversity i Rome. He was ordaied i St. Peter s Basilica i He holds Now, because... you ad your loved oes make the decisios, ot others. Now, because... you are uder ormal emotioal circumstaces. Now, because... you ca purchase memorial property out of curret icome. Now, because... cemeteries are ot exempt from escalatig costs. Now, because... at a time of eed, cemetery property must be paid for i full before it may be used. Now, because... you will have a full selectio to choose from, icludig commuity mausoleums, iches ad burial plots. Now, because... purchasig a burial plot i advace offers you the opportuity to pay over oe year. We offer two years iterest free, whe you purchase space i our commuity mausoleum. The above offer is ot available for those who purchase at a time of eed. Now, because... the purchase of memorial property is a ievitable task. You ca make the decisio ow, based o oe of the above reasos, or, you ca wait util you HAVE to decide. Sometime i the distat future you will be thakful you have take care of this importat matter ow. For details call your local cemetery! Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Bridgeport 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, CT (203) a doctorate i cao law from St. Paul Uiversity i Ottawa, Caada. Msgr. Doyle s first appoitmet was as parochial vicar at Blessed Sacramet Parish i Bridgeport. He has also served at St. Stephe Parish i Trumbull, St. Jerome Parish i Norwalk ad Our Lady of Grace Parish i Stratford. He has served as a member of the Diocesa College of Cosultors, which is comprised of priest leaders who represet a cross sectio of parishes ad miistries i the diocese. The positio of Episcopal Vicar for Admiistratio has bee elimiated as part of the overall restructurig of diocesa admiistratio ad miistries. (For a full list of ew appoitmets, see page 14.) Cemetery Offices BRIDGEPORT-STRATFORD St. Michael Cemetery 2205 Stratford Aveue Stratford, CT (203) DANBURY St. Peter Cemetery 71 Lake Aveue Ext. Dabury, CT (203) DARIEN St. Joh Cemetery 25 Camp Aveue Darie, CT (203) GREENWICH St. Mary - Putam Cemetery 399 North Street Greewich, CT (203) (203) NEWTOWN Resurrectio Cemetery c/o Gate of Heave Cemetery 1056 Daiels Farm Road Trumbull, CT (203) NORWALK St. Mary - St. Joh Cemetery 223 Richards Aveue Norwalk, CT (203) STAMFORD Quee of Peace Cemetery c/o St. Joh Cemetery 25 Camp Aveue Darie, CT (203) TRUMBULL Gate of Heave Cemetery 1056 Daiels Farm Road Trumbull, CT (203) WESTPORT Assumptio, Grees Farms Assumptio, Kigs Highway c/o St. Joh Cemetery 223 Richards Aveue Norwalk, CT (203)

8 8 Vocatios: Hearig the Call A December ordiatio BRIDGEPORT With sow fallig steadily outside the church, Bishop Frak J. Caggiao ordaied Fr. Rolado Arias Galvis as a priest for the Diocese of Bridgeport o December 14 at the 12:30 pm Mass i St. Mary Church i Bethel. Fr. Arias was the first priest i the diocese to be ordaied by Bishop Caggiao. Five more me are lookig forward to priestly ordiatio this comig sprig. Because Fr. Arias was the oly priest beig ordaied at this time, the Sacramet of Ordiatio was celebrated i St. Mary s, his home parish. The Colombia ative atteded the Uiversidad Javeriaa, St. Joh Fisher Semiary i Stamford ad Mout St. Mary s Semiary i Emmitsburg, MD, where he completed his semiary studies this past May. Fr. Arias says it was a special blessig that his ordiatio took place o the feast of St. Joh of the Cross, oe of the great Carmelite saits. God has bee Makig perpetual promises TRUMBULL Christmas proved to be a joyous time for Moica Zuiga as she professed her Perpetual Promises as a full member of the Maria Commuity of Recociliatio o December 27 at St. Catherie of Siea Parish i Trumbull. She is a member of the Pastoral Service Youth Miistry team of the Diocese of Bridgeport, where she serves as coordiator of the High School Apostles program. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao celebrated Mass at St. Catherie of Siea Church, where she was hoored by frieds, family, ad members of the iteratioal commuity who traveled to Coecticut for her professio. Alejadra Keee, superior geeral of the commuity based i Peru, also presided over the ceremoy. The order, also kow as the Frateras was fouded i 1991 i Lima, Peru, by Luis Ferado Figari. The missio of the Frateras is to use their faith ad talets to trasform the culture aroud them. I 2011, the commuity celebrated its 20th aiversary ad received approval as a Society of Apostolic Life from the Cogregatio for the Istitutes of Cosecrated Life ad Societies of Apostolic Life i the Vatica. so good. Carmelite spirituality has bee special to me, ad this is a woderful gift from God. (Photos by Amy Mortese) (Photos by Amy Mortese)

9 9 World News Pope Fracis sets records for popularity i ew U.S. poll Pope Fracis ejoys eormous persoal popularity amog Americas, ad is brigig ew popularity to the Catholic Church, accordig to a ew Washigto Post-ABC poll. A overwhelmig 92% of the Catholics questioed i the poll said that they had a favorable opiio of Pope Fracis. That result outstrips the top popularity ratigs attaied by Pope Beedict XVI (75% favorable) ad Pope Joh Paul II (87%) i similar polls. A eve higher umber of the Catholics surveyed 95% said that they had a favorable impressio of the Catholic Church. I the geeral populatio, 62% of the respodets reported a favorable opiio of Catholicism: the highest figure the Post-ABC poll has recorded i a series of surveys datig back to I the geeral America populatio, 64% have a favorable impressio of the directio i which Pope Fracis is leadig the Church. Amog Catholic respodets, that cofidece is much stroger, with 85% reportig a favorable view. Iterestigly, self-idetified coservatives are least ethusiastic about the Pope s leadership, with oly 57% expressig a favorable view of the Church s directio uder the ew Potiff s leadership. Yet amog those who idetify themselves as coservative Catholics, 91% view the Pope favorably, outstrippig the 84% who had a favorable view of Pope Beedict XVI i the last Post-ABC poll, coducted i February of this year. February 8 Day of Prayer for huma traffickig victims WASHINGTON, DC The Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops Committee o Migratio has desigated February 8 as a Day of Prayer for victims of huma traffickig. February 8 is the memorial of St. Josephie Bakhita ( ), a Sudaese slave who i time was baptized ad became a u i Italy. If just oe perso realizes from this day that they or someoe they kow is beig trafficked, we will have made a differece, said Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizodo of Seattle, who chairs the committee. Every year, law eforcemet ad social services agecies who work with traffickig survivors see istaces of sex traffickig icrease greatly i the wake of mega sports evets such as the Super Bowl, which takes place o February 2. Durig the time before the Super Bowl ad durig the followig week, deeper prayer, educatio, isight ad commitmet will take place, said Sr. Mary Alice Sykewecz, RSM, director of the Collaborative Ceter for Justice i Hartford. (Spousal abuse, alog with sex traffickig, icreases whe tesios ru high followig sports evets like the Super Bowl. For assistace or referral, call Catholic Charities. Bridgeport area: ; Dabury area: ; Norwalk Area: ) Ordiariate establishes first religious commuity BIRMINGHAM, Eglad O Jauary 1, the Persoal Ordiariate of Our Lady of Walsigham established its first religious istitute, the Sisters of the Blessed Virgi Mary. The te Sisters, who wear the traditioal Beedictie habit, were formerly members of a Aglica (Church of Eglad) moastery. Pope Beedict established the ordiariate i 2011 to allow Aglica idividuals ad commuities i Eglad ad Wales to eter the Catholic Church while retaiig elemets of their Aglica heritage. As we cotiue to welcome Aglicas ito the full commuio of the Catholic Church, ad establish a distictive life of witess to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the prayerful support of these Sisters will be ivaluable, said a ordiariate spokesma. We look forward, also, to receivig a great deal from their rich liturgical ad musical heritage, which is rightly respected far ad wide as a positive cotributio to the wider reewal of the Sacred Liturgy which we are curretly seeig i the Catholic Church. Perhaps the greatest joy i retirig is kowig you ca live life to its fullest. Maitaiig your idepedece ad helpig you ejoy life is our oly goal at Carmel Ridge ad Teresia Towers. Located o the grouds of St. Joseph s Maor, our uique retiremet commuity provides the support ad security you may eed to live life to its fullest, icludig 24-hour medical ad security services, ursig staff, shoppig trasportatio, ad optioal meal pla. Day-to-day livig is ehaced by a o-site chapel, library, recreatio hall, crafts room, swimmig pool, ad earby golfig. Trips to Scotlad, Frace, Irelad, Shries of Europe ad much more.. ragig from $3,599 $4,699 for Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/airfare from aywhere i the cotietal USA Italy Wide/Switzerlad: Apr. 5-17, Apr , May Italy Regular: Apr. 5-13, Apr , Apr Holy Lad: Mar , Mar. 31-Apr. 10, Apr Holy Lad/Italy: Mar. 31-Apr. 13, Apr. 7-20, Apr Irelad/Scotlad: Apr. 26-May 8, May 3-15, May athoy@proximotravel.com Carmela A. Maago-Executive Director We would like to help you make the ext years the fiest of your life. To receive more iformatio or to schedule a visit, call i Coecticut or from out of state. Uits from $58,000. Iquire about our Retal Program startig from $995 per moth. Teresia Towers/Carmel Ridge Estates 6454 Mai Street Trumbull, Coecticut A o-deomiatioal facility owed by the Diocese of Bridgeport. Professioally maaged by Wi Residetial.

10 10 Kights of Columbus Museum Icos ope as Widows ito Heave By JOSEPH PRONECHEN Widows ito Heave, the major exhibit of Russia icos at the Kights of Columbus Museum i New Have, could ot have a more appropriate or more descriptive ame. With over 230 icos that rage over a period of 400 years from basically 1600 to 1900, this collectio forms oe of the fiest such ico exhibits to be foud aywhere. But, at the same time, it becomes more tha a first-class art exhibit i a sigificat museum. Why? Because the settig ad the icos themselves create a reveret atmosphere where visitors ca t help but quietly admire or be draw ito each ico, or i low toes discuss particular icos with others. It s as if we istictively realize the icos are the widows peekig ito heavely realms. I icoography, the two most commo icos are of Jesus ad the Blessed Mother. The museum sigals this fact beautifully. The first of the four galleries that house the whole exhibit is dedicated to Our Lord, ad the adjoiig secod gallery is devoted to our Blessed Mother. Right at the start, visitors eterig the first gallery are greeted by a glorious ico from 1860 of Christ the Patocrator. The title traslates as Christ, the Almighty Ruler. This majestic Thikig about a will? Request a free Wills Kit from CRS. Lear what you eed to kow before you see a attorey ext CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES Givig hope to a world of eed. portrayal of Jesus dates back to at least the 6th cetury ad is so importat that both Orthodox churches ad Easter Rite Catholic churches have a major ico of Christ the Patocrator ormally located i the great dome of their churches. But we soo lear that this is ot the oly way Jesus is depicted i icos because we come face to face with a outstadig 19th cetury Face Not Made with Huma Hads, the customary ame of aother ofte-see ico which focuses o the face of Jesus o Veroica s veil. Ad whe we woder why some letters appear o certai icos, the museum graciously tells us through little explaatios. For example, IC ad XC, the first ad last letters i Greek of the ame of Jesus, appear o icos of Christ. That also becomes a little hit that Russia icos, bega from the Byzatie traditio of icos which goes back to the very early days of the Church. I fact, traditio has it that the first ico paiter was St. Luke the Evagelist. I the Mother of God gallery we fid a beautiful ico of Our Lady of Vladimir which dates to Of course it is a copy of the origial, which is veerated as a miracle-workig ico ad which is believed doe by St. Luke. It is very similar to the ico recogized worldwide as Our Lady of Czestochowa. I the Orthodox ad Easter Rite Catholic churches, our Blessed Mother is called the Theotokos, meaig God-Bearer. The title was give to her by the Coucil of Ephesus i 431 whe the Church was fully uified as oe. Several exceptioally beautiful ad reveretial icos of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, the God-Bearer, brig us Mary i a umber of differet titles ad three cetral styles, which are simply explaied with brief descriptios by the museum. Some titles might ot be familiar to us i the Roma (or Lati) rite, such as Our Lady of Kaza. But this particular ico has a foremost coectio to Blessed Joh Paul II. The origial was discovered ear the city of Kaza i It soo became revered as a miracle-workig ico of the Mother of God ad evetually was kow as The Protectio of Russia. But after the 1917 Russia revolutio, the ico was saved by takig it out of the coutry. Evetually, it was placed i a chapel at the shrie of Fatima i Portugal. Whe the Soviet Uio dissolved, Joh Paul II obtaied the ico from Fatima itedig to retur it to Russia himself. For 11 years it hug i his study. Realizig he could ot go himself, i 2004 he set his represetatives to retur Our Lady of Kaza to the Orthodox Patriarch i Russia. While this ico is i the more Byzatie style, we soo otice there are may others i this magificet exhibit that have some wester style too. Your CT Based Agecy for Pilgrimages, Groups, Family & Seior Travel August 2014-Travel to Rome with Fr. Joes of St. Lawrece Parish combied with a 12 ight cruise oboard Crystal Sereity 16 ights Califoria Coast with Yosemite - Weekly: April - October Europe River Cruises - Weekly: April - September Sail roud trip from NY to Bermuda - Weekly - Norwegia Breakaway, year roud Holy Lad Pilgrimage, Group Tour, July, August, September Call vdedad@cruiseplaers.com Oe of these is the Auciatio of Gabriel to the Blessed Mother that takes place i a room obviously doe i Russia furishigs ad style. The reaso is because some schools of icoography were somewhat iflueced by Reaissace or wester art which ofte put New Testamet scees i cotemporary settigs. Aother New Testamet scee icludes the skylie of a Russia city. Surprisigly, a few of the icos, like oe very bright ad colorful scee of Jesus talkig to a large group icludig childre, have frames or tops shaped like the customary oio domes o Easter churches. I this ico ad so may others, the colors of the traditioal egg tempura pait ad gold leaf much used for icos are remarkable ad symbolic. The third gallery of Saits ad Feasts brig us icos of a magificet ad triumphat warrior i St. Michael the Archagel, of St. Gabriel, of St. George, ad of St. Nicholas of Myra, called the Woderworker. His is the most commo ico after Jesus Christ ad the Theotokos, the Mother of Mother. Although icos might ot be as familiar to Roma Catholics as they are to Easter Catholics ad the Orthodox, seeig this exhibit helps everyoe easily realize this earliest form of Christia art is meat to lead ad help us i prayig because they truly are widows opeig our view ito heave. (The exhibit rus through April 27, Divie Mercy Suday. For more iformatio visit KofCMuseum.org.)

