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1 Iside this issue 3 16 Lauchig the Bishop s Aual Appeal Prayig i Shelto, feedig i Ethiopia 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. Register ow! A Visio for Educators for the Twety-First Cetury Sixth Aual Educators Commuio Breakfast SUNDAY, MARCH 9, a.m. Mass **Chapel art tour begiig at 8:30 a.m.** Celebrated by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Sacred Heart Uiversity Breakfast immediately followig Featured Speaker: Father Athoy Ciorra Assistat Vice Presidet for Missio ad Catholic Idetity at Sacred Heart Uiversity Cetesimus Aus Pro Potifice ISABELLE FARRINGTON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Limited seatig. All are welcome. Call or go to to register.

2 2 Preparig for a Syod A sprigtime of reewal for the diocese Dear Frieds i Christ: Our recet sowy days make me log for the comig of Sprig, with its warm weather ad the ew life that comes whe ature wakes up from its witer slumber. However, they also remided me about our commo desire to foster a Sprigtime of Reewal for our diocese. At the heart of that reewal will be a rebirth of fervor, joy ad commitmet to the divie missio that the Lord Jesus has asked us to accomplish i Fairfield Couty. Last moth, I metioed to you my desire to covoke a diocesa-wide syod. Sice the, may of you hearig about it have expressed your great ethusiasm ad desire to participate. Some of you have asked what a diocesa syod is. To aswer briefly, it is a year-log process of cosultatio ad plaig wherei the clergy, religious ad the faithful of the diocese come together to discuss ad advise the bishop regardig how to make our Church more resposive to our curret eeds ad to pla our future together. After cosultig the College of Cosultors, the Presbyteral Coucil, as well as may idividuals ad groups, I believe that the time is ripe for a diocesa syod. This is the time whe we must come together uited by oe task the task of buildig a bridge from where we are today to where we wish to be i five years as the Catholic Church i Fairfield Couty. The time has come to liste to oe aother, to poder various questios ad uder the guidace of the Holy Spirit, to chart the path for our future. There is so much we ca share: our various experieces, talets, ad solutios to meet the challeges before us! Therefore, askig the grace of our lovig God, I have decided to covoke the Fourth Diocesa Syod with a decree that will be published o February 22, 2014 the Solemity of the Chair of Sait Peter. I etrust this Syod to the patroage of the Blessed Virgi Mary uder the title of Our Lady of Fatima, whose itercessio I humbly ivoke. I additio, I ask the itercessio of two ew saits: Sait Joh XXIII who covoked the Secod Vatica Coucil ad Sait Joh Paul II who further carried out the implemetatio of the cociliar decisios. The theme of our Syod is Buildig a Bridge to the Future Together! I am pleased to aouce the appoitmet of Msgr. Dariusz Zieloka as the director of the Syod, whose priestly zeal, competece ad service will be of ivaluable help to me i guidig the work of the Syod i the moths ahead. I the comig week, I also look forward to aoucig the members of the Syod Committee who will help Msgr. Dariusz ad me to orgaize the Syod. The Syod is a diocesa-wide cosultatio. Therefore, i additio to a local cosultatio process that every parish ad school will be asked to complete, there will be five vicariate listeig sessios this Sprig where I will be preset to liste to your cocers, commets ad suggestios. There will also be a umber of listeig sessios for the youth of the Diocese, as well as for the Spaish-speakig commuity i our couty. These sessios will be ope to the public. Please check the diocesa website ad parish aoucemets for more iformatio about them. I additio, you will be able to submit your commets electroically via the diocesa website. Your iput will help me ad the ON THE COVER ue is iss e th Isid 3 Bishop s ig the Appeal Lauch Aual, i Shelto Prayig Ethiopia i feedig 16 Please visit us o: ok.com/ cs holi w.facebo e at ww Couty Cat rtdioces Fairfield bridgepo.com/ ad at w.twitter th at ww ts, dobyou dobeve.com ews: Latest eportdiocese bridg usky, CFP E. Metr Frak Presidet cial Advisor ad Fia Road er Dam Beav, CT 0661 Stratford (NPC), oratio ig Corp al Pla t Advisor. aies. gh Natio Ivestme lated comp.8977 d throu ces offere a Registered ad ure ory Servi C, ad are separate ad Advis FINRA/SIP NPC Securities Member tmets ad Way ives Catholic tury! r oforwthe Twety-Fikfasrstt Ce Brea RegisforteEducatorsCom muio rs A Visio ual Educato a.m.** 2014 at 8:30 Sixth A RCH 9, begiig o AY, MA ity l art tour SUND s **Chape Frak J. Caggia Uivers Heart BISHOP CAGGIANO TALKS with tees who recetly gathered at St. Aloysius Parish i New Caaa to meet him ad share their faith. About 350 youg people atteded the afteroo of prayer, adoratio ad dialogue. The Bishop told the youg people they are a gift to the Church ad that he s lookig forward to workig with them. (Photos by Amy Mortese) g followi ediately st imm r: Breakfa d Speake ra ad Feature hoy Cior t for Missio ersity At Father Vice Preside ed Heart Uiv t Assista Idetity at Sacr Catholic ION E OF s us Au Cetesim ifice Pro Pot TON E FARRING ISABELL COLLEG 2014 to du/capp heart.e w.sacred to ww. Mas or go 9 a.m ed by Bishop it at Sacred Spir Celebrat the Holy of e. Call Chapel welcom All are seatig. Limited EDUCAT. register committee to carefully choose the mai topics that will be discussed durig the four geeral sessios of the Syod. I the comig weeks I will approve the process of selectig delegates to the geeral sessios that will take place betwee September 19, 2014 ad September 19, The fifth, ad fial sessio will ot oly summarize the fidigs of the Syod, but will also ope the implemetatio of the five-year pla for the Diocese of Bridgeport. The delegates to the geeral sessios will come from all parishes ad schools of the Diocese ad they will represet various groups ad orgaizatios preset i our Church. More iformatio about the selectio process will be comig i the ext few weeks. As you ca see, a diocesa syod is a major evet i the life of the local church. I hope that you are as excited about it as I am. Sice we all are lookig forward to the start of Sprig, I ivite you also to pray for the comig of a Sprigtime of Reewal for our Church i Fairfield Couty! Msgr. Dariusz Zieloka amed Syod director BRIDGEPORT Msgr. Dariusz J. Zieloka, J.C.D., has bee amed Director of the 2014 Diocesa Syod by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao. The diocesa coclave, ow i its preparatory phase, will be officially lauched o Saturday, May 3, with a Vespers Service to pray for the success of the Syod at St. Augustie Cathedral i Bridgeport. The bishop first aouced the Syod i Jauary 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. The opeig sessio of the Syod ad all of its delegates is set for Friday, September 19, 2014, while the closig sessio is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, Msgr. Dariusz brigs a deep faith, the skills of a cao lawyer ad liturgist, ad the experiece of havig servig as Priest Secretary to the Bishop to this importat post as Syod director, said Bishop Caggiao. His orgaizatioal skills, iterest i ew media ad kowledge of the diocese will help to orchestrate the Syod, which will gather the diocesa family to work together to meet the challeges we face i our ow time, the bishop said. I the comig moths, Msgr. Dariusz will coordiate establishmet of the Syod Commissio ad the developmet of a cosultatio period regardig pastoral CONTENTS 5 21ST ANNUAL WHITE MASS Spotlight o Metal Health 15 DAMIEN O CONNOR A cofessio that chaged his life 7 BISHOP EMPOWERS New Miscoduct Board 17 KIDS TURN SUPER BOWL Ito Souper Bowl of Carig 10 BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS 20 KOLBE CATHEDRAL GIRLS led by a Coach who sees bigger picture THE MYSTERY OF GOD S WAYS Columist Thomas Hicks 42 studets receive medals MATTHEW HENNESSEY o Philip Seymour Hoffma topics to be addressed. His role as Syod director is to assist the Syod with the coordiatio of all activities, commuicatios, icludig the trasmissio ad archivig of documetatio, ad directio of logistical matters. The Syod is expected to ivolve the participatio of hudreds of Catholics throughout the diocese as delegates ad sub-committee members to chart the future of the diocese. The bishop has said that the Syod will draw leaders o every level of the Church s life to work together i a true spirit of dialogue ad collaboratio. Clergy, religious ad laity must discer together the pressig issues that we face through prayer ad study, 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. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