11 11 Parish News: St. Mary s Norwalk A stuig restoratio project NORWALK St. Mary Church has a successfully completed its four-year, $1.6 millio reovatio. O Jauary 5, Bishop Frak J. Caggiao blessed the ew church durig a Solem High Extraordiary Form Mass celebrated with Fr. Greg Markey, pastor. The 9:30 am Mass was stadig room oly. St. Mary Church, a eo-gothic structure with its historic clock tower, has become a ladmark o West Aveue i Norwalk. Fouded i 1848, it is the secod oldest Catholic church i the Diocese of Bridgeport. St. Mary s is also the third major historic church i the diocese to be reovated recetly, icludig St. Augustie Cathedral (built 1842) i dowtow Bridgeport ad the Basilica of St. Joh the Evagelist (built 1854) i dowtow Stamford. It was with great joy that we welcomed Bishop Caggiao to St. Mary Church ad celebrated the completio of the restoratio. This past weeked s visit of His Excellecy was a ispirig momet i the parish s history. The beautiful church is ow complete ad we ca ejoy the fruit of our labors, says Fr. Markey. Whe blessig the rood beam (the sculpted crucifixio scee high above the altar), Bishop Caggiao prayed that this cross which satched the world from Sata s grasp, would be a savig help to makid ad a shield agaist the cruel darts of the eemy. He closed the prayer by askig, May all who keel ad pray before this cross i hoor of Our Lord fid health i body ad soul. Whe blessig the baptistery, Bishop Caggiao prayed that all who are baptized i this fot would, attai pardo ad remissio for all their sis ad merit to be iscribed i the Book of Life. Fially, whe blessig the reredos, Bishop Caggiao prayed that Wheever we look at the saits i this image with our bodily eyes, we may recall their holy lives, ad resolve to follow i their footsteps, ad all who i its presece pay devout homage to the Blessed Virgi may by her prayers ad itercessio obtai Our Lord s grace. The major reovatio of St. Mary Church was begu i Iteratioally kow architect Duca G. Stroik of the Uiversity of Notre Dame was hired to guide the reovatio of the church s iterior. Phase oe icluded extesive structural repairs o the roof ad also focused o reewig the sactuary with custom Italia marble slabs, alog with a magificet marble altar rail, pulpit, cofessioal ad baptismal fot. The fial phases icluded paitig the exterior of the church, istallig a ew bathroom o the mai floor ad repaitig the iterior walls ad ceilig i a complemetig blue ad gold color scheme. Fr. Markey says that the blessig of the restoratio was also a historic momet for the Diocese of Bridgeport. It is the first time i over 40 years that the bishop of the Bridgeport Diocese publicly participated i the Traditioal Lati Mass, he oted. St. Mary s celebrates the Traditioal Lati Mass every Suday at 9:30 am. (St. Mary Church is located at 669 West Aveue i Norwalk. For Mass times, call or catholicwayivestmets.com Securities & advisory services offered through Natioal Plaig Corporatio (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Ivestmet Advisor. Catholic Way Ivestmets ad NPC are separate ad urelated compaies. Ivestmets i the Portfolio Program ivolves ivestmet risk, icludig possible loss of pricipal amout ivested. Ivestmet retur ad pricipal value may fluctuate so the ivestmet, whe redeemed, may be worth more or less tha the origial ivestmet.

12 12 Parish News: St. Athoy, Fairfield Justi Log co-stars i parish fud-raiser By DON HARRISON What does actor Justi Log have i commo with Grammy Award-wiig siger Joh Mayer, the ow-retired teis star James Blake ad PGA golfer J.J. Hery? All of these youg me grew up i Fairfield at about the same time ad made it big i their respective field. Log, a boyish-i-appearace 35, retured to his hometow this fall to led his talets to a fud-raiser at his home parish, St. Athoy of Padua. The beeficiary of the eveig s performace, auctio ad raffle, Hooray for Hollywood, was oe other tha a home for girls uitetioally discovered by Justi i distat Graada, Nicaragua. He wet there with a fried o vacatio ad he stumbled upo this orphaage quite by accidet, explais Justi s father, R. James Log, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy at Fairfield Uiversity ad a St. Athoy parishioer. Their pastor, Fr. Joh Bara, was appreciative of Justi s outreach ad marveled at the amout of moey raised o that October 26 eveig i excess of $30,000, with doatios still tricklig i. The extraordiary geerosity of people Two came forward durig the raffle ad did a match, he says. We raise fuds for a lot of worthwhile causes here, but this time it was ice to coect o a global level. Log, whose ew movie, A Do you have 15 miutes to save your life? ASK FOR A LOW-DOSE LUNG CT SCAN: IT S QUICK IT S FREE* IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE Low-Dose Lug CT is the oly test that has bee prove to detect lug cacer early, icrease survival by 20% ad is edorsed by the America Cacer Society. For more iformatio, call 855-4CHESTCT ( ) Or visit ctlugcacerscreeig.com Case of You, opeed recetly, bega the eveig by presetig a short documetary about the home, Hogar de Nias Madre Albertia, which provides a refuge for orpha girls livig i abject poverty or victims of abuse. Thieves were stealig food ad other supplies from the shelter, ad a protective brick wall was eeded. The actor the reliquished the stage i the church basemet to four Broadway performers from the New Paradigm Theatre, a o-profit group kow to collaborate with other o-profits to raise fuds. For the ext hour or so, the capacity crowd ejoyed music from Hollywood movies performed by Kristi Huffma (Compay), Kimilee Bryat (The Phatom of the Opera), Matt Castle ACTING FOR A CAUSE, Justi Log performs i a fud-raiser held at St. Athoy Parish i Fairfield. The parish raised $30,000 for a orphaage i Nicaragua. (Compay) ad Bret Shuford (Beauty ad the Beast, Little Mermaid). I ca call up my Broadway frieds ad ask, Hey, do you wat to do a show? says Huffma, the New Paradigm s executive director. Ad they come. Combiig his gift for spotaeity with a disarmig smile, Log coducted the auctio ad raffle with egagig aplomb. The $30,000 or so raised exceeded expectatios. Justi s mother, Wedy Lesiak Log, was amog the group of parishioers coordiatig the evet. She, too, has a theatrical backgroud, havig performed off-broadway, i radio commercials ad as a voice-over for TV ads. Pampers, Prego, Sears ad Birds-Eye are amog her best-kow credits. Did she ecourage Justi ad his sibligs, Damia ad Christia, to fid a iche i the theatre? I may be guilty, she admits. I would take the kids to plays, ad suggest that they get ivolved with the Fairfield Tee Theatre. I thought Justi was t the oe who would go ito show busiess. Damia, the eldest, is a actor ad teaches theatre at Westo High School, while Christia, the yougest, has foud screewritig to be his forte. He teamed up with Justi to write the screeplay for A Case of You, a romatic comedy co-starrig Vice Vaugh, Eva Rachel Wood, Sam Rockwell ad Justi. At Fairfield Prep, Log was, by his accout, a idifferet studet; he was idetified i the school yearbook as the studet most likely ot to be i class. He did, however, devote cosiderable time ad effort to performig i school plays. At Vassar, Log followed i his father s footsteps by studyig philosophy but, istead, foud the time spet performig with the school s comedy sketch group, Laughigstock, more rewardig. That s where the actig bug really bit, says his dad. Eve before graduatig i 2000, Justi already had a featured role i a movie, Galaxy Quest. His list of credits ecompassig films, the stage ad televisio is ow approachig 70. Excludig the fud-raiser at St. Athoy of Padua, of course. * Free for a limited time for those who qualify based o smokig history: 30 pack year, age 55-79, smoked withi the past 15 years

13 13 Words o Evagelizatio Pope Fracis: The Joy of the Gospel By SR. MARTHA BOWES, CND I a televised iterview o September 29, Bishop Frak J.Caggiao, the ewly istalled as fifth Bishop of Bridgeport, described evagelizatio as helpig people to hear that Oe Voice, amid the di of other voices, that will truly lead them to happiess. This is a ew ad beautiful perspective o the otio of evagelizatio, a task to which we Catholics are all called i virtue of our baptism, ever sice Jesus commissioed his Apostles at the momet of his Ascesio: Go, make disciples of all atios, baptizig them i the ame of the Father ad of the So ad of the Holy Spirit, teachig them to observe all that I have commaded you; ad, lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt.28:18-20). To may of us Eglishspeakig Catholics the word evagelizatio may seem a bit ufamiliar. If we were Frechspeakig, we would recogize it at oce as a form of the usual word for Gospel evagile. The word comes from Greek, the origial writte laguage of the Gospels: eu-good + agelos-messeger. This little word-history makes it clear that evagelizatio is spreadig of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. World history, too, bears witess to the reality of Jesus promise to be with the evagelizers. I may ways the history of evagelizatio is the history of the Church. The very Roma Empire that codemed Jesus to death i the perso of Potius Pilate would ultimately be coverted ad be reamed The Holy Roma Empire. Whe Roma civilizatio was all but wiped out by barbaria ivasios, Christiaity reached out slowly creatig a Christia Europe. As geographical discovery opeed up ew cotiets to Christia Europe, atios vied with each other for coquest, but also set missioaries to aouce the Good News to the ihabitats. Whe World Youth Day was held i Australia, George Cardial Pell, the Archbishop of Sidey, referred to his cotiet as the eds of the earth, poitig out that whe Christiaity reached Australia, the Good News of Jesus had fially bee aouced world-wide. True. Geographically. But ceturies have passed, geeratios have come ad goe, ad ow the same territories that were first evagelized much earlier must be re-evagelized; hece, the phrase: New Evagelizatio. After Vatica II, Pope Paul VI covoked a series of Syods of Bishops from aroud the World i order to implemet the decrees of Vatica II. The topic for the very first of these covocatios was evagelizatio. As a result we have his masterful apostolic exhortatio: Evagelii Nutiadi ( O Evagelizatio i the Moder World 1975). Pope Paul VI stresses the importace of witess i evagelizatio; that is, givig good example of Christia livig as the first method of spreadig the Gospel. There is a echo of St. Fracis admoitio: Preach the Gospel always. If ecessary, use words. L Osservatore Romao quoted Pope Paul VI as sayig that after every Church Coucil the Holy Spirit becomes very active; so does the Evil Spirit. Cosequetly, it was o surprise that the Post-Cociliar Period of the 70 s was tumultuous. A complete Cultural Revolutio aimed at North America came above groud i O oe had, spurious theologies abouded; secularizatio, fueled by the media, spread like wildfire; Catholic publishig houses vaished; authority figures were ridiculed; Christia values ad structures, all but vitiated. The Catholic school system virtually collapsed i a relatively short time. The family was all but destroyed. O the other had, a deeply spiritual Couter-Revolutio was also afoot. The Holy Spirit ispired the Cursillo ad Charismatic movemets, Bible programs, pre-caa groups, ad Scripture-based hyms. Ecumeism thrived. New forms of religious life appeared ad flourished. Global televisio ad short-wave radio etworks became powerful vehicles for evagelizatio, catechesis ad worship. The wheat ad the weeds grew side by side, as they always have ad still do. It is i this milieu that we are called to reevagelize. At the begiig of a ew Church Year ad a ew caledar year, we have bee give the gift of a ew documet o evagelizatio by Pope Fracis himself: Evagelii Gaudium, ( The Joy of the Gospel ). Departig from the toe of recet documetatio from Rome, this Apostolic Exhortatio has about it the suggestio of a persoal sharig. A movig film with A upliftig message of hope Ad the digity of huma life. - Cardial Timothy Dola, ARCHBISHOP OF NEW YORK gimme shelter shies. A powerful Ad remarkable story of the love of A mother Ad her ubor child. - Bishop Igacio Carrasco de Paula, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAl ACADEmY FOR life, THE VATICAN Vaessa Hudges James earl Joes We hear the voice of a father couselig his sos ad daughters i love. Humbly offerig his observatios to the Global Church of Jesus Christ, Pope Fracis stresses the eed for a resurgece of Christia joy, for beauty ad for the updatig of our structures. He exhorts the Church to go out to iclude the poor ad to work realistically for peace. He gives popular piety a key role i evagelizatio, ad teaches the art of listeig as a Christia miistry, a art which he himself practices so well. The whole documet, like Pope Fracis, has the rig of autheticity about it ad is, therefore, most compellig. Pope Fracis poits us toward the Holy Spirit lest we become discouraged. The Holy Spirit works as he wills, whe he wills rosario dawso I theaters Jauary 24 ad A Roald Krauss Film Based o the ispirig true story Breda Fraser ad where he wills. There is o greater freedom tha that of allowig oeself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, reoucig the attempt to pla ad cotrol everythig to the last detail ad istead, lettig him elighte, guide ad direct us. The Holy Spirit kows well what is eeded i every time ad place. Ad so with great cofidece, we pray daily: Come, Holy Spirit, Fill the hearts of your faithful ad kidle i them the fire of your love. Sed forth your Spirit ad they shall be created, Ad you shall reew the face of the earth. (Sr. Martha Bowes, a member of the Cogregatio of Notre Dame i Ridgefield, has bee a Commissioed Evagelist sice 1988 for the Archdiocese of Hartford.)

14 14 EDITORIAL A New Chapter... I his first colum of the New Year, Bishop Caggiao has aouced plas for a diocesa syod to begi i September It will be the fourth syod i diocesa history, a call to come together to address the challeges we face ad move forward together as a diocese. I his ow words, Bishop Caggiao has laid out the challege: Too may youg people o loger fid a spiritual home i our Church. Far too may baptized Catholics have become idifferet to their faith ad see o eed to worship with us o Sudays. May families are hurtig ad seek healig. May Catholics log to lear more about their faith ad do ot kow where to tur. Too may of our sisters ad brothers kow much about the Lord Jesus but do ot kow him persoally as Lord ad Savior. What they seek is a persoal ecouter with Christ, but ofte they do ot kow that they ca best fid him i the commuity of the Church. It is a clario call to be reuited i our faith, to live the joy of the Gospel ad to be recociled withi the lovig embrace of the Church. I the comig weeks, Catholics throughout the diocese will be ivited to participate i the process to discer the eeds of the diocese. The first three syods i our diocese had a profoud impact o every aspect of life i the Church, from the formatio of parish coucils, the participatio of the laity ad the developmet of vocatios. Now i callig for the Fourth Diocesa Syod, Bishop Caggiao has asked us to reew our faith ad form a strategic visio for the future. I his very first days as our ew leader, Bishop Caggiao offered us a guidig priciple that will serve us well as we move ahead i the comig moths. If a parish commuity is marked by love, the it will become welcomig, hospitable, geerous, visioary ad creative. It will be selfless ad it will be cotagious. The questio the becomes; how authetic are we as a lovig commuity? Caught Doig Good At St. Adrew Academy i Bridgeport, studets wat to be Caught Doig Good. It s a program to ecourage good behavior i youg childre ad to recogize those who seek the good of others. What a great idea! Caught Doig Good could also be the theme of Natioal Catholic Schools Week Catholic Schools week (Jauary 26-February 1). I fact, Caught Doig Good could be theme for the etire history of Catholic schools i the U.S. For over 200 years they ve doe othig but good for studets, for families ad for our democracy. Catholic schools have prepared youg people who have goe o to become commuity leaders ad good citizes. They have served as exteded families of faith that coect oe geeratio to the ext i their love for God ad reverece for life. There is much to celebrate about our ow schools i the Diocese of Bridgeport: more tha 10,000 studets, Blue Ribbo status for 50 percet of our elemetary schools, advaced sciece ad tech courses, ad above all they are learig commuities of faith. So, like the childre of St. Adrew Academy, we ca be proud that our schools have bee Caught Doig Good. Youthful Witess Over the Christmas seaso, Bishop Caggiao was preseted with two beautiful gifts; the ordiatio of Fr. Rolado Arias Galvis at St. Mary s Church i Bethel, ad the professio by Moica Zuiga as she made her Perpetual Promises as a full member of the Maria Commuity of Recociliatio at St. Catherie of Siea Parish i Trumbull. Fr. Arias ordiatio was particularly movig because it occurred o the same day as the first commemoratio of the Newtow shootigs ad was yet aother sig of healig ad affirmatio. Moica s joyful professio brought may frieds ad families together to celebrate the beauty of religious life. I a world where faith is ofte devalued ad eve ridiculed, we ca be grateful that two youg people have put their lives o the lie lives of faith, of prayer, of self-sacrifice ad total commitmet to the Church. Their witess ad their joy ispire us! YEAR END GIFTS CLERGYAPPOINTMENTS Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao, Bishop of Bridgeport, has made the followig clergy appoitmets i the Diocese of Bridgeport: Diocese: REVEREND MONSIGNOR JERALD A. DOYLE from Episcopal Vicar for Admiistratio, to Episcopal Vicar for Caoical Affairs. Mosigor Doyle cotiues as Judicial Vicar of the Diocesa Tribual. Effective Jauary 31, REVEREND FRANCISCO GOMEZ-FRANCO from Parochial Vicar, St. Joh, Darie, to Secretary to the Bishop. Effective Jauary 13, REVEREND PETER J. TOWSLEY from Spiritual Director, Triity Catholic High School, Stamford, to Vicar for Evagelizatio ad Episcopal Delegate to the Ecclesial Movemets. Effective Jauary 31, Father Towsley will remai i Residece at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford. REVEREND ROBERT M. KINNALLY from Vocatio Director, to Director of Semiaria Formatio. Father Kially will remai the Rector of St. Joh Fisher Semiary. Effective Jauary 31, REVEREND SAMUEL KACHUBA from Parochial Vicar, St. Michael the Archagel, Greewich, ad Assistat Vocatio Director, to Vocatio Director ad also to Spiritual Director, Triity Catholic High School, Stamford. Father Kachuba will be i residece at St. Joh Fisher Semiary, Stamford. Effective Jauary 31, REVEREND CARLOS RODRIQUES appoited Diocesa Director of Pastoral Care Services for St. Joseph s Maor i Trumbull, St. Camillus Health Ceter i Stamford ad the Pope Joh Paul II Ceter for Health Care i Dabury. Will cotiue as Director of Pastoral Care at St. Camillus with residece at Sacred Heart Parish i Stamford. Effective Jauary 10, The followig me have bee appoited to the Vocatio Advisory ad Admissio Board: Revered Thomas P. Thore, Chair Revered Pawel M. Hrebeko Revered Paul G. Murphy Revered Regiald D. Norma Revered Corey V. Picciio The followig me have bee elected Territorial Vicars ad bee appoited to that positio by the Bishop. They will also serve o the Presbyteral Coucil: Vicariate I: REVEREND JAMES D. GROSSO Vicariate II: REVEREND MONSIGNOR ANDREW G. VARGA Vicariate III: REVEREND PETER J. LYNCH Vicariate IV: REVEREND CHRISTOPHER J. SAMELE Vicariate V: REVEREND GEORGE F. O NEILL Judge: REVEREND MONSIGNOR DARIUSZ J. ZIELONKA, re-appoited to Judge i the Tribual, Diocese of Bridgeport. A three-year term edig o Jauary 1, Pastors: REVEREND PAWEL M. HREBENKO from Admiistrator, Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford, to Pastor. Effective Jauary 31, REVEREND PETER J. LYNCH from Admiistrator, St. A, Bridgeport, to Pastor. Effective February 16, REVEREND EDWARD MCAULEY from Admiistrator, St. Bridget of Irelad, Stamford, to Pastor. Effective February 2, REVEREND JOHN J. PEREZ from Admiistrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dabury, to Pastor. Effective Jauary 31, REVEREND ALFONSO PICONE from Rector, St. Margaret Shrie, Bridgeport, to Pastor, Sacred Heart, Stamford. Effective Jauary 31, 2014 REVEREND MONSIGNOR KEVIN T. ROYAL from Admiistrator, Holy Spirit, Stamford, to Pastor. Effective December 22, REVEREND MONSIGNOR MARTIN P. RYAN from Admiistrator, Our Lady of Grace, Stratford, to Pastor. Effective Jauary 18, REVEREND CHRISTOPHER J. SAMELE from Admiistrator, St. Stephe, Trumbull, to Pastor. Effective Jauary 19, REVEREND MIROSLAW STACHUSRSKI from Parochial Vicar, St. Lawrece, Shelto, to Pastor, St. Thomas the Apostle, Norwalk. Effective May 24, REVEREND JOHN J. STRONKOWSKI from Admiistrator, St. Margaret Mary, Shelto, to Pastor. Effective May 25, Parochial Vicars: REVEREND ROLANDO ARIAS GALVIS ewly ordaied. Assiged as Parochial Vicar, St. Mary, Bethel. Effective December 14, REVEREND IGNACIO ORTIGAS from Parochial Vicar, St. Rose of Lima, Newtow, to Parochial Vicar, St. Lawrece, Shelto. Effective, Jauary 31, Rector: REVEREND GIANDOMENICO FLORA from Assistat, St. Margaret Shrie, Bridgeport, to Pro-Rector. Effective Jauary 31, 2014 Deacos: DEACON ALIX AFRICOT from sabbatical to St. Adrew, Bridgeport. Effective Jauary 31, 2014.

15 15 Editorial Oe morig last sprig, I caught my older daughter flippig through a diocesa ewspaper while eatig breakfast. I had to smile. O that particularly morig, she was t officially Catholic. She etered the Church later that day at the 2:30 Mass at the Cathedral Basilica i St. Louis, Missouri. It was Petecost Suday ad soo my secod child would be eterig the faith I had chose less tha a decade earlier. Did you read the diocesa Cause ad effect? Catholic by Grace By Deise Bossert Deise Bossert is a atioal Catholic writer ad columist. ewspapers whe you lived here? Or is this a ew thig for you? I asked her. She looked up from the paper ad smiled. Whe there was o catalog or magazie o the table, I would read it. It was somethig to do. She laughed ad closed the paper. Those were rough years. She had moved ito our house with her little boys ad was tryig to juggle them ad full-time employmet. She was also tryig hard to avoid God. But o this particular Suday, the fight agaist God eded. O that day, she was received ito Mother Church. My husbad also used to sca diocesa ewspapers ad magazies before he coverted. He s the kid of guy who goes through withdrawal whe he does t have a book to read. I the years after my coversio (before his ow coversio), he would read the Catholic papers that were o the table the radom complimetary copies I received as a columist. This is the same ma who promised he would ever become Catholic. He was bor Souther Baptist, ad he would die Souther Baptist. He s bee Catholic sice I do t kow if there is a cause ad effect relatioship betwee coversios ad subscriptios to diocesa periodicals, but at the very least, there is some correlatio. I believe families that have subscriptios to diocesa papers are the very families most likely to experiece coversio ad ogoig coversio eve amog families i which some members actively resist God. There are times that the diocesa ewspaper o the kitche table is the oly remaiig voice for Mother Church i the lives of those who stubborly resist grace. I am blessed to write for diocesa papers ad magazies, but I am eve more blessed to have those periodicals i my home ad o my kitche table. There was a time whe my husbad told me to stop talkig about my ew-foud faith but he would still read the diocesa ewspaper. My daughter tued me out for years. But last sprig, she etered the Church. Diocesa papers are tools of evagelizatio. Sometimes, they are the oly evagelizatio tool left i a household. If you are readig this, you uderstad how importat this magazie or ewspaper is. You There are times that the diocesa ewspaper o the kitche table is the oly remaiig voice for Mother Church i the lives of those who stubborly resist grace. kow that it assists you i your jourey ad you kow that it assists those who live uder your roof ad sit at your kitche table. I a world that is filled with may voices ad so may words, it is a blessig to have faithful media comig ito our homes, sharig words that matter words that brig life. I the mid-morig, the hill behid the house is covered with hard-packed, fastruig sow. The old-fashioed woode sleds that the kids dug out of their gradmother s basemet are perfect for these coditios. Whoops ad hollers reverberate through the piey timbers as the Heessey childre hurtle themselves dow the soft grade of this New Eglad valley. The joyful oise, the Flexible Flyers, the bracig air, the lumious sky othig i creatio could make me happier. The momet is a gift of pure fatherly cotetmet. Freely give, freely received. I would live here always if I could. Cold It s all too beautiful A Dad s View By Matthew Heessey Matthew Heessey ad his family are parishioers of St. Aloysius i New Caaa. ad chill, bless the Lord; praise ad exalt him above all forever (Daiel 3:67). The, my waderig mid darkes. Rumbligs from deep i the molderig recesses of the metal root cellar. A high school essay four pages, double-spaced, topic setece, thesis statemet, tragedy ad remembrace i Edith Wharto s Etha Frome. This daydream creeps, uwelcome, crowdig out the childre s joy, expadig like a stai, acceleratig toward its disastrous destiatio. A cascade of terrifyig images: sleds, trees, spliters, paralysis, decay, resetmet, death. A ice-frosted mitte skitterig across the sow draws my focus back. Whaa-hoooo-ha-ha-ha! Daddy, look! They are collapsed together i a pile of twisted limbs. The pile is smilig, heavig with laughter. Yes, I see you, I say, forcig a smile of my ow. Everyoe okay? No aswer, just squeals. Be careful guys. But they are ot careful. They are ever careful. They are carefree. That is their gift. Freely give, freely received. As we eat our luch at gradmother s kitche table, we watch ew sow as it falls o the hill. It is erasig our bootprits ad healig the scars cut by the steel ruers of the aciet sleds. Soo the getle slope will be perfect agai. Soo laughter will echo agai through the pies. Fresh powder will slow the childre dow, will cushio their falls, will ease their father s ever-waderig mid. You should close your eyes ad imagie witer i New Hampshire, where the Heesseys sped their Christmases ad where the weather is as upredictable as a football s bouce o a froze ifield. Whe the mercury dips ito sigle digits or the su disappears behid low, grey, immovable clouds, there is desolatio here to beat the bad. These blues are called seasoal affective disorder, or SAD, a acroym chose, I hope, to amuse those who suffer from it. But all across New Eglad, witer is also a time of idescribable beauty. The repleishig sow trasfigures everythig, erobig the ladscape i majesty ad spledor. The thory brier becomes a crystal bouquet. The All across New Eglad the repleishig sow trasfigures everythig, erobig the ladscape i majesty ad spledor. eighbor s overgrow yard disappears beeath a carpet of white. A woodsy silece is somehow made eve more woodsy ad more silet by a raft of fallig sow. Yes, it has bee cold dagerously so at times but the polar vortex is as much a part of God s creatio as su showers i sprig, leaf piles i autum, ad dog days i summer. As Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus, The wid blows where it wills, ad you ca hear the soud it makes, but you do ot kow where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyoe who is bor of the Spirit (Joh 3:8). So it is with our Magdalea, a iocet, surely bor of the Spirit, blessed with isight as rare as her extra chromosome, who ca look up from a bowl of steamig oatmeal o a frigid, bleak witer morig ad aouce with perfect sicerity I love everythig. I m tellig you it would pierce the armor aroud the hardest of hearts. Agaist such beauty, witer s desolatio does t stad a chace.

16 16 Natioal Catholic Schools Week A story of learig ad faith Natioal Catholic Schools Week 2014 will be held Jauary 26 February 1. The theme is Catholic Schools: Commuities of Faith, Kowledge ad Service. The aual Catholic Schools Week celebratio is a joit project of the Natioal Catholic Educatioal Associatio (NCEA) ad the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This year marks the 40th aiversary of the week, established i 1974 to recogize Catholic educatio as a great gift to the Church ad the atio. Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated i the Diocese of Bridgeport with the aual Breakfast of Champios, set for Jauary 30 at 8 am at the Catholic Ceter i Bridgeport. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao will be attedig his first Breakfast of Champios ad, alog with Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, superitedet of schools, he will preset awards to studet scholars ad athletes from elemetary ad high schools across the diocese. I uderstad that the Breakfast of Champios is oe of the more joyful ad ispirig days at the Catholic Ceter, says Bishop Caggiao. I really look forward to meetig may of the studets ad their families as we celebrate their hard work ad faith-filled achievemets. Accordig to NCEA, The theme ecompasses several cocepts that are at the heart of a Catholic educatio. First, schools are commuities small families i their ow right, but also members of the larger commuity of home, Church, city ad atio. Faith, kowledge ad service are three measures by which ay Catholic school ca ad should be judged. The atioal Catholic school studet erollmet for the curret academic year is 2,001,740, with 1,415,244 i elemetary/middle schools; ad 586,496 i secodary schools There are 6,685 Catholic schools: 5,472 elemetary ad 1,213 secodary. Last year, 28 ew schools opeed; 148 cosolidated or closed. 2,166 schools have a waitig list for admissio. Catholic schools are also experiecig growig diversity, with miorities studets accoutig for 19.6% of erollmet across the atio. The schools also educated 317,470 o-catholic studets, represetig 15.9% of the total erollmet. Catholic schools employ 151,405 teachers ad professioal staff, comprised of 96.8% laity ad the remaiig staff provided clergy ad religious. The studet/ teacher ratio is 13:1. (For more iformatio o the Breakfast of Champios ad the celebratio of Natioal Catholic Schools Week i the Diocese of Bridgeport, pbell@diobpt.org or call )

17 17 Natioal Catholic Schools Week Hour of Code kidles tech ethusiasm By PAT HENNESSY I thik everyoe should lear how to program a computer, because it teaches you how to thik, said the late Steve Jobs, co-fouder ad CEO of Apple, Ic. I view computer sciece as a liberal art, somethig everyoe should lear to do. Jobs quote has goe viral. The youger geeratio seems to be bor with a smart phoe ad a Facebook page. Digital devices are secod ature to them. They ca use them without a thought. That s exactly the poit. The devices are midless. Computer code, o the other had, takes a lot of a very specific kid of problem solvig. To code, a perso has to lear to break a challege ito small steps, set those steps i a logical order, ad group them to achieve a goal. Codig teaches a perso to thik. Whether it s a preschooler fidig a home for Daisy the Diosaur or teams of high school studets i a website-desig competitio, writig code helps studets to thik logically, to reaso, said Diae Tug, director of istructioal techology for the diocesa Office for Educatio. Over 2,000 studets i diocesa schools participated i the atiowide Computer Sciece Educatio Week December The program is dedicated to ispirig K-12 studets to take iterest i computer sciece. The Hour of Code is its ceterpiece, givig studets the chace to try their had at computer codig. I m excited that so may of our teachers embraced the Hour of Code this year, said Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, diocesa superitedet of schools. The results were amazig! Each school desiged its ow program. Some schools had all their classes ivolved, from pre-k through eighth grade. Others focused o their computer classes. Our studets i grades six, seve ad eight completed the Kha Academy Hour of Code tutorial. The the eighth-graders ejoyed followig up by creatig a Christmas card, reported Patricia Gallagher, the techology coordiator at St. Mary School i Bethel. The fourth ad fifth grade classes worked through a set of Agry Bird codig puzzles. At St. Gregory the Great School i Dabury studets i all grades focused o Maze activities. At St. Joseph School i Bridgeport, Durig their class period, the secod grade completed 27 lies of code, third ad fourth grades completed about 30 lies of code ad fifth grade completed about 40 lies, said Techology Coordiator Cathy Zimmerer. Most of them thought codig was fu. Fu ideed. Eighth-graders at St. James School i Stratford bega learig how to use MIT s Scratch program to desig their ow cartoos. Learig about codig is a great experiece for those who are iterested i techology, said eighth-grader Gle Marsh. It is a fu, uique thig ad I m glad we are learig it. Eve classmates ot so iterested i techology had a great time with the experiece. It allows you to be creative ad lear at the same time, said Fracesca Motao. It gives a really good iside look at how robots are programmed to work, added Da Cox. Makig a project usig code is a lot of fu ad helps us gai kowledge o creatig sprites ad scripts, cocluded Devi O Brie. Adults who missed out o the Hour of Code will be forgive their igorace of sprites ad scripts. Those at the high school level could poit to their ow proud achievemets. At the close of the week, studets from Kolbe-Cathedral High School i Bridgeport ad Notre Dame Catholic High School i Fairfield were amog those takig part i a web desig competitio sposored by Fairfield Uiversity. For the diocesa Hour of Code participatio, Tug received a Thak You message from Hadi Partovi, fouder of Code.org. Thaks to you, 15 millio studets participated i computer sciece last week, she wrote. Together, we made world history ad broke records, ad ot oly for computer sciece participatio i schools. The Hour of Code has become the fastest-spreadig techology i history. You ca create almost aythig you ca imagie, just through kowledge of codig, said St. James eighth-grader Emma Reed. Codig is formig the ext geeratio of electroics. 503 Shelto Ave. Shelto, CT Trasformig Lives Sice 1881 Beautiful Westchester Couty campus, 30 miutes from Mahatta Geerous fiacial aid Studet to Faculty ratio is 13:1 NCAA Divisio ll Sports Dyamic campus life Excellece i Christia Educatio Ope Houses: February 1 ad April 26 Tour our campus, get the iside scoop, ad lear about the admissio process

18 18 Natioal Catholic Schools Week ND Igite Coectio comes to Bridgeport BRIDGEPORT Chose for their academic achievemet ad leadership potetial, 30 studets from the Cathedral Academies ad Kolbe-Cathedral High School i Bridgeport have become part of a pilot program called ND Igite Coectio, a outreach program sposored by the Uiversity of Notre Dame, Idiaa. Bridgeport was chose as oe of the sites for the pilot program, which bega i 2013 with a summer sessio i Lawrece, MA, ad will cotiue i 30 cities atiowide this school year. They ve take the iitiative to come ito ier-city schools to work o buildig the leadership skills of studets with high potetial, says Natasha Rivers, director of admissio ad marketig for the Catholic Academies of Bridgeport. A academic profile determies studets etry. The criteria for participatio i the ND Igite Club cosist of a GPA i the top five percet, thoroughess i course work, leadership abilities, self motivated, with extracurricular activities i commuity service a plus. The olie program is desiged for studets i grades 7-9. The goal is to develop a model that will cultivate a pipelie of a highly taleted assortmet of studets (creative, itellectually curious, first geeratio, low icome, etc.) to provide leadership ad developmet, college prep ad career plaig, test strategies, fiacial literacy ad creative writig. This is a pilot program, so we ll be workig with Notre Dame to fid the best way to develop studets potetial, says Rivers. Alyssia Coates, director of the Admissio Outreach Program at Notre Dame Uiversity, coducted a orietatio for parets ad studets from St. A Academy, St. Adrew Academy, Cathedral Academy Middle School ad Kolbe-Cathedral High School o October 28, 2013, at the Catholic Ceter i Bridgeport. We had looked at our top studets academically, but we were also lookig for leaders ad studets who were resposible eough for idepedet learig, explais A Marie Doelly, the eighth-grade laguage arts teacher at the Cathedral Academy, who is that school s metor-teacher coordiator for the program. May studets ad their families were really ervous BRIGHT HOPE for the future shies i the faces of studets from the Cathedral Academy i Bridgeport. Some of the top scholars i the Cathedral Academies of Bridgeport, icludig these studets, have bee chose to participate i a outreach pilot program with the Uiversity of Notre Dame. (l-r) David Saders, Daruis Daiel, Asha-gaye Lewis, Triham Le ad Bria Estrella. about acceptig this challege, she says. As our best studets, they re already spedig hours o homework, ad they re all ivolved i service activities. This project requires that they do a lot of work after school. That s why it s imperative that they have their parets support. Nervous though they were, families accepted the challege wholeheartedly. It says a lot about them that they accepted, Doelly says. They re iterested i beig the best they ca be. Metors for the program iclude Doelly ad Pricipal Larry DiPalma at the Cathedral Academy; Pricipal Theresa Tilliger at St. A Academy; Pricipal Maria O Neill at St. Adrew Academy, ad Pricipal Jo-Ae Jakab ad Assistat Pricipal Lisa Matso at Kolbe- Cathedral High School. For their first idepedet assigmet, the studets were required to set up a Google Plus page, a kid of persoal website that commuicates with other studets at their grade level ad with Igite program directors ad the Uiversity of Notre Dame commuity. This is the begiig of a process to lear to represet themselves accurately i a olie eviromet, makig the most of olie resources such as olie profiles ad eportfolios. The studets had to set up the webpage themselves, at home. This ewest techology left them beyod the assistace of eve the most well-meaig parets. It was really cool! was the respose they brought back to school. My page is up ad ruig! Whe it s completely up ad ruig, they will be able to commuicate with studets atiowide, said Doelly. This semester, the studets will meet weekly after school as they use the program to stretch their horizos, explore their ow stregths ad weakesses ad begi to pla for both short- ad log-term goals. Accordig to Doelly, It puts a yearig i them, starts them thikig about their future how ca you fid the right fit, what s goig to be the focus of your life? Doelly, herself a graduate of the Uiversity of Notre Dame, sees the ND Igite program as a outreach of its Catholic missio, a attempt to assist studets i some of the coutry s most difficult areas. Academic erichmet programs for studets ru i the thousads of dollars, ad through ND Igite we have the privilege to offer this to Bridgeport Catholic schools for o cost to parets, agreed Rivers. We re excited about the potetial to help studets prepare for college. BUILDING COMMUNITY Ope House Thursday, February 6 9:00-10:00 am Ca t make it? We would love to arrage a tour; just call. (203) Sait Mary School admits studets of ay race, color, creed or ethic origi. Preschool - Grade 8 Natioal Blue Ribbo Wier

19 19 Natioal Catholic Schools Week Bishop visits Cathedral Academy BRIDGEPORT Bishop Frak J. Caggiao paid a pre- Christmas visit to the Cathedral Academy ad was delighted by the progress made by the studets ad faculty. The childre were excited to have the ew bishop visit their school ad made posters ad bulleti boards to welcome him. His day bega with a visit to the lower school at St. Raphael campus where he met the happiest studets i the diocese. From there he visited the St. Augustie campus for upper school studets. It was a chace to tour the reovated facilities, meet studets ad faculty, ad ecourage all i their good work. A total of 1,016 childre are curretly erolled i Catholic Academies of Bridgeport. Sixty-five percet are Roma Catholic ad 35% are o-catholic. The schools embrace a culturally, spiritually ad ecoomically diverse eviromet. Bishop Caggiao spoke powerfully about his commitmet to ier-city Catholic educatio ad backed up his commets with fiacial ad ecoomic facts about the poverty levels i Bridgeport, the diversity of the studets, ad the $1.5 millio required i fiacial aid each year to make the dream of Catholic educatio a reality for may families. (To fid out more about makig a cotributio to the Catholic Academies of Bridgeport, call or scecere@ diobpt.org.) St Joseph High School Shadow Days Now through April Sprig Ope House March 25, 2014, 7pm Register today! St Joseph High School 2320 Hutigto Turpike Trumbull CT We look forward to you joiig us at St Joe s for a evet o campus soo!

20 20 Natioal Catholic Schools Week This is goig to be a Blue Ribbo School forever By Bill Bittma Courtesy of Moroe Patch St. Jude School celebrated its first ever desigatio as a Blue Ribbo School, a atioal award recogizig academic excellece ad just what makes a school special. O Jauary 9, the buildig was decked out i blue, all of the studets ad Pricipal Patricia Griffi doed the color ad there was eve a table i the gymasium covered with blue ribbo cupcakes. The etire school commuity gathered i the gym for a ceremoy with special guests, icludig Bishop Frak J. Caggiao; Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, superitedet of schools of the Diocese of Bridgeport; Msgr. Joh Sabia, St. Jude s pastor; ad Michelle Turbak, Edith Wheeler Memorial Library s childre s libraria. It is about work ethic ad applyig ourselves every sigle day we re i school, Griffi said from the podium. Now that St. Jude School eared the prestigious Blue Ribbo desigatio, Griffi told her studets they must work hard to keep it. You ca t get lazy, she said. You ca t stop doig your homework. You have to stay focused ad o your game at all times. As a Catholic school, Griffi said, St. Jude s studets strive for academic excellece with a belief i Jesus Christ, practicig their faith with a commitmet to their commuity. Olivia, oe of the studets who spoke, said, There are a lot of good thigs about St. Jude. If you asked me to list them, I do t have eough paper or time. A slideshow of photos from the past year was set to music, the special recogitio was give to studets ad teachers. Bishop Caggiao said, I am very impressed ad proud to be with all of you. You are a woderful school commuity. Sacred Heart Academy STrog ValueS. STrog academics. STrog leadership We joi i the celebratio of catholic SchoolS! Impelled by Christ s Love Fouded i 1946, Sacred Heart Academy is a idepedet, Catholic preparatory day school for qualified youg wome i grades ie through twelve. 265 Beham Street, Hamde CT sacredhearthamde.org The bishop oted how respectful the childre were i the classrooms he had visited ad their willigess to cotiue to lear ad follow Jesus. We are ot a private school. We are ot a public school. We are a Catholic school, which meas Jesus is here with us every day, he said. Treat each other with respect ad love. Bishop Caggiao asked studets if they could ope the door to their hearts ad they aswered with a resoudig yes. The you are goig to have the best school you could have, he said. Ad this school is goig to be a Blue Ribbo School forever.

21 21 Feature Teacher: Hery Rodo The Best of the Best BRIDGEPORT It s always hard to choose The Best of the Best. That s the challege every year as the Ier City Foudatio for Charity & Educatio prepares to ame the teacher to be hoored with the Tim Russert Makig A Differece Award. This year s hooree, Hery Rodo, is a member of Kolbe- Cathedral High School i Bridgeport. A teacher i the theology departmet, he is also director of athletics ad dea of studets. Hery lives our Gospel values, practices what we preach ad teaches by example, says Jo-Ae Jakab, Kolbe s pricipal. He calls studets to embrace truth, make good choices ad lear to accept the cosequeces of poor decisios. Usig patiet istructio ad persoal example, he leads them to greater growth ad developmet. Hery is a asset to the Kolbe-Cathedral High School commuity. The award was preseted at the 22d Aual Beefit Dier, which was held o November 16 at the Hyatt Regecy Greewich. Tim had three specific qualities that should be part of the selectio, says Richard Stoe, executive director of the foudatio, recallig his coversatio with the late Tim Russert. We should choose someoe who goes the extra mile, who doates their time, ad who stays after school to work with the kids. Thirtee years ago Russert was the featured speaker at the foudatio s Aual Beefit Dier. He spoke about the teachers he had i Catholic school ad the importat role they played i his life ad cotiued o page 25 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Kolbe-Cathedral High School teacher Hery Rodo was recogized for his achievemet at the recet Ier-City Foudatio dier held i Greewich. (Photo by Cythia Stoe) Cogratulatios to the Fairfield Prep Class of 2014 o your early acceptace to: Uiversity of Alabama Creighto Uiversity Middlebury College Triity College Arizoa State Uiversity Uiversity of Dever Uiversity of Mississippi Tulae Uiversity Babso College Dickiso College Mitchell College Uio College Bates College Eckerd College Motaa State Uiversity Uited States Naval Academy Bosto College Fairfield Uiversity Northeaster Uiversity Villaova Uiversity Butler Uiversity Fordham Uiversity Uiversity of Notre Dame Wake Forest Uiversity Califoria Polytechic Uiversity Sa Luis Obispo Caregie Mello Uiversity Case Wester Reserve Uiversity Cetral Coecticut State Uiversity Chestut Hill College Clemso Uiversity Coastal Carolia Uiversity Columbia Uiversity The Cooper Uio for the Advacemet of Sciece ad Art Frakli ad Marshall College Frakli Pierce Uiversity George Washigto Uiversity Georgetow Uiversity Hobart ad William Smith Colleges College of the Holy Cross Idiaa Uiversity Ioa College LeMoye College Louisiaa State Uiversity Uiversity of Michiga Ohio Wesleya Uiversity Priceto Uiversity Providece College St. Joseph s Uiversity St. Louis Uiversity College of St. Rose Sata Clara Uiversity Stoehill College Uiversity of Scrato Seto Hall Uiversity Uiversity of South Carolia Wigate Uiversity Xavier Uiversity Yale Uiversity Fairfield College Preparatory School A Jesuit, Catholic School of Excellece

22 22 St. Vicet s Medical Ceter Leadership trasitio at St. Vicet s BRIDGEPORT Stuart G. Marcus, MD, FACS has bee appoited CEO ad presidet of St. Vicet s Health Services (SVHS). SVHS, a $500 millio healthcare system, is a member of Ascesio Health, the atio s largest Catholic ad largest oprofit healthcare system. SVHS icludes St. Vicet s Medical Ceter, St. Vicet s College, St. Vicet s Special Needs Services ad St. Vicet s Medical Ceter Foudatio. Dr. Marcus has also bee amed a Miistry Market Leader by Ascesio Health for its Coecticut ad New York Regios, which iclude three additioal hospitals: St. Mary s Healthcare i Amsterdam, NY, Lourdes Memorial Hospital i Bighamto, NY, ad Mout St. Mary s Hospital i Lewisto, NY. He most recetly served as presidet of St. Vicet s Medical Ceter ad executive vice presidet of St. Vicet s Health Services. He succeeds Susa L. Davis, EdD, RN, who is trasitioig full-time to her role i Pesacola, Florida as presidet ad CEO of the Sacred Heart Health System, also a member of Ascesio Health. Davis will cotiue i her service as miistry market leader for Florida ad Alabama. She will remai a member of the SVHS Board of Directors. I kow that St. Vicet s will be i the best possible hads with someoe as well qualified ad passioate about the delivery of safe ad compassioate health care as Dr. Stuart Marcus, said Davis. With his may years of cliical experiece as a cacer surgeo ad as the guidig force behid the creatio of our cacer ceter ad ocology program, he has always demostrated exceptioal leadership ad itegrity. Dr. Marcus, who joied St. Vicet s i 2006, was amed presidet of St. Vicet s Medical Ceter i Prior to that, Dr. Marcus served as seior vice presidet, chief medical officer ad chairma of ocology at St. Vicet s. I his ew role as CEO/ presidet ad miistry market leader, he will provide strategic ad operatioal leadership for St. Vicet s Health Services, while promotig strategic aligmet amog Ascesio s New York ad Coecticut health miistries. I am humbled by the tremedous resposibility of leadig St. Vicet s, ad cotiuig the missio of our fouders, the Daughters of Charity, i providig high quality, compassioate care to all with special attetio to the poor ad uderserved, Dr. Marcus said. St. Vicet s has received widespread recogitio as a atioal leader i patiet safety ad is ow poised to lead the trasformatio of healthcare i our regio. The future will build upo the safety, quality ad platform of excellece that Susa Davis has led here over the past te years. We also look forward to the beefits that our partership with the Frak H. Netter, MD, School of Medicie at Quiipiac Uiversity will brig to the greater Bridgeport commuity. I his past role as CMO, Dr. Marcus provided admiistrative oversight of the medical staff, payig particular attetio to ehacig hospital-based, patietcetered quality iitiatives throughout the Medical Ceter. A specialist i gastroitestial cacer surgery, Dr. Marcus led the developmet of the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Ceter for Cacer Care at St. Vicet s, which opeed i Prior to comig to St. Vicet s, Dr. Marcus held cliical ad admiistrative positios at NYU Lagoe Medical Ceter ad Bellevue Hospital Ceter i New York City. He received his medical degree from Duke Uiversity School of Medicie, was traied i geeral surgery at NYU/Bellevue ad completed a fellowship i surgical ocology at the Natioal Cacer Istitute i Bethesda, MD. Accordig to curret St. Vicet s Board Chairma Daiel Gottschall, MD, The traditio of patiet-cetered ad relatioship-based care will cotiue uder Dr. Marcus, with his strog cliical backgroud ad kowledge of the healthcare eviromet. He is well equipped as a leader to hadle the challege of ruig a complex health system with may compoets such as St. Vicet s, ad will brig his ow uique style of creativity, ispiratio ad appreciatio of the missio to the task. IMMACULATE HIGH SCHOOL Proudly celebrates Catholic Schools Week ad salutes our studets for their cotributios to our school, churches, commuities ad atio! Come see the differece a Immaculate educatio ca make for you! Sprig Ope House Wedesday, March 12 at 7pm Immaculate High School admits studets of ay race, color, ad atioal or ethic origi.

23 23 Ier-City Foudatio Gala raised $1.2 millio for charity GREENWICH The Ier-City Foudatio For Charity & Educatio raised early $1.2 millio dollars to support agecies, istitutios ad programs throughout Fairfield Couty at the foudatio s Twety-Secod Aual Beefit Dier. James C. Smith, chairma ad CEO of Webster Bak, was the chair of the Corporate Committee for the aual blacktie evet. More tha 400 guests atteded the aual evet at the Hyatt Regecy Greewich that featured a cocert performace by The Fab Faux the highly acclaimed Beatles tribute bad with Grammy wier Will Lee. Five-time Emmy wier Dave Price was master of ceremoies. I additio, idividuals who participate i programs supported by the Ier-City Foudatio expressed their gratitude for the help they have received ad for the opportuities that have bee BENEFIT COMMITTEE CHAIRS (l-r) Vice ad Lida McMaho of Greewich with Tom Coughli of New Caaa. made available to them. Browie ad Tom Coughli of New Caaa ad Lida ad Vice McMaho of Greewich were the Beefit Committee chairs ad were assisted by co-chairs, Audrey ad Daiel Dorier of Greewich, Hele ad Da FitzPatrick of Greewich, Vilma ad Dick Matteis of Greewich ad Bill Mitchell of Westport. Sice 1992, the foudatio has awarded more tha $25 millio i grats to orgaizatios that provide assistace, icludig food, clothig, shelter, couselig ad educatio to at-risk ad eedy childre ad adults of Fairfield Couty. I additio to providig scholarship assistace, orgaizatios receivig grats iclude the Cardial Sheha Ceter, Carolie House, Ceter for Wome & Families, Child Guidace Ceter, Domestic Violece Crisis Ceter, Domus Kids, Emerge Ic., Homes with Hope, Juior Achievemet, Kids i Crisis, Liberatio Programs, Mercy Learig Ceter, Morig Glory Kitche, New Coveat House of Hospitality, Norma F. Pfriem Breast Cacer Ceter, Regioal YMCA of Wester CT, ad the Thomas Merto House of Hospitality. (For more iformatio about The Ier-City Foudatio For Charity & Educatio or to make a cotributio, visit their website at call , or write The Ier-City Foudatio For Charity & Educatio, 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, CT ) A GREAT EVENING Joel ad Barbara Miller (right) chat with Bishop Caggiao at the 22d Aual Beefit Dier. BLACK TIE EVENT Christie Herma ad Michael Herma, MD, of Southport say hello to the bishop. They were amog the 400 guests at the Hyatt Regecy i Greewich. (Photos by Cythia Stoe) Catholic Schools Week

24 24 Sports: Immaculate High School Everybody is a Mustag By JOE RYAN Success will brig you a lot of thigs. It brigs adulatio ad selfsatisfactio, but it also has aother effect i athletics. The team becomes a destiatio for good players, ad Immaculate High School has a chace to become the place where good players go to be a part of a wiig program plus get the extra attributes which a Catholic school educatio ca provide. It was the fourth time i the school s history they wo a state crow i basketball. While the little high school wedged up i the woods of Wester Coecticut has ot attracted a lot of attetio, the Mustags have put together a ice resume of success over the last forty years ad 41 state titles ad maybe that is about to chage. The outside of the school was a shell o this gray December day. The usually bustlig halls were mius the studets who would be walkig ad talkig o their way to class. But the buildig was ot totally silet, as through the darkess came the squeakig of IMMACULATE S MUSTANG CAPTAINS Joey Wallace ad Darel Bowma. seakers ad umistakable soud of basketballs boudig agaist the floor of the gym. It was ie o clock i the morig, two days before Christmas, ad there were twety basketball players ruig sprits ad practicig drills uder the sometimes critical gaze of Coach Nelso Migachos. Migachos kows what he is lookig for because his Mustags put together oe of those seasos that schools remember i He had a seior-lade lieup which posted a remarkable 19-1 regular seaso. Immaculate did ot stop there; they cotiued o i the post-seaso ad wo the CIAC Class S basketball champioship. Whe those kids came i as freshme, we kew they were a good group, says Migachos. Did we kow we were a state champioship team? No. We were hopig we would be able to compete, but all the right thigs came alog ad the kids worked hard so it was a perfect storm at that time. They fiished with a 9-8 mark last year with a loss to Cromwell i the opeig roud of the state touramet. We kew it was goig to be oe of those years, says Migachos. We were oly a half game out of the league touramet. The goig o the road i the first roud of the state touramet is always tough ad we lost o a last secod shot. This seaso they have gotte off to a 3-1 start. They wo the Tip Off Classic with victories over North Have ad Abbott Tech but lost i double overtime to Brookfield (48-42) i the Cadlewood Classic, which was the Christmas Touramet they hosted i the Immaculate gym. The Mustags outlasted New Milford by the score of i the cosolatio game. Migachos says he was pleased with the start. Migachos is i his teth year as the head coach ad he ackowledges what that iitial champioship meat to his program the doors it opes to the future for the Mustags but also the pressure to keep succeedig. Oce you ve had as successful a year as that oe, people s eyes ope up ad people wat to come play for a wier, says Migachos. We were always very competitive but had ot wo a champioship. Oce we got there, it was a great high for everyoe ad ow I thik a lot of youger kids wat to come here ad to play for a wier ad hopefully get back to play i the state fials. Captais Darel Bowma ad Joey Wallace are examples of players who have trasferred i. Bowma was across tow at Dabury High School. Wallace came i from Rochester, New York, but says the friedship with Bowma helped him whe he became a Mustag. Bowma admits that matchig the record of two years ago is a lot to ask for. He was a freshma that year ad oe lesso he leared from that team was about how much hard work it takes to succeed. We were supposed to be good, but I do t thik we were picked to be that good, says Bowma. Oe thig I will say about that team is that they worked hard for everythig. The amout of ruig ad the way they pushed us, I do t thik we would have made it that far without it. The goals have always bee the same says Migachos: to prepare the kids to compete to the best of their ability ad hopefully qualify for coferece ad state touramet play. He does ot wat that to ever chage, but how far they go is about fate ad match ups. Migachos is somebody who uderstads all facets of beig a Mustag athlete after havig bee oe himself, plus coachig i some capacity for 15 years. I kow to seek truth, to seek God that is oe of the mottos of Immaculate, says Migachos. I do t wat to say that we get a differet type of player, but eyes are o them all the time. Respect is big ad the kids kow it. Our shirts say Family ad that s what I wat the kids to realize. At cotiued o page 25

25 Youth St. Luke s helps rebuildig after Philippies typhoo By SOFIA VEGA WESTPORT A baquet fud-raiser was held at St. Luke Parish i December 21 to raise FR. CYRUS BARTOLOME LEADS a coga lie at a baquet fud-raiser for Philippie typhoo victims. moey ad awareess for the typhoo that hit the Philippies last November. Fr. Cyrus Bartolome, parochial vicar, came up with the idea for the fud-raiser. He is from the Philippies ad was o vacatio i his hometow whe the typhoo hit. Luckily it was ot close to the ceter of the typhoo, but he did see much of the damage ad felt obliged to help his eighbors. Fr. Cyrus wated parishioers to focus more o the smaller islads that were ot gettig as much press ad aid from iteratioal support. Six baskets differig i cotets were raffled Mustag Captais from page 24 Immaculate we are a big family. Wallace agrees with his coach that the feelig he gets just from beig i the halls ad havig all the studets kow each other makes each day at Immaculate work. All the studets are frieds ad the teachers go out of their way to help you, says Wallace. I just feel like we all just get alog. The isolatio of a big school like Rochester where he came from ca be a loely place. A kid may oly kow a few kids i class or the other members of a team. For the rest of the day, they ca feel aloe i a crowded hallway. Here everybody is a Mustag. off to raise moey, ad free-will offerigs were also accepted. The baskets were doated by Melissa ad Doug, LLC, a toy compay i Wilto, ad may families doated raffle items. All moey raised will go directly to help rebuildig i the Philippie islads. I will sed the moey to bishops i differet dioceses so they ca help the people i that area, Fr. Cyrus said. The etire commuity came together to help raise moey for the cause. Attedees daced to the music a DJ played ad ate a variety of Philippie foods brought by the Philippie commuity, who were happy to joi the party. About five differet orgaizatios that were also helpig raise fuds for the Philippies were preset at the baquet. Elsa Mole, a member of the board of directors of the Coecticut Associatio of Philippie Americas families, came from New Jersey to help. The St. Luke s evet was the 14th fudraiser she atteded to help Sice aid victims of the typhoo. She comes from the regio where the typhoo hit strogly ad so is very active i as may ways she ca be to help the people i her homelad. Members ad frieds of Sait Luke s Parish came to support the cause, icludig may teeagers from Sait Luke s Youth Group. The ight ultimately raised over $5,000, eough to ship 22 boxes of supplies to the Philippies. We have already set out boxes of relief goods, icludig items like used clothes, soaps, toiletries, etc., to islads that seem to be eglected from these goods, said Fr. Cyrus. His goal is to see that helpig the people of these smaller islads should t stop with the December fud-raiser ad he asks ayoe iterested i assistig to cotact him. (Sofia Vega is a sophomore at Staples High School i Westport. Photographer Adrew Va Riper is her classmate. People iterested i helpig the small islads of the Philippies ca cotact Fr. Cyrus Bartolome: ) CATHOLIC PROFESSIONAL NETWORK Orietal & Area Rugs 2 FOR 1 CLEANING SALE Cash & Carry or Pick Up & Delivery Call for Details Eds 3/22/14 Norwalk (203) Stamford (203) Stratford (203) Home PC & Mac Help Computer Systems, Networks, , Iteret, Traiig & Tutorig MENTION THIS AD TO RECEIVE THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY CATHOLIC DISCOUNT! Feature Teacher from page 21 his success. That ight, Tim aouced he was establishig the Makig A Differece Award, to be give aually to a teacher i the Diocese of Bridgeport School System. He stressed that the recipiet of the award must be a teacher who ispires studets. He said it must be someoe who truly makes a differece i the lives of others, Stoe stresses. Rodo fulfills that descriptio may times over. Bor ad raised i Mahatta, where he atteded St. Catherie of Geoa Elemetary School ad Cardial Hayes High School. Rodo came to Coecticut to atted Sacred Heart Uiversity i Fairfield, where he majored i theology. He had always loved sports, particularly baseball, ad played both baseball ad basketball o the udergraduate level. I really wated to coach, ad oe of my teachers ecouraged me to o for my masters i educatio at Sacred Heart. He worked i campus miistry, icludig leadig a studet service project to El Salvador, ad coached as a assistat to Dave Bike, former head basketball coach at SHU. Durig his secod year of graduate school he was offered the positio of part-time teacher of religio at Kolbe. That fall, as a full-time member of the faculty, he bega coachig at Kolbe. They were so helpful to me, Rodo says. Jo-Ae Jakab was always ecouragig me, ad Lisa Matso, the assistat pricipal, became my metor. She helped me ot oly with plaig good lessos but showed me how to respod to idividual studet s learig styles. That was 16 years ago. Rodo, who fiished his Sixth Year Certificate at SHU, is ow dea of studets. Especially with the youger kids, who ted to thik that beig o the team is everythig, they eed to lear what we re all about. I tell them, We re ot a team, we re a school that happes to have a good team. His cocers do t ed with sports or classroom activity. Hery gives geerously of his time i commuity service edeavors ad to promote a high stadard of studets code of coduct, says Jakab. For his part, Rodo gives full credit to Kolbe s admiistratio ad staff. Jo-Ae ad Lisa have dedicated their lives to Kolbe. It s hard ot to live up to their example. We all eed to be accoutable ad ot let kids fail. 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26 26 Obituaries Citize-scholar ad SHU leader WASHINGTON Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatica Thomas P. Melady, who served i several diplomatic posts ad cotiued to play a role as citizescholar log past the age whe most people would have retired, died Jauary 6. He was 86. Dr. Melady served as presidet at Sacred Heart Uiversity i Fairfield from ad was amed Presidet Emeritus whe he moved o. His service came durig a time of great chage for Sacred Heart as the uiversity bega to move from a start-up college to a acclaimed regioal uiversity, says Dr. Joh J. Petillo, who became presidet of SHU i His visio played a importat role i Sacred Heart becomig ot oly the atioally kow uiversity it is today, but also i our reputatio as a special place where members of the commuity are treated with respect ad digity. Dr. Melady served as a America ambassador uder three presidets ad as a subcabiet officer for a fourth. Uder Presidet Richard M. Nixo, he was Ambassador to Burudi ( ), seior adviser to the U.S. delegatio to the UN Geeral Assembly (1970), ad Ambassador to Ugada ( ). Uder Presidets George H. W. Bush ad Bill Clito, he was Ambassador to the Holy See ( ). Uder Presidet Roald Reaga, he served as FUNERAL GUIDE Collis Fueral Home 92 East Aveue Norwalk NEIL F. HARDING Director/Ower Hardig FUNERAL HOME 203/ FAX 203/ POST ROAD EAST WESTPORT, CT William A. Skidd William R. Kelley Quiet Digity Without Extravagace Affordable Direct Crematio Title XIX Welcome Z Family owed for three geeratios Z Call for free iformative brochure Z or assistat secretary for Post- Secodary Educatio ( ). Sice 2002, he had served as seior diplomat i residece at The Istitute of World Politics i Washigto, D.C. Already a accomplished diplomat before servig at SHU, Dr. Melady reetered the world of diplomacy i 1989, whe he was amed ambassador to the Vatica by Presidet George H.W. Bush. It was a dramatic time to be i Rome, with Pope Joh Paul II ofte cited as a prime moral force behid the collapse of the commuist bloc i Easter Europe. We had a major iterest i seeig coversio to liberty without resortig to violece, Dr. Melady told the Hartford William G. Lahey, Jr. William P. Skidd Adrew D. Skidd Family owed for four geeratios Pre-eed Fueral Plaig Matthew K. Murphy, Fueral Director 267 Greewich Aveue Greewich, CT Z Hadlig every detail Z I home arragemets Z Memorial service facility Courat i We worked very closely with the Holy See ad the pope i these trasitios to democracy. Dr. Melady was also etrusted with a secret missio at the Vatica he was istructed to ope quiet egotiatios that would move the Vatica toward official recogitio of the state of Israel. He worked with Jewish ad Israeli represetatives durig his teure as ambassador, from 1989 to 1993, ad he was the direct itermediary betwee the presidet ad the pope. I additio to his ambassadorial posts, Melady was a prolific writer, with 17 books ad more tha 180 articles to his credit. He most recetly had bee seior diplomat i residece ad a professor at the Istitute of World Politics i Washigto. I 2010, The Catholic Uiversity of America Istitute o Policy Research ad Catholic Studies awarded Dr. Melady the Bishop Joh Joseph Keae Medallio for lifetime service to Church, coutry ad academia. Dr. Melady was bor March 4, 1927, i Norwich, CT, ad served i the U.S. Army at the close of World War II. He eared degrees from Duquese Uiversity ad The Catholic Uiversity of America ad taught at St. Joh s Uiversity. As a early propoet of Africa studies, he served from as the presidet of the Africa Service Istitute. Amog his may hoors ad awards, he was a Kight of Malta ad recipiet of the Grad Cross of the Order of Malta; was a recipiet of the Order of Pius IX ad the Order of St. Gregory the Great. A fueral Mass was celebrated by Doald Cardial Wuerl o Jauary 13 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle i Washigto. Sacred Heart Uiversity celebrated a memorial Mass the followig day. Deceased Clergy of the Diocese of Bridgeport Jauary 19 February 15 Jauary 19 Rev. Adrew L. Horvat Rev. William D. Thompso Msgr. Ralph P. Buogervio Msgr. Adrew T. Cusack Rev. Adrew L. Farkas Rev. Robert E. Oze Rev. Felix P. Werpechowski Rev. Joh Mitchell Rev. James J. McCormick Msgr. Fracis G. Galla Msgr. Joseph R. McCarthy Msgr. Joh F. Cavaaugh Rev. James F. Desmod February 2 Rev. Joseph W. Kupec Deaco Bartholomew J. Mauceri Msgr. Marti F. Dora Rev. Robert F. Albert Msgr. William F.X. Casey Msgr. Marti J. McDermott Rev. James F. McGrath Rev. William R. Nagle Rev. Joh R. Poliski Rev. Joh J. Filip Deaco Matthew Ashe Deaco Rodey L. Varey

27 27 Obituaries A tribute to a local leged, Alvi Clikscales By DON HARRISON How likable was Alvi Clikscales? There is o appropriate aswer, because the word to describe his friedly demeaor ad ifectious good humor has yet to be created. Eve people who met him for the first time said he was so ice, says Dave Bike, whose edurig friedship with Alvi bega whe Bike was a freshma member of the Notre Dame High School basketball team ad Clikscales was the varsity coach. If he had oe fault, his wife Peggy said, he was too ice. Alvi T. Clikscales, Bridgeport-area basketball leged, educator, husbad ad father, was 81 years old whe he died o November 5. But his memory will remai i the mids ad hearts of the thousads whose lives he touched at home, o the basketball court, ad at Sacred Heart Uiversity, where, as vice presidet of fiacial aid, he helped coutless disadvataged youg people eter college ad attai a degree. Basketball was the focal poit of his early life. As a laky 6-foot-4 seior ceter, he was the itimidatig defesive presece o the Bridgeport Cetral High team that dropped a oepoit decisio to New Britai i the Class A state champioship game but the rebouded the appropriate word to wi the New Eglad Iterscholastic Champioship at Bosto Garde. The Hilltoppers defeated Somerville (MA) High, Al was the Bill Russell of the early 50s, a zoe by himself, says Frak Porky Vieira, the a high school teammate ad later a oppoet i the semi-pro raks. At tiy Arold College i Milford, Clikscales developed the offesive side of his game, occasioally challegig such otables as Seto Hall s 7-foot All-America, Walter Dukes, ad St. Joh s All-America Zeke Zawoluk. After Arold was absorbed by the Uiversity of Bridgeport, Alvi had the distictio of becomig UB s first basketball All-America whe, as a seior co-captai, he averaged 21 poits ad 14.7 rebouds durig the seaso. ALVIN CLINKSCALES is cogratulated for his 40 years of service to Sacred Heart Uiversity by Presidet Dr. Joh Petillo at the uiversity s aual Fouder s Day o March 4, (Photo courtesy of Sacred Heart Uiversity) Alvi Clikscales, right, with his illustrious Harlem Globetrotter teammate, Meadowlark Lemo, circa After graduatio, he weighed two basketball choices: A tryout with the New York Kicks or a tagible offer from the Harlem Globetrotters. He opted for the latter, but said later, I have o doubt I could have made a NBA team. Clikscales toured the atio with the Globetrotters for two years, clowig ight after ight to the strais of Sweet Georgia Brow. Whe I was i the circle, I ever ejoyed it, he oce admitted. Clowig was t my forte. Drafted ito Ucle Sam s Army, Alvi teamed up with All- Americas Tom Gola (La Salle) ad Sihugo Gree (Duquese) to lead the Fort Dix team to backto-back Army champioships. After his discharge, Clikscales retured to his ative Bridgeport ad married a attractive woma amed Peggy Holmes. Their family would evetually embrace three childre, Keith, Norma ad Erik. Alog the way, he coverted to Catholicism, with his good fried ad roommate from college, Vito Motelli, stadig with him. Bike does t recall the exact year, but he remembers watchig a game at the Bridgeport Armory (ow the Cardial Sheha Ceter) whe Clikscales playig for the semi-pro Milford Chiefs actually scored a basket over the Bosto Celtics vauted Bill Russell. After that uforgettable play, Alvi recalled Russell turig to him ad sayig, with a smile, Cliks, what are you doig? I 1958, Clikscales made the decisio to pursue a career i educatio ad he was hired as a teacher ad basketball coach at a ew Catholic high school, Notre Dame of Bridgeport (ow Fairfield). Sigificatly, he became the first Africa- America to be a head basketball coach at a Coecticut high school. Alvi s teams performed well agaist strog oppositio, wiig or sharig four MBIAC titles ad makig ie straight appearaces i the state touramet. His Lacers, led by 6-foot-5 ceter Dave Bike ad a sprigy 5-foot-9 All-Stater, Rodock Cox, reeled off 23 straight victories before comig up short agaist a powerful Hillhouse team, 57-51, i the Class L state title game. welcome ew advertisers! Please tell our advertisers that you saw their ad i Fairfield Couty Catholic, the largest direct-mail circulatio ewspaper i Fairfield Couty. Royal Travel, page 10 Cocordia College, page 17 That was my best team, he oce recalled, ad that was the oly game we lost. After a decade of coachig, Alvi put aside his seakers ad became a full-time admiistrator, first at Notre Dame ad the across the street at Sacred Heart where he would sped 40 rewardig years i fiacial aid ad other capacities ad become a beloved figure o campus. Julie Bellico Savio, ow the executive director of uiversity fiacial assistace, speaks warmly of the ma she cosiders her metor, her fried ad father figure at work. I etered school o the fall of 1975 ad started with Alvi as a work-study studet. He kid of took me uder his wig; he saw some potetial i me. I was like a daughter to him, she recalls. From Alvi, I leared about sesitivity. Ad I came to uderstad the importace of diversity. He left me with some of the best lessos of my life. How may Sacred Heart studets did he help alog the way? Whe you thik about the umber of studets who have come through this office sice he started i 1972, it s got to be i the thousads, she respods. It s really about the people we serve, he d say. Bike, who recetly retired from coachig after 35 evetful seasos at Sacred Heart, ad Savio were amog those sharig reflectios at the Clikscales fueral, held i the Chapel of the Holy Spirit o the SHU campus. Dozes of alumi his studets were amog those i attedace. To may, the recessioal sog seemed appropriate: Sweet Georgia Brow. Next issue is our Let preview, travel, ad sprig college issue. Please reserve ad space early, copy by February 5, 2014 To advertise, please cotact Ralph Lazzaro at:office , cell , or rlazzaro@diobpt.org welcomeewadvertisers!

28 28 Guest Colum Moral debates at the dier table My daughter had a harrowig experiece recetly while she was sittig aroud the holiday dier table with family members ad frieds, ad the festivities suddely tured ito somethig resemblig the Jerry Spriger show. Every so ofte the so-called real world hits you right betwee the eyes. I was t there to witess the fireworks display, but I heard about it afterwards, ad all I could say was Whew. I m glad I was i New Hampshire shovelig sow. Brig o the blizzards. Accordig to usually reliable sources, this is what allegedly occurred: Everyoe gathered for the holiday at my sister s home. Sogs were sug, pleasatries By Swimmig Upstream By Joe Pisai Joe Pisai, a jouralist for may years, is pricipal at The Dilescheider Group, a strategic commuicatios firm. were shared, alcohol was cosumed, ad the it was time for family meltdow. The coversatio betwee the yougsters ad the oldsters quickly got out of cotrol. There was oe of the usual chitchat about glute-free diets, college applicatios, 401(k) ivestmets, ObamaCare ad Kim Kardashia. It was a lot more scadalous. The adults suppressed gasps of horror as they listeed to the teeagers take the discussio ito ucharted territory of sex, drugs ad rock roll. Their persoal revelatios about life i high school ad college left the assembled guests shell-shocked. (Adolescet cador ca ofte be usettlig.) O the other had, the teeagers were stued by the adult reactio because, as oe said, What s the big deal? It s socially acceptable. They eve do it o TV. There were tales of casual sex, drug use, cheatig ad other usavory activities activities oce cosidered siful. Of course, i our secular society, that word is seldom used, ad the cocept, itself, is a aachroism. What s a paret to do whe you discover your kids are victims of the otorious peer pressure, hagig out with the wrog crowd, ad egagig i self-destructive behavior, to use the popular euphemism? How do you covice them it s better to swim upstream tha get swept away i the swift curret carryig everyoe dowstream to the sewer? How do you covice them that despite what they see o televisio ad what their frieds say, some thigs are wrog? I her book The Shelter of Each Other, psychologist Mary Pipher says, Parets are tryig harder tha parets twety years ago, ad yet their childre are t doig as well. Parets seem desperate ad lost, ad their childre are bitter ad out of cotrol. She cocludes that everythig i society cospires agaist parets the etertaimet idustry, the media, peer pressure, celebrity worship ad lax moral values. As crazy as it souds, the greatest challege for 21st cetury parets is teachig childre there s a right ad a wrog ad that they should choose the right. Eve good kids are flouderig morally ad ofte justify bad behavior by sayig, Everybody s doig it. God bless my late mother, whose moral visio was clear ad ublemished. No equivocatig with her. Wheever we said, But everybody s doig it! her respose was always the same: If everybody jumped off the bridge, would you jump off, too? I cofess that at the time, the temptatio to jump was great. That tidbit of moral advice could rak right up there with Just say o ad the classic, What would Jesus do? I our society, virtually everybody, whether they re classmates or celebrities like Miley Cyrus ad Lady Gaga, is jumpig off the bridge ad good kids are followig them. Doig the right thig is seldom popular. Nowadays, more ad more people are doig the wrog thig because they ve cofused the wrog thig with the right thig or they just do t care. Most youg people suspect somethig is drastically wrog, however. I fact, a survey coducted by the Marist College Istitute for Public Opiio ad the Kights of Columbus showed that some 75 percet of the Milleial Geeratio thik America s moral compass is poited i the wrog directio. Youg people eed to uderstad that they ca t compartmetalize their values. You ca t leave your moral beliefs at the door whe you go to college or work, ad you ca t have two sets of values oe for Christ ad oe for your frieds. They also eed to uderstad that followig Christ usually meas goig agaist the grai. As parets, we have to be there to paret, which sometimes meas yellig log ad forcefully at the dier table whe the moral debates start assumig there s debate at the dier table ad everyoe is t text-messagig or playig Cady Crush. Some of us are old eough to remember what society was like before good became bad ad bad become good. It s time to give moral clarity to our childre ad gradchildre oe perso at a time. 24 Hour Service Available Family Owed ad Operated Sice 1920 Floral Desigig Weddigs & Parties Sympathy Arragemets Our Specialty Post Road Fairfield ONE OF CT S LARGEST VOLUME HONDA DEALERS CT S FIRST ESTABLISHED HONDA DEALER APRIL 1973 Ope All Day Saturday for Service & Parts Seior Citize Discout 333 Bridgeport Ave Shelto M-Th 9am-9pm Fri 9am-6pm Sat 9am-5pm CALL CURTISS RYAN AT NEW & USED VEHIICLES SALES SERVIICE PARTS BODY SHOP Office of Commuicatios Diocese of Bridgeport 238 Jewett Aveue Bridgeport, Coecticut telephoe fax fcc@diobpt.org web USPS o.: Periodical postage paid at Bridgeport, CT 06601, ad additioal mailig offices. Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao Publisher Bria D. Wallace Executive Editor bwallace@ccfc-ct.org Pat Heessy Maagig Editor pheessy@diobpt.org Reée Stamatis Art Director rstamatis@diobpt.org Ralph Lazzaro Advertisig Maager rlazzaro@diobpt.org Bria A. 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29 29 Colum A letter from Emily music i my heart I bore Log after it The was heard o more. (William Wordsworth, The Solitary Reaper ) Durig the first days of the summer whe I was twelve years old ad it seemed that the summer vacatio would last practically forever, my father bought me a ew bike, oe with tubeless tires. O that bike I bega to explore the outskirts of my apartmet-buildig eighborhood, ad wet to the coutryside, the place of oe-family houses. I rode past a particular house with a big screeed i porch. The secod time I rode past that house, there was a girl sittig o the frot porch, readig a book. She was about my age. She looked up. The ext time I saw her there, we both smiled. The time after that I stopped i frot of the house, ostesibly to look at the view. She came to the road, ad said, I ve got a bike just like that. The ext day, whe I came agai, she came to the road ad said, Do you wat to come i? We ve got some chocolate cake that s really good. I wet. We took our cake back to the frot porch. I ca still remember its taste vividly. With it we drak cold milk, ad the we had secods ad more milk, ad we discussed what we liked to read. The girl s ame was Emily. As I was leavig that day, she casually said, We could ride our bikes to Forest Park. I the velvet of summer days we rode our bikes to the park ad explored every corer of it. The log copperish curls that swug dow Emily s eck bobbed almost costatly with excitemet. I foud her girlish ethusiasm irresistibly charmig. She was effortlessly lovely. Her voice Potpourri By Thomas H. Hicks Thomas Hicks is a member of St. Theresa Parish i Trumbull. was musical. I amused Emily; I almost always made her smile ad laugh. O the way home from the park we geerally stopped for cokes at a drugstore. May times we stayed o her frot porch where we moved the marbles of Chiese checkers from oe triagle to aother; bouced a rubber ball ad scoped up starry-poited bits of metal called jacks; played checkers. I have a vivid memory of Emily ad I sittig o the porch watchig a thuderstorm gather. We heard the low roll of distat thuder ad saw heat-lightig play softly alog the horizo. It grew darker ad darker. The first big drops of rai bega to splat- ter the sidewalk. The the heavy rai came; it came dow i what seemed solid sheets. It drummed o the roof of the porch. We laughed ervously, like the childre we were, despite all our literary talk. Oce a jagged bolt of lightig ripped the sky, ad Emily took my had. Almost as suddely as it bega, the torretial storm eded ad I remember the cool, getle breeze that followed, fresh ad clea. A couple of times I stayed for dier with Emily ad her parets. The mother had a getle, wise smile ad a acceptace of huma irregularities. The father was a kidly, geerous, amused ma. There was a all-forgivig fatherliess about him. I sesed that Emily was deeply loved. I early September, Emily moved. We promised to write each other every day, ad for a few weeks we wrote a couple of times a week. We wrote about solitary bike rides we took ad what we were readig. The we lost touch. About a year ago, i a magazie to which I subscribed, I saw a short story by Emily. I wrote SAINTLYLIVES her, i care of the magazie i which I had see the story, tellig her it was woderful. Two moths later, a letter came from Emily, from Florece, where she was stayig at the time. It had take a while for my letter to catch up with her. Her letter was very movig. She wrote that a image that still moved her to tears was the image of us o our bikes outside her house gettig ready to go to Forest Park. She told me how her parets were so extremely fod of me. They missed you, ad they talked about you for years. They liked me best with you. It was a lovely letter it made me fid some ew colors i my life. She wrote I my mid I ride my bike aroud Forest Park with you. I loved you ad I missed you. I replied with a letter tryig to tell her that the times I spet with her that summer were echated times ad I hope she kew how much they meat to me. There had bee more of what was good i life ad more of life itself. I told her that wheever I was with her I was happy. To thik of her as she was the could brig tears to my eyes. I did t wat her to reply, BY ED WALDRON ad she did t. I was certai she did t wat ay more letters from me. I wated her to be always twelve years old ad it would always be summer. I wated that slice of time we shared to be froze forever i my mid; that stream of thigs that were bright ad beautiful ad alive. I wated to always thik of her as a bloomig girl, glowig with health, lookig full of sushie ad laughig her fresh, rigig laugh, ad bathed i summer bloom. I did t wat to have to thik of her as someoe whose beauty had bee whittled by time. I did ot wat to thik of her growig ito a adult ad fadig ito a mother ad gradmother. I did t wat to get letters tellig of the disappoitmets, regrets, worries, deaths that etch all our lives. I wated Emily to stay i my mid as she was whe we were twelve years old. I m certai Emily felt the same way, ad so there were o more letters. We let it be. Whe life was like a story, holdig either sob or sigh, I the olde, golde glory of the days goe by. (James Whitmore Riley, Days Goe By )

30 30 Bits & Pieces CONNECTIONS! Miistry for Catholic Sigles 40 ad over will meet at St. Joh the Evagelist, Stamford, o Mo., Ja. 20, from 7 pm-9 pm. Coli Nykaza, the director of Youg Adult Outreach for the Archdiocese of New York, will speak o The Ache of the Huma Heart Through the Les of the Theology of the Body. Refreshmets ad fellowship follow. Doatio: $10. RSVP to coectiosfairfield@gmail.com. MASS OF HEALING AND HOPE sposored by the Charismatic Reewal Office will be offered Mo., Ja. 20, at 7:30 pm at St. Lawrece Parish, Shelto. For more iformatio, call CURSILLO ULTREYAS will be held o Mo., Ja. 20, at St. Bridget of Irelad Parish, Stamford, at 7:30 pm; ad Mo., Feb. 3, at St. James Parish, Stratford, at 7 pm. For more iformatio, cotact Jeaette: jkovacs@set.et. WINTER CARNIVAL at St. Mark School, Stratford, will take place Sat., Ja. 25, from 11 am-3 pm. Moo bouces, games, food, face-paitig ad more. O Su., Ja 26, the school will hold a ope house for Pre-K-grade 8 from 9 am-1 pm. For more iformatio, call or visit NOCTURNAL ADORATION is held the first Fri. of every moth (Feb. 7) at St. Bridget of Irelad Parish, Stamford, from 8 pm-12 midight. For more iformatio, call the parish: GOSPEL OF LIFE SOCIETY meets the secod Sat. of the moth (Feb. 8) at St. Mary Parish, Norwalk, at 10 am. Rep. Al Adiolfi of the State Judiciary Committee will speak o paretal otificatio for abortios o miors. For more iformatio, cotact or stmarygols@aol.com. WOMEN S CLUB at Christ the Kig Parish, Trumbull, will meet Mo., Feb. 10, at 10 am. Fr. Peter Cipriai, chaplai of Notre Dame High School, will speak. For more iformatio, call Pat: BIBLE STUDY: Jeff Cavis James: Pearls for Wise Livig HOLY LAND FRANCISCAN PILGRIMAGES HOLY LAND April 8-21, 2014 *Easter $3,650 Jue 17-25, 2014 $3,478 *Optioal Extesio to Istabul July 20-28, 2014 $3,880 *Optioal Extesio to Rome August 4-13, 2014 $3,910 SHRINES OF ITALY September 8-18, 2014 $3,399 HOLY LAND & JORDAN May 18-29, 2014 $3,990 HOLY LAND & MT. SINAI March 25 - April 5, 2014 $3,695 FATIMA & LOURDES with Barceloa April 6-15, 2014 $3,299 GREECE Jue 4-14, 2014 $4,197 Whe you travel with the Holy Lad Fraciscas you get: Customized Pilgrimages Support for Christias i the Holy Lad 800 Years Experiece Flights Lodgig Meals Trasports Daily Mass ifo@holyladpilgrimages.org will be held at Christ the Kig Parish, Trumbull, Fri. morigs from 9-10:45 am startig Fri., Ja. 31. For more iformatio, call Liz: or ctkparish@aol.com. UNIQUELY CREATED: The Male ad Female Heart, with Dr. Philip Mago, will be held o Sat., Feb. 8, from 9:30 am-3 pm at St. Mary Parish, Ridgefield. For more iformatio, faithformatio@smcr.org or call the parish: ASSISTED SUICIDE will be the topic of a speech by Peter Wolfgag, executive director of the Family Istitute of CT, at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Newtow, o Su., Feb. 2. Sow date: Feb. 9. For more iformatio ad for luch requests, call LITHUANIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY celebratio will take place St. George Parish, Bridgeport, o Su., Feb. 16, with a 12 oo Mass ad followig program. For more iformatio, call SACRED RELICS OF THE SAINTS: Treasures of the Church, a teachig ad expositio of relics by Fr. Carlos Martis, will take place at St. Theresa Parish, Trumbull, o Su., Feb. 23, at 2 pm. For more iformatio, call or visit www. treasuresofthechurch.com. Sait Mary s Church The Mother Church of Norwalk 669 West Ave., Norwalk Est Pastor: Fr. Greg J. Markey Parochial Vicar: Fr. Richard G. Cipolla I Residece: Fr. Paul N. Check, Director of Courage Deaco Stepha Geovese Choirmaster: David J. Hughes Cofessios: Moday-Friday: 11:30-12oo; Wedesday: 6:30-6:50pm; Saturday 3:00-4:30pm Suday Masses: 8:00am, 9:30am Extraordiary Form Solem High Mass, 11:30am Ordiary Form High Mass, 1:15pm i Spaish Music for the 9:30am Suday Solem High Lati Mass Jauary 19: Secod Suday after Epiphay: Missa Iclia cor meum (de Mote); Tribus miraculis (Hassler); O sacrum covivium à 6 (Victoria); orga music of Alai Jauary 26: Third Suday after Epiphay: Missa I illo tempore (Moteverdi); Cofitebor tibi Domie (Moteverdi); Catate Domio (Moteverdi); orga music of Bach February 2: Feast of the Purificatio (Cadlemas):Missa de Beata Virgie à 4 (Morales); Videte miraculum (Tallis); Ave Maria (Philips); orga music of Touremire ad Messiae February 9: Fifth Suday after Epiphay: Mass for Four Voices (Byrd); Dextera Domii (Palestria); Ave Regia caelorum à 8 (Victoria); orga music of Buxtehude For iformatio about the program of musical educatio for childre offered through the Studet Schola, pleaese visit Sait Mary s Bookstore Offerig a wide selectio of books, crucifixes, rosaries, sacrametals from Italy ad the Holy Lad, First Commuio ad Cofirmatio gifts, ad more. HOURS: Saturday 10am-4pm Suday 9-9:30am, 11am-2pm Moday, Wedesday ad Friday 12:45-2pm Tuesday 11-11:30am ad 12:45-2pm Thursday 12:45-2pm ad 3:30-5:30pm Located i Parish Ceter buildig behid Sait Mary Church VISA/MC ACCEPTED

31 31 Newspapers Publicatios We are the proud priters of the Fairfield Couty Catholic for the past 20 years. ST. JOSEPH S CENTER Shoppers Catalogs Magazies Directories Coupo Books College Course Catalogs Busiess & Fiacial Periodicals Free Stadig Iserts Advertisig Supplemets 205 Sprig Hill Road, Trumbull CT Call us for a free quote. Studets succeed at Fairfield because of our itegrated approach to learig ad a strog sese of commuity. Our graduates are both itellectually ad professioally prepared to be versatile thikers who ca adapt to the chagig issues of the 21st cetury. - Udergraduate ad Graduate Programs - Professioal Developmet Courses ad Certificates - Lifelog Learig Opportuities - Arts, Lectures ad Cultural Erichmet Offerigs Lear More: fairfield.edu 1073 North Beso Road, Fairfield, CT Come for a campus visit!

32 cacer ca t hide whe a team of sharper mids is o each case. At St. Vicet s Medical Ceter, a team of medical, radiatio ad surgical ocologists work together to offer each patiet the most effective treatmet optios available. Complex cases are preseted i a ope forum, where may of the atio s leadig specialists review each case to fid the best aswers. I additio, our ew affiliatio with MD Aderso Cacer Network meas that leadig cacer experts ca advise o cases through physicia-to-physicia cosultatios. Together, some of the sharpest mids i Coecticut are goig to give cacer somethig to really fear: You. To fid a St. Vicet s physicia, call (877) or visit stvicets.org. getler hads / sharper mids