3 3 Local News Aual Appeal provides shelter from the storm NORWALK May people edure the storms of poverty, homelessess ad metal illess aloe amidst the affluece of Fairfield Couty, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao at a special Mass to celebrate the lauch of the 2014 Bishop s Appeal. Buildig Bridges i Faith ad Charity is the theme of the campaig that ivites Catholics to put faith ito actio by carig for the poor ad afflicted of Fairfield Couty. Speakig to more tha 350 faithful o February 1, at St. Matthew Parish i Norwalk, the bishop thaked doors for their geerosity i support of the missio of the Church. Surrouded o the altar by 50 priests from parishes throughout Fairfield Couty, the bishop reflected o the accout of Jesus calmig the storm i the Gospel of Mark. I was ever surprised that he calmed the storm. What surprised me is that he was able to sleep through it, said the bishop, drawig a laugh whe he said he had a hard time sleepig i Trumbull because it was so quiet compared to Brookly. The bishop said that we all face storms of loss ad eve despair i our lives, ad the parable gives us a aswer about how to face them. Perhaps he slept i the boat because he had faith i his disciples ad i us. He has faith that we will follow him every step of the way ad cross to the other side with him. He said the poor ad eedy of Fairfield Couty are waitig for us to help calm the storm that besets them. As part of workig to get to the other side, we must build a bridge for our brothers ad sisters. If the Lord has faith i us, THANK YOU Bishop Caggiao thaks those who gathered at St. Matthew Church i Norwalk for the special Mass to lauch the Aual Bishop s Appeal. who are we to doubt that we ca get this doe, he said. Durig the homily he took time to praise diocesa miistries ad services icludig schools ad Catholic Charities. At the ed of Mass the bishop itroduced Cece ad Mike Dooghue of Darie who are servig as this year s chair couple. Cece read the First Readig, ad Mike led the Prayer of the Faithful. They are parishioers of St. Joh Parish. We ask for your blessigs o our parishioers ad doors who give freely from their hearts ad respod to God s call of carig for their eighbor, the bishop said i leadig the aual appeal prayer. A receptio followed the Mass i the Masterpool Great Room of St. Matthew Parish. Display tables were set up with iformatio about diocesa miistries. The Bishop s Appeal supports a wide rage of programs icludig Catholic Charities, diocesa schools, care of retired priests, religious educatio, St. Joh Fisher Semiary ad clergy miistries. To make a gift olie, go to Fr. Ia Jeremiah to lead clergy ad religious BRIDGEPORT Fr. Ia Jeremiah has bee amed vicar of clergy ad director of the Office of Clergy ad Religious of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The appoitmet, made by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, will be effective May 1, The Office of Clergy ad Religious serves the more tha 300 active ad retired priests ad deacos of the Diocese of Bridgeport as well as 350 religious. Fr. Jeremiah s resposibilities iclude overseeig clergy persoel issues icludig the assigmet of all clergy, cotiuig educatio ad formatio, ad support services for the persoal well beig of active ad retired priests ad deacos. Fr. Jeremiah is kow to his brother priests as a ma of iteg- rity ad deep spirituality. He will serve as a great source of support for all of our priests icludig the ewly ordaied, our pastors ad priest retirees. He succeeds Msgr. Kevi Royal who has held the post sice 2006, whe he was amed director of Clergy ad Religious by Bishop William E. Lori. I Jauary of this year, Msgr. Royal was amed pastor of Holy Spirit Parish i Stamford after servig as admiistrator sice A ative of Malaysia, Fr. Jeremiah, 50, comes to the Catholic Ceter from St. Aloysius Parish, New Caaa, where he has served as parochial vicar sice Jue Fr. Jeremiah first came to the U.S. i 1989, workig as a accoutat at Daytop, Ic., a ot-for-profit orgaizatio i New York City, while pursuig a M.B.A. from Columbia Uiversity. He also graduated with a degree i Accoutig from The Natioal Uiversity of Malaysia. He was livig i Stamford ad attedig Mass at his home parish of Sait Maurice whe he saw a pamphlet o vocatios published by the Kights of Columbus. He subsequetly etered the Sait Joh Fisher Semiary Residece, Stamford, i He completed his semiary studies at Mout Sait Mary s Semiary i Emmitsburg, MD. He was ordaied by Bishop Lori at St. Augustie Cathedral o May 17, As a deaco, he held summer assigmets at St. Mary Parish i Ridgefield; St. Joseph Parish i Shelto; St. Rose of Lima Parish i Newtow; ad St. Joseph Parish i Dabury. To me, the word priest is ot just a ou; it s a verb a call to actio. By the grace of God, I wat to be that istrumet of God who loves ad ca brig the love of Christ to others, said Fr. Jeremiah i a earlier iterview with Fairfield Couty Catholic. As a priest, I hope to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the may people who are i search of God, i search of hope, i eed of ecouragemet, directio, truth, ad love, ad to share this message with them. The Office for Clergy ad Religious is located at the Catholic Ceter, 238 Jewett Aveue i Bridgeport. For further iformatio call:

4 4 Buildig Bridges i Faith ad Charity Miistry of the Moth: Thomas Merto Ceter I t is easy eough to tell the poor to accept their poverty as God s will whe you yourself have warm clothes ad plety of food ad medical care ad a roof over your head ad o worry about the ret. But if you wat them to believe you, try to share some of their poverty ad see if you ca accept it as God s will yourself! Thomas Merto Outside o the steps a elderly ma stads aloe, a youg husbad ad wife huddle close together, two me i their tweties try to stad tall while pullig their thi wool jackets up aroud their ecks guardig agaist the raw February air. The doors of The Thomas Merto House of Hospitality will ope at 8:30 am ad offer a warm respite for these fragile people, perhaps a shower, a friedly smile, a reassurig look from someoe that says you matter to me, ad the most basic of eeds, a opportuity to eat a hot, home cooked meal. The Thomas Merto Ceter provides breakfast, luch ad day shelter Moday through Saturday to more tha 300 people from the greater Bridgeport area. It is oe of the may miistries supported by Catholic Charities through the Aual Bishop s Appeal. The Thomas Merto Ceter is most widely kow for its soup kitche ad food patry. We made a visit to the Ceter ad took a quick tour with Mark Grasso, vice presidet of The Merto Ceter, ad were impressed by how much more tha a typical soup kitche is this woderful miistry. Alog with providig much eeded meals for the homeless, other programs provided by the Ceter iclude, Support Groups a safe, o-judgmetal place for idividuals to address the issues i their lives that may be barriers to self-sufficiecy (i.e. abusive relatioships, addictio problems, etc.); Case Maagemet which icludes support for guests teachig guests how to budget ad save moey, pay ret, obtai ad maage federal beefits; ad Creative groups which provide Merto guests with the opportuity to express themselves through writig ad art. All of these worthwhile programs would ot be possible without help from the Aual Bishop s Appeal. We ca t eve ope the buildig ad fud our operatig costs without the help of the Bishop s Appeal, Mark Grasso iformed us o our tour. Our guests have icreased a great deal sice the recessio, we are seeig twice as may people for the food patry sice the recessio hit, ad while those umbers have leveled off, they have t decreased at all. We used to serve 250 families through our food patry ad ow we serve 530 families. We also leared from Mark Beefit Plaig Services, LLC Isurace Made Simple. For You / Your Busiess / Your Family that The Merto Ceter is a great place to put our faith i actio. The Ceter is always lookig for voluteers to help serve breakfast ad luch. They ofte eed food patry doatios especially durig the cold moths of Jauary, February ad March whe food supplies ted to ru low after the Christmas holiday surge. The food patry is movig locatios withi the buildig ad they desperately eed voluteers to work i the patry orgaizig the food doatios or helpig guests choose their food while keepig their medical, dietary restrictios i mid ad makig healthy choices. To voluteer call The Merto Ceter at Our tour of The Thomas Merto Ceter was extremely movig ad eye opeig. We are grateful that The Merto Ceter Ways to cotribute to the 2014 Aual Bishop s Appeal Cece ad Mike Dooghue tour Merto Ceter 2014 Appeal Chair Couple exists ad kowig that aother witer storm is o the horizo, we are cofidet that the doors will ope at 8:30 am tomorrow morig ad people who have owhere else to go will be welcomed i out of the cold, cared for, loved ad fed by the staff ad voluteers of The Merto Ceter. We kow that those doors will ope i part thaks to the very geerous doatios made to the Aual Bishop s Appeal ad we are grateful for the may people who help sustai the woderful works of the diocese icludig The Thomas Merto Ceter. Please joi us i prayig for the staff, voluteers ad especially the guests of The Merto Ceter as we work together i Buildig Bridges i Faith ad Charity. PLEDGES - A gift to the Appeal may be paid through December 31, GIFTS - Checks may be made payable to the Aual Bishop s Appeal. Please do ot sed cash. CREDIT CARD - A credit card gift may be payable olie or by pledge card. ONLINE GIVING - MATCHING GIFTS - May orgaizatios will match gifts to Catholic Charities ad Catholic Schools. Please cotact for more iformatio. GIFTS OF SECURITIES - If you ow securities that have appreciated i value, they ca be give to the Appeal ad their full market value becomes a tax deductible gift. Please cotact for more iformatio. If you have questios, please us at: 2014aba@diobpt.org or call us at: All gifts to the 2014 Aual Bishop s Appeal will be ackowledged by the Diocese of Bridgeport ad are tax deductible to the fullest extet of the law. Please cosult with your tax advisor o the tax treatmet of all gifts, as they may vary from idividual to idividual. 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 Give olie:

5 5 Evets White Mass for health professioals set for March 30 BRIDGEPORT Metal health will be the focus of the 21st aual White Mass hoorig health care professioals to be celebrated o March 30, at 9 am at St. Peter Parish, Dabury. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao. Breakfast will follow at the Crow Plaza Hotel i Dabury. Sigurd H. Ackerma, M.D., presidet ad CEO of Silver Hill Hospital i New Caaa, oe of the most highly regarded private psychiatric hospitals i the ortheast, will be the featured speaker at the breakfast. Dr. Ackerma, a psychiatrist ad psychopharmacologist with expertise i eatig disorders is also a professor of cliical psychiatry at Columbia Uiversity s College of Physicias ad Surgeos. He is a Fellow of the America Psychiatric Associatio ad The Society of Behavioral Medicie. Dr. Ackerma has a distiguished backgroud i the midbody iterface, ad is the past editor of the prestigious joural Psychosomatic Medicie. As the associate director for cliical affairs ad research at the Eatig Disorders Istitute of New York Hospital, he led a cliical research uit for mood disorders. He has also coducted a teyear extesive research project o the effects of early materal separatio. This iovative research was federally fuded through the Natioal Istitutes of Metal Health (NIMH) research scietist developmet awards ad the Natioal Istitutes of Health (NIH) research project awards. A reviewer for umerous professioal jourals, Dr. Ackerma has published widely o his Fr. Athoy Ciorra to speak at CAPP breakfast FR. ANTHONY J. CIORRA FAIRFIELD The sixth aual Cetesimus Aus Pro Potifice (CAPP) Educators Commuio Breakfast will take place at Sacred Heart Uiversity o Suday, March 9. This evet is sposored by CAPP ad Sacred Heart Uiversity s Isabelle Farrigto College of Educatio. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao will celebrate Mass at 9 am i the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, followed by breakfast i Uiversity Commos. A tour of the chapel will be offered at 8:30 am. The CAPP 2014 Educatioal Leadership Award will be preseted to Frak J. Rice, Ph.D, professor emeritus of biology at Fairfield Uiversity. Keyote speaker Fr. Athoy J. Ciorra, Sacred Heart s assistat vice presidet for Missio ad Catholic Idetity will discuss A Visio for Educators for the Twety- First Cetury. Prior to his appoitmet at Sacred Heart, Fr. Ciorra was dea of the Graduate School of Religio ad Religious Educatio at Fordham Uiversity, where he received his Ph.D. i theology, ad professor of theology ad director of the Ceter of Theological ad Spiritual Developmet at the College of St. Elizabeth. I ackowledgmet of his miistry i the Church, he was awarded the potifical hoor Pro Ecclesia et Potifice by Pope Joh Paul i The followig year, he was give the Caritas Ceteial Award ad Spirit of Reew Award for his work i lay miistry ad iterreligious dialogue ad ecumeism respectively. He is ow actively ivolved i the creatio of iterreligious programs ad retreats amog Jews, Christias ad Muslims. His most recet book is Beauty: A Path to God (Paulist Press, 2013). CAPP was fouded at the Vatica i 1993 to ecourage busiess people, academics ad other professioals to study ad promote Catholic social teachig. It is amed for Pope Joh Paul s ecyclical of the same ame that marked the 100th aiversary of the ladmark papal documet o social resposibility, Rerum Novarum ( Of New Thigs ), otherwise kow as Rights ad Duties of Capital ad Labor a ecyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII i 1891 addressig the coditio of the workig classes. The Diocese of Bridgeport is oe of three pioeerig dioceses i the Uited States to establish a CAPP chapter. (Cost: $35/perso; $300 table of 10. Spouses ad frieds welcome. To register or for more iformatio, call Shelia Mosley: ) specific research ad cliical iterests, which iclude psychopharmacology, depressio, eatig disorders, sleep disorders ad the treatmet of dual substace abuse diagoses. Dr. Ackerma s experiece i biological psychiatry, the medicie-psychiatry iterface, ad his leadership i psychiatry cotribute importat expertise i practice stadards across a variety of metal health sub-disciplies. This is the sixth year that the Father Rufi Compassioate Care Award will be preseted at the White Mass breakfast. The two recipiets of the award, to be amed at the breakfast, are draw from the raks of physicias, urses, detists, healthcare workers or healthcare voluteers i Fairfield Couty who exemplify the compassioate ad lovig care for the sick for which the late Father Rufi Kuveikis, a Capuchi Fracisca, was kow as chaplai at Norwalk Hospital for 18 years. He died i 2008 at age 86. (All healthcare workers ad their guests are ivited to atted the White Mass. Bruch tickets: $35. For more iformatio ad tickets, cotact Jea Talamelli: or jtalamelli@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 Faith i the Future fiacials BRIDGEPORT The Diocese of Bridgeport has released Fiacial Statemets ad Commetary o the Curret Fuds Status of the Faith i the Future Fud, Ic. as the fial part of its overall Stewardship Report issued i December The Faith i the Future Fud was formed i the sprig of 1996, after Bishop Edward M. Ega authorized a capital campaig to provide a source of edowed support for various miistries i the diocese. It was established as a ot-for-profit corporatio that would receive, ivest, maage ad disburse fuds raised by the 1996 Faith i the Future Edowmet Campaig of the diocese. The major goal of the campaig was to set up edowmet support for the five diocesa high schools, Catholic elemetary schools, vocatios ad semiary educatio, religious educatio i parishes, ad the priest retiremet home. Although the overall campaig was successful i reachig the $30 millio goal, expeses associated with the fudraisig campaig, alog with ucollectible pledges ad door gifts that were desigated for purposes other tha the stated edowmet goals, resulted i a edowmet shortfall. The fial edowmet reached approximately 90 percet of the origial goal, ad therefore, the reduced pooled fuds were allocated i relatio to the origially stated campaig goals, said Teresa Nues, Fiace Director of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Ivestmet losses experieced i fiscal year 2009 reduced the fair value of edowmet ivestmets below the origial amout of edowmet cotributios. As a result, i accordace with the Faith i the Future distributio policy, o distributios have occurred from commo door edowmets ad oe idividual door edowmet sice Although ivestmets slowly icreased i value sice 2009, the majority of the pricipal edowmet balaces did ot retur to their origial amout util Jue Sice the distributio policy requires icorporatig a trailig 12-quarter average fair value of edowmet assets, although ivestmet icome balaces aloe would support a disbursemet, the policy calculatio has ot. At this writig, it is forecasted that a disbursemet will be possible i the sprig of 2014 from the commo door edowmets, Nues said. Total ivestmets at Jue 30, 2012, totaled approximately $16.7 millio, with aother $4.9 millio owed to Faith i the Future Fud, Ic. from the diocese. Advaces from Faith i the Future Fud, Ic. were made to the diocese i 2011 to support employee beefit isurace programs that a umber of schools were uable to fud. A additioal $2 millio was advaced durig fiscal 2013, but $5 millio was repaid i August of 2013, brigig the balace due to $1.9 millio. It is believed that this amout will be paid i full by fiscal Although the edowmet campaig oly reached approximately 90 percet of its goal, ad has had ivestmet result challeges over the years, the overall objectives cotiue to be met. It is the hope that i the comig years, disbursemets will grow ad be able to serve future geeratios i a way that was evisioed by Bishop Ega i 1995, Nues said. The Stewardship Report, prited i the December issue of FAITH IN THE FUTURE 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 Disaggregated Codesed Combied Fiacial Statemets for the 18 moths that eded December 31, 2009 were published i Jauary. All reports icludig Faith i the Future are available i their etirety olie at Stewardship.html. Charities receives $50,000 grat from Walmart BRIDGEPORT Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty (CCFC) aouced that it has received a $50,000 grat from the Walmart Foudatio to support the orgaizatio s food ad utritio programs. CCFC is the largest private social service agecy i Fairfield Couty. It serves the most vulerable members of the commuity through a comprehesive etwork of programs aimed at alleviatig huger, helpig the elderly ad those with physical ad metal health challeges, providig safe care for childre ad resources for the homeless ad fiacially eedy, ad offerig couselig ad assistace to immigrats. Walmart is hoored to support Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty, said Chris Buchaa, Walmart director of public affairs ad govermet relatios. Their work to ed huger i their commuities is crucial to may idividuals ad families across Fairfield Couty, ad we at Walmart are committed to providig the corporate support ecessary to back this life-chagig work. The Walmart State Givig Program awards grats i two cycles each year to o-profit orgaizatios that work i the areas of huger relief ad utritio, educatio, work developmet ad wome s ecoomic empowermet. I Coecticut, i the secod givig cycle of 2013, Walmart gave $387,000 to Coecticut o-profits. The proceeds of the Walmart Foudatio grat will be used to beefit a umber of Catholic Charities key food ad utritio iitiatives. The grat will go towards the purchase of a vehicle for CCFC s seior utritio program, which operates at multiple cogregate sites i Fairfield Couty ad has a home-delivery compoet. It will also assist with the establishmet of a food patry i Dabury to complemet its Morig Glory Breakfast program, which serves the homeless ad idividuals ad families with very low icomes. I additio, part of the proceeds will support operatig expeses of The Thomas Merto Ceter i Bridgeport ad New Coveat House of Hospitality i Stamford, both of which operate soup kitches ad food patries alog with other programs. The Merto Ceter is the largest soup kitche i the Bridgeport area. It provides breakfast, luch ad day shelter Moday- Saturday to approximately 300 people daily. As the eeds of the people they serve have chaged The Merto Ceter has developed programs that address issues such as housig, utritioal eeds, healthcare, paretig issues ad youth at risk. New Coveat House of Hospitality serves the greater Stamford area, which icludes Stamford, New Caaa, Greewich ad Darie. It is the oly soup kitche i the area ope 365 days a year. I additio to providig three meals daily, year-roud, it has a food patry program that distributes bagged groceries a tremedous help for workig families that eed a supplemet of food to make eds meet. It has a after-school meal program that provides childre attedig the Yerwood Ceter after-school program oe hot utritious meal Moday through Friday at 4 pm ad collaborates with Ispirica to provide meals for homeless families. Catholic Charities is excited about beig oe of the recipiets of the Walmart State Givig Program, says Al Barber, presidet of Catholic Charities. This grat comes at a particularly importat time. Today s ecoomy cotiues to challege the most eedy ad we have see demad for our services icrease sharply over the past few years. This support will help immeasurably i the operatio of these vital programs. We are especially grateful for the Foudatio s cofidece i our work as we lauch a campaig for New Coveat House to eable it to meet evolvig commuity eed i a larger space ad provide access to a broader rage of services. (Walmart ad the Walmart Foudatio are committed to helpig people live better through philathropic efforts, leadig the fight agaist huger i the Uited States with a $2 billio commitmet through Walmart has doated more tha $1 billio meals to those i eed across the coutry. To lear more about Walmart s givig, visit walmart.com. To lear more about the services provided by Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty, Ic., visit

7 7 Safe Eviromets Bishop empowers ew Miscoduct Board BRIDGEPORT Bishop Frak J. Caggiao has aouced the formatio of a Miisterial Miscoduct Advisory Board to review cases ivolvig clerics accused of miscoduct that ivolves adults or occurs i the exercise of his miistry. The board will review cases i which the bishop must cosider actio regardig a priest or deaco s assigmet, icludig temporary or permaet removal or suspesio. The ew advisory pael has bee created idepedet of the Diocesa Review Board, madated by the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Charter for the Protectio of Childre ad Youg People, which advises the bishop i his assessmet of allegatios of sexual abuse of miors ad i his determiatio of suitability for miistry. I m grateful for all the good ad difficult work doe i the past few years to address the sexual abuse issue. We have may excellet policies i place for the protectio of childre, ad our Safe Eviromets programs have bee a model of prevetio ad early detectio. However, we have more work to do, said Bishop Caggiao. The bishop said the goal of the advisory board is to review credible reports of miisterial miscoduct ivolvig adults ad to assess the pla desiged to address the issue. Additioally, it creates a mechaism for parishes, icludig lay leadership, to be otified ad cosulted regardig the assigmet of a priest or deaco. As I begi my miistry, I thik it is importat to create ew structures to make sure I have the tools ad resources to give me the assurace that ay allegatio is properly reviewed, take to civil authorities if ecessary, ad that resposible ad trasparet actios be take immediately, Bishop Caggiao said. These ew orms are preseted for both the protectio of our commuity of faithful ad for the maiteace ad protectio of the itegrity of the priesthood, he added. The diocese is i the process of assemblig the ew Miisterial Miscoduct Advisory Board. The board will draw o the expertise of the lay commuity, icludig metal health professioals as well as a priest ad deaco. A complete list of members will be icluded i the ext issue of Fairfield Couty Catholic. The proposed ew policy states that if the diocese has received a credible report of ay allegatio of ulawful miisterial miscoduct by a priest or deaco ot ivolvig a mior, the Vicar for Clergy, after cosultig with the Vicar Geeral ad Bishop reews Safe Eviromets BRIDGEPORT Bishop Frak J. Caggiao has recostituted the Review Board of the Diocese of Bridgeport with the aoucemet of ew board members ad the reappoitmet of log-time members. The Review Board was formed i 2002 by Bishop William E. Lori to oversee the implemetatio of the diocesa Sexual Miscoduct Policy ad to fuctio as a cosultative body to the bishop. Review Boards are required i all U.S. dioceses as a direct result of The Charter for the Protectio of Childre ad Youg People (Charter), established by the U.S. Coucil of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) i Jue 2002 ad revised i Jue, It is a comprehesive set of procedures for addressig allegatios of sexual abuse of miors, ad it icludes guidelies for recociliatio, healig, accoutability ad the prevetio of future acts of abuse. The Diocese of Bridgeport was foud to be i full compliace with the Charter i each idepedet audit performed sice the begiig of this process i As part of his commitmet to the protectio of childre ad healig for victims, the bishop has also asked the Review Board to begi meetig o a quarterly basis to review overall diocesa policy, make recommedatios for areas that eed updatig ad review ay cases related to child abuse by priests, deacos, religious or laity. the Chacellor, will immediately refer the matter to the proper civil authorities. Remaiig uchaged i diocesa policy is the established procedure that all reports of miisterial miscoduct o the part of a priest or deaco must be made directly to the Vicar of Clergy. I cases where miscoduct is ot ulawful, the situatio will be ivestigated ad fully reviewed by the Vicar Geeral, Chacellor ad Vicar for Clergy to determie a comprehesive respose. The Advisory Board may be asked to review the ature of the offese ad help to prepare a appropriate rehabilitatio pla. If the bishop proposes to retur a priest or deaco to miistry, before such assigmet is made, the Vicar for Clergy will meet with the priests, deacos, staff ad parish lay leaders to review the proposed placemet. Parish leaders will be briefed with a summary of the origial offese ad a report o the measures take. If the assigmet is made, it We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Review Board for their efforts o behalf of Safe Eviromets i our diocese. The Review Board has helped us move forward i areas of prevetio, early detectio ad evaluatio of all reported cases of abuse, said Bishop Caggiao. This Board has played a itegral ad active role i esurig that the protectio of childre remais of greatest importace to the Diocese of Bridgeport ad its missio. The Review Board, which is appoited by the Bishop, is composed of at least five persos with a variety of relevat skills ad experiece icludig psychology, social work, childre s rights, law eforcemet, Cao law, civil law, persoel admiistratio, ad pastoral care. The majority of the Review Board members are made up of laypersos who are ot i the employ of the diocese. Easto Psychologist Liae Pioli, Ph.D is servig as Review Board Chair. Other members iclude Kevi C. Kelly, Esq., State Seator, Assistat Seate Miority Leader; Rev. William M. Quila, admiistrator, Our Lady of the Assumptio Church i Fairfield; Stewart Levie, M.D., St. Vicet s Departmet of Psychiatry; Thomas Fly, M.D., Retired Pediatricia ad New Caaa residet; Rev. Lawrece F. Carew, pastor, Christ the Kig Church i Trumbull; Bill Hoey, LCSW, Vice Presidet of Missio & Ethics, St. Vicet s Health Services; Thomas Ayoub, M.D., Chief of Medical Staff at Norwalk Hospital; Vice Demaio, Captai of Operatios for the New Caaa Police Departmet; Ae McCrory, Chacellor, Diocese of Bridgeport; ad Eri Neil, director of Safe Eviromets ad Victims Assistace Coordiator for the Diocese. Eri Neil, director of Safe Eviromets for the diocese, said that more tha 100,000 adults ad childre have completed Virtus traiig, Protectig God s Childre for Adults, ad Thik First & Stay Safe for Childre ad Youth. These programs help prevet abuse by educatig adults ad childre about warig sigs ad the behaviors of child predators. The diocese has also coducted 30,000 crimial backgroud checks o employees, voluteers ad others who work with childre. will ordiarily be made o a provisioal basis, requirig that the Vicar for Clergy visit the parish after a six-moth period to review the overall assigmet. If the report is positive, the assigmet will the be made permaet. Bishop Caggiao said it was importat that the ew advisory board ad its recommeded actios respect the rights of victims, seek a pla of rehabilitatio for the offeder ad is trasparet i its commuicatios with parishioers. The Review Board is resposible for advisig the bishop i his assessmet of allegatios of sexual abuse of miors i his determiatio of a cleric s suitability for miistry after the allegatio is first reported to proper authorities. The procedures for reportig suspected abuse of a mior i the Diocese of Bridgeport iclude a report to the Diocesa Victim s Assistace Coordiator ad the CT Departmet of Childre ad Family Services (DCF) or the police. Uder diocesa policy, ay employee or voluteer of the Diocese of Bridgeport who has actual kowledge of or has reasoable cause to suspect miscoduct agaist a mior by ay persoel of the diocese whether the abuse occurred recetly or i the past, must report that iformatio immediately to the Diocesa Victim s Assistace reportig lie. The Victim Assistace Coordiator will report all allegatios ivolvig suspected abuse of a mior allegatios to DCF ad/ or the police. Likewise, madated reporters (teachers, social workers, etc.) must also directly report ay icidet of sexual abuse, or other forms of abuse ivolvig a mior to the State of Coecticut Child Abuse ad Neglect Carelie. Ayoe i the commuity who has reasoable cause to suspect that a child has bee abused or is i dager of abuse may cause a CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

8 8 World News Pope Fracis featured o the cover of Rollig Stoe NEW YORK, NY Pope Fracis racked up yet aother magazie cover with his appearace o the frot of icoic rock magazie Rollig Stoe. He is the first Pope to ever be featured. Accordig to the Huffigto Post, Mark Bielli s extesive, 7,700-word cover story reflects the Pope s uusually wide appeal, which cuts across demographic lies of age, political views, ad eve religious affiliatio. Bielli s piece, Pope Fracis: The Times They Are A-Chagig goes Iside the Pope s Getle Revolutio to ivestigate why this potiff is so differet from those before him. Alludig to Bob Dyla s athem, Bielli portrays the Pope as Cool Pope Fracis, a politically-savvy leader, PR expert, ad fried of the crowded masses. This is by o meas Pope Fracis first appearace o a magazie cover. He graced the covers of Time Magazie ad Vaity Fair Italia after the publicatios amed him Perso of the Year ad Ma of the Year, Thikig about a will? Request a free Wills Kit from CRS. Lear what you eed to kow before you see a attorey CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES Givig hope to a world of eed. respectively. The New Yorker also put him o the cover less tha a week after he became Time s Perso of the Year. The Rollig Stoe cover shows that the world s fasciatio with the People s Pope is still goig strog. It seems the times are a-chagig, ideed. Coptic bishops pleased with Egypt s ew costitutio CAIRO, Egypt Egypt s Coptic Catholic bishops expressed their support for a ew atioal costitutio i iterviews with Aid to the Church i Need (ACN). Bishops Kyrillos William Samaa of Assiut, Upper Egypt; Atoios Aziz Mia of Giza; ad Joaes Zakaria of Luxor agreed that the ew costitutio which was approved i Jauary i a atioal referedum, with 98 percet of the voters support would provide greater protectio for religious miorities, as well as for wome, childre, ad the disabled. Egypt s previous costitutio, eacted with heavy support from the Muslim Brotherhood, had stressed the authority of Islam. The bishops also applauded the heavy voter turout for the costitutioal referedum, observig that participatio was much larger tha durig a previous referedum i That strog voter turout was aother rebuke to the Muslim Brotherhood, which had called for a boycott of the vote. Bishop Aziz Mia told ACN that the ew costitutio uifies all Egyptias. Bishop Samaa agreed, addig, We are very, very happy about the costitutio result. Precious 15th cetury mauscript recovered i Florida TAMPA, FL A 15th-cetury Italia mauscript illustrated with gold leaf that was stole from Italy 25 years ago will be retured to that coutry after it was foud i Florida. Officials said the page s jourey from Italy to Florida bega i 1990, whe a husbad-ad-wife team of professors stole several items from the Archdiocese i Turi ad sold them to a bookseller. Italia cultural authorities recovered some of the stole items i Lodo, but for decades other items, icludig this mauscript page, disappeared. The mauscript is a richly illustrated page from a 15th-cetury prayer book describig the martyrdom of St. Lawrece. The calligraphic script is i Lati, ad there s a small, colorful portrait of St. Lawrece, offset with gold highlights. Officials said the text ad portrait were doe by had by a mok i the Middle Ages. After passig through several owers, it was purchased by a couple i Florida, who volutarily tured it over to police whe they leared of its backgroud. The mauscript will ow be set back to Turi. It is with great joy that I receive this o behalf of my govermet, Adolfo Barattolo, the Italia cosul geeral, said at a ews coferece held Jauary 27 i Tampa. Christiaity could become extict i Britai LONDON, Eglad A former Archbishop of Caterbury has wared that the Christia faith could be a geeratio away from extictio i Eglad. Lord Carey, who was leader of the Church of Eglad from 1991 to 2002, was commetig o a report that called attetio to a sharp declie i the size of Aglica cogregatios. The report, submitted to the geeral syod of the Church of Eglad i November, foud that oly 1.5 percet of Eglad s people atted Aglica services o a typical Suday. Lord Carey said that he saw a feelig of defeat amog the clergy, ad said that uless there is a dramatic breakthrough i attractig youger people, the Church of Eglad will cease to be viable as a atioal istitutio. Syria prelate hopes refugees will remai i Middle East DAMASCUS, Syria Syria s leadig Catholic prelate has voiced misgivigs about refugee programs that are helpig Christia families from Syria resettle i the West, sayig that it is better if they remai i the Middle East. Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham, presidet of the Syria bishops coferece, said that the flight of Syria refugees threates to aggravate the overall exodus of Christias from the Middle East. While sympathizig with refugees who seek a ew life i the West, he urged that aid programs be boosted both withi Syria ad i eighborig coutries ad thus eable Christias to stay i the regio. The dager is that if they leave the Middle East, they will ever go back, he said. The Melkite Patriarch said that he could readily sympathize with the Christias who choose to leave the regio. Of course, we caot decide for ourselves what respose our people should make, he ackowledged, addig that the sufferig is great. However, Patriarch Gregory suggested that aid programs should cocetrate o helpig people to remai ear their homes. It is better to help the people withi the coutry or the regio, ad ot ivite them to go outside, he said. There is more that ca be doe locally. Ed the scadal of divisio amog Christias, Pope pleads VATICAN CITY There is o other word for it: the divisios betwee Christias are a scadal, Pope Fracis told his geeral audiece o Jauary 22. Breakig from his series of weekly talks o the sacramets to reflect o the Week of Prayer for Christia Uity, the Pope remided his listeers of St. Paul s letter to the Corithias, rebukig them for the divisios withi their Christia commuity. Ivokig the ame of Christ to fomet divisios is itolerable, the Pope said, echoig the thoughts of St. Paul, because the ame of Christ creates commuio ad uity, ot divisio. Divisios, o the other had, weake the credibility ad effectiveess of our commitmet to evagelizatio, the Pope said. He exhorted the faithful to redouble their prayers for the restoratio of the uity that Jesus sought for his disciples. Your CT-Based, America Express Travel Agecy Specializig i Pilgrimage, Group, Family, ad Seior Travel 5-Day Rome Tour/12-Day Mediterraea Cruise, August: Travel with St. Lawrece Church pastor Fr. Michael Joes o this parish trip as he takes you o a tour of Rome icludig the Vatica ad Sistie Chapel, a visit to Castel Gadolfo for a audiece with the Pope (His schedule permittig), ad daily Mass aboard the Crystal Sereity. Holy Lad Pilgrimage ad Group Tours: July through September Europea River Cruises: Weekly, April through September. NYC to Bermuda Cruises: Weekly, year roud o the Norwegia Breakaway. Califoria Coast/Yosemite Tours: Weekly, April through October. Eveig ad Weeked Appoitmets Available Call vdedad@cruiseplaers.com

9 9 Protectig the most vulerable Thousads braved chill to March for Life BY CAROL ZIMMERMANN AND KATIE TALALAS, CATHOLIC NEWS Why I March! BY TYLER LOMNITZER As a juior Eglish major at The Catholic Uiversity of America i Washigto DC, I look forward every year to the Vigil Mass for Life ad the March for Life because there are few thigs more strikig tha witessig hudreds of thousads of people come to the city of my curret residece to joi together to protest the Supreme Court Decisio of Roe v. Wade made i Here at CUA, I am a co-chair for Pro-Life Hospitality with aother Diocese of Bridgeport faithful, Chris Hube, a member of St. Mark Parish, Stratford. We are i charge of coordiatig hudreds of studet voluteers who will help give hospitality to the thousads of people who make the pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Natioal Shrie of the Immaculate Coceptio for the Vigil Mass for Life, held the ight before the March. Eve with the sow ad the sub-zero temperatures with wid chill, thousads of pilgrims made it to our atio s capital ad Mary s House to fight for life. I voluteer ad faithfully atted the Vigil ad the March because oe third of my geeratio is ot with me today. It is truly the biggest social issue of our time. Everyoe ivolved i the pro-life movemet ought to attempt to make the Vigil Mass for Life to witess the power of commuity ad the power of prayer that drives Catholics to support life i all of its stages. The March this year, although extremely cold, was the best oe I have bee o, ad this is my fourth March for Life. Although I was saddeed that I could ot march with the Diocese of Bridgeport, it was a great experiece to march with my fellow studets at CUA. Over 400 studets ad some faculty icludig our presidet, Mr. Joh Garvey, all made the March from the Natioal Mall to the Supreme Court. We hardly felt the cold weather as the spirit of the March cosumed all of us. The cheers ad prayers ad excitemet for life drove everyoe to the Supreme Court. The Catholic Uiversity of America is a pro-life istitutio ad I am blessed with the opportuity to atted this great istitutio, alog with may other members of the diocese. It is my hope, that ext year, millios of people, especially the youth, will be able to make it to Washigto DC to show the coutry just how may people, i fact, are pro-life ad are yearig for legislative chage to the laws that make abortio legal. (Tyler Lomitzer is a juior at Catholic Uiversity of America. His home parish is St. Catherie of Siea, Trumbull.) The polar vortex could t chill the ardor of thousads of participats who demostrated their determiatio to cotiue speakig out agaist abortio at the aual March for Life ad rally Jauary 22 i Washigto, DC. This year marked the 41st aiversary of the Roe v. Wade decisio that legalized abortio across the atio. As temperatures hovered aroud eight degrees at the rally, speakers highlighted the teacious determiatio of the crowd dressed i coats, scarves, hats ad gloves huddled together o the sow-covered Natioal Mall. They likeed the crowd s bravery to the firm resolve they have show i their efforts to chage abortio laws ad promote a culture of life i the U.S. The rally bega at oo, prior to the crowd s march to the U.S. Supreme Court to protest the court s 1973 Roe v. Wade decisio legalizig abortio. Uder a blue ad suy sky, Christia siger ad sogwriter Matt Maher attempted to warm up the crowd while playig a guitar with figerless gloves. We re all really cold, he ackowledged, addig that the reaso they had gathered was to demostrate to the world how much we eed God. Patrick Kelly, chairma of the March for Life, told the crowd filled with youg people that they were freezig for the best cause i the world. Jeae Moaha, March for Life presidet, thaked the crowd for bravig the extreme elemets No sacrifice is too great for this cause, she added. Kelly ad Moaha stressed a ew aspect of this year s march: tweetig about it with the hashtag #marchforlife or #whywemarch. Marchers cheered as Moaha read a tweet from Pope Fracis: I joi the March for Life i Washigto with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulerable. She urged the crowd to retweet Pastor: Fr. Greg J. Markey Parochial Vicar: Fr. Richard G. Cipolla I Residece: Fr. Paul N. Check, Director of Courage his message. The theme of this year s march was Adoptio: A Noble Decisio. Whe a woma makes a choice to be a birth mother, she embraces motherhood i its most heroic sese, said Moaha, who also offered support for wome who have ot chose life i the past. For ay woma who has had a abortio, you have to kow there is hope ad healig. I his remarks, Kelly oted that the March for Life has a ew staff, logo ad website ad also aims to have a vital social media presece o Facebook, Twitter ad Istagram. The goal, he said, is ot just for participats to be here oce a year but to be i touch with oe aother 365 days a year to build culture of life i America. Rep. Vicki Hartzler, R-Mo., ecouraged leaders to support alteratives to abortio. Or society must stop upholdig abortio ad start ecouragig adoptio. That message resoated with Nicole Peck, presidet of Silet No More. Speakig about her abortio, Peck said, They took my moey, my baby, ad my self-respect. She eve lost her opportuity to experiece childbirth: I would ever coceive aother child. Peck ad her husbad later adopted two childre. Their mothers are our heroes, she said. Moica Stephes, a 17-yearold studet from Kasas, came with her parish miistry group. Whe asked why she came, Stephes told Catholic News Service: You have to stad up to help the babies. Apparetly, it wo t happe by itself. SAINT MARY S CHURCH The Mother Church of Norwalk 669 West Ave., Norwalk Est 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 February 16: Septuagesima Suday: Missa super Mo coeur se recommade à vous (Eccard); Circumdederut me (Padilla); Simile est regum caelorum (Morales); orga music of Litaize February 23: Sexagesima Suday: Missa sie omie à 6 (Palestria); Ave Regia caelorum (Rore); Exsurge Domie (Byrd); orga music of Bach March 2: Quiquagesima Suday: Missa sie omie No. 2 (Tictoris); I illo tempore, assumpsit Jesus / Ecce ascedimus (Guerrero); orga music of Howells Suday, March 2, 4:00 pm: A J. S. Baccalaureate A Recital by Mark Rike, violi; Terrece B. Fay, teor; Alex Zigale, piao more iformatio at stmaryorwalk.et/recitals Wedesday, March 5, 5:30 pm: Ash Wedesday: Missa super I die tribulatiois (Lassus); Emedemus i melius (Morales); Cum jejuatis (Vivaco); Peccatem me quotidie (Byrd) March 9: First Suday of Let: Missa tertii toi (Rodrigo de Ceballos); Ad Domium cum tribularer (Palestria); Ad preces ostras (Victoria) SAINT 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

10 10 Breakfast of Champios Learig as a faith commuity BRIDGEPORT My profoud thaks go to all of you. Thak you for risig to the challege of greatess, ad for allowig God to shie through you, Bishop Frak J. Caggiao told studets ad their families as he blessed them at this year s Breakfast of Champios held at the Catholic Ceter. More tha 200 studets alog with their parets ad pastors gathered to celebrate Natioal Catholic Schools Week o Jauary 31 ad to recogize extraordiary academic ad athletic achievemet. They filled the Quee of Saits Hall with their eergy, faith ad optimism. Durig the breakfast ceremoy, a total of 42 studets were preseted medals by Bishop Caggiao ad Sister Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., Superitedet of Schools. The St. Thomas Aquias Medal for academic excellece was preseted to 32 studets, while te high school team captais were awarded the St. Sebastia Medal for athletics. I am very proud of these studets who have already achieved so much i their studies ad athletics. I am eve more ecouraged by their life of faith ad virtue. They are a great example to their peers ad to all of us, the bishop said. The childre ad guests started the morig with a heapig breakfast buffet with pacakes, fresh fruit, baco ad frech toast. Each table also held a box of Wheaties, the Breakfast of Champios. The 35 Catholic Schools sposored by the Diocese of Bridgeport educate early 11,000 childre from birth ad pre-k through grade 12. More tha 98 percet of graduates pursue higher educatio, while 50 percet of the elemetary schools have received the Natioal Blue Ribbo of Excellece. Stadardized test results show diocesa elemetary studets cosistetly exceedig atioal averages i math ad readig. (For more iformatio: catholicschoolsfairfieldcouty.com.) (PHOTOS BY AMY MORTENSEN) 5TH GRADE RECIPIENTS Isaiah Alteus Our Lady Star of the Sea School Biyei Eusebio Holy Spirit School Joseph Swezey St. Cecilia School 8TH GRADE RECIPIENTS Kriste Beaumote All Saits Catholic School Nicoletta Bosati St. Aloysius School Matthew Cerio St. Catherie of Siea School Olivia Coway St. A Academy Kezie Davis St. Mary School, Bethel Roa Doherty St. Joseph School, Dabury James Fahey St. Gregory the Great School Grace Foley St. Thomas Aquias Catholic School Cali Fracis St. Jude School Jillia Fredette St. Joseph School, Brookfield Matthew Giorgio St. Mary School, Ridgefield Rya Haack St. Joseph School, Shelto Timothy Hagarty Greewich Catholic School Katherie Jaik Triity Catholic Middle School Alliso Krekoska St. Mark School Maria Mioe St. Lawrece School Fracesca Motao St. James School Carla Pereira St. Peter School Aaro Pito Assumptio Catholic School Maria Rodrigues Cathedral Academy of Bridgeport Agelo Rodriguez St. Adrew Academy Helea Sabo St. Rose of Lima School Sarah Siise St. Theresa School Jack Soucy Our Lady of Fatima School 12TH GRADE RECIPIENTS Eric Cruz Kolbe Cathedral High School Jacly Daily Immaculate High School Sea Epp Triity Catholic High School Joh Paul Gschwid St. Joseph High School Matthew Lasky Notre Dame High School ST. SEBASTIAN AWARD Carly Schuyler Immaculate High School, Cross Coutry Jessica Wojicki Immaculate High School, Cross Coutry Thomas Adzima St. Joseph High School, Football Mark Hirschbeck St. Joseph High School, Football Darre Jackso St. Joseph High School, Football Michael Schuchma St. Joseph High School, Football Jorda Vazzao St. Joseph High School, Football Samatha Grasso St. Joseph High School, Wome s Soccer Corey Scales St. Joseph High School, Wome s Soccer Sabria Toole St. Joseph High School, Wome s Soccer

11 11 Youth Coferece Bishop asks kids to brig their joy to Church BY BRIAN D. WALLACE NEW CANAAN The bishop walked ito a stadig ovatio by 350 tees who had set aside a Saturday afteroo, February 1, to meet ad share their thoughts ad feeligs about the Church at St. Aloysius Parish. The afteroo of prayer, adoratio ad dialogue, held i the gym of St. Aloysius School, was sposored by the Pastoral Services miistry of the Diocese of Bridgeport ad drew tees from may parishes across the diocese. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao asked the kids what they liked about the Church, what they did t like, ad also left them with a homework assigmet: to tell him what they would chage about the Church the ext time they meet with him. Coductig the afteroo i tow meetig style, the bishop fielded questios about gay marriage, the ew liturgy, the defiitio of love ad why older people do t slide further back i the pews to make room for people who come i after them. With microphoe i had, the bishop worked the ceter aisles ad haded it off to the youg people so everyoe could hear their questios. They told him that the Church was a refuge from a lot of what is bad i the world, but it also took courage to go because so may others had o use for religio or prayer. They worried about the growig umber of youg people who do t go to Church ad what it meas for the future of the faith. I have o itetio to see our Church keep decliig i umbers, the bishop reassured the kids. To be a disciple of Jesus is meat to be joyful. We will do this together. The tees were surprised to lear that Bishop Caggiao resisted his ow vocatio for years, eve though he had always thought of beig a priest. I wated to be a lawyer, ad the I thought it would be ice to be mayor of New York Mayor Caggiao, he said as the kids laughed. That souds good to me. I had may goals ad thigs I thought I should do, but they did t make him happy. The I came to the realizatio that God loved me more tha I could ever love myself. Is it true you dropped out of Yale, oe boy asked? The bishop aswered that he broke his father s heart the year he left Yale to fially eter the semiary. My father was a logshorema with a third-grade educatio ad he thought I ruied my life, the bishop said, addig that his father also wept with joy o the day of his ordiatio because he kew how happy his so was. I ve bee 26 years a priest ad eight years a bishop ad that has give me more happiess tha I deserve i this life because I was smart eough to let God i, he told the tees. You should ask him what it is he wats you to do with your life. Durig the meetig the bishop cofessed to ot beig a very good stickball player as a youg ma, but a great Mets fa. Whe asked about his favorite sait, the bishop said his favorite sait as a boy was St. Fracis of Assisi because of his humility, hoesty ad love for the poor. Now that I m older, Mary, the Mother of God is my favorite because every time the Church is i eed of reform ad revival, our Blessed Lady always opes the door that leads to Jesus, the bishop said. Whe the tees expressed ethusiasm for Pope Fracis, the bishop said that Fracis is oe of his heroes because of his courage. He is afraid of othig ad speaks the truth. The other lesso the Holy Father taught me is that if I do t live what I preach, the the words do t mea aythig. The bishop eded the meetig by tellig the youg people that their joy, eergy ad ethusiasm are 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. a great gift to give to the Church. There s a big differece betwee kowig about Jesus ad kowig Jesus. You re here because you kow Jesus. He ivites us to break out ad put our faith ito actio, the bishop said. That s what we re all about. (PHOTOS BY AMY MORTENSEN)

12 12 EDITORIAL Preparig for Let Ash Wedesday is just aroud the corer (March 5) ad with it, the begiig of Let, the seaso of peace ad prayer before Easter. If there s ever a time whe weather pluges us ito the spirit of a liturgical seaso, it is Let, which straddes the ed of witer ad the begiig of sprig. The days seems to stretch ad yaw ever so slowly toward light, but the cold is uyieldig, ad we feel stalled at a loss relyig o our ow resources. I his first message for Let, Pope Fracis offers us a atidote to self absorbtio. He tells us that although Let is a seaso for self-deial, it s ot merely a time to give somethig up or to do without. I distrust a charity that costs othig ad does ot hurt, he writes, askig us to embrace real sacrifice ad the poverty of Christ as a act of peace. People experiecig the spiritual destitutio of believig they do t eed God ad ca make it o their ow are headed for a fall, the Pope tells us. God aloe ca truly save ad free us What gives true freedom, true salvatio ad true happiess is the compassio, tederess ad solidarity of his love, Christ s poverty, which eriches us. He urges us make Let a time of coversio of cosciece ad idetificatio with all those who are sufferig. His words offer us the chace to rethik the Lete seaso ad eter its true spirit as we prepare for Easter. Gettig outside our comfort zoe This moth marks the formal lauch of the 2014 Bishop s Appeal, the first campaig uder our ew bishop. Because of his great eergy ad joy i servig us, may Catholics throughout the diocese have had the pleasure of meetig him o his visits to parishes ad schools. They are deeply grateful for his prayers, his ethusiasm, ad his ability to coect with those he meets. Bishop Caggiao has may plas for the diocese as a family of faith, but they deped o fidig the resources to fulfill the missio of the Church. Oe way to affirm his visio ad leadership is to give early ad geerously to this year s Appeal. Of course, the bishop is the first to remid us that the Appeal is ot about him; it s about creatig a local Church that is vibrat i faith, joyful i service, ad reflective of a lovig commuity. Fracis, our Holy Father, has challeged all of us to get outside our comfort zoe ad reach out to those who are poor ad sufferig to ecouter Christ i the lives of people we would ot ormally meet. Recetly at a special Mass to lauch the Aual Appeal, Bishop Caggiao echoed that same theme whe he said that the Appeal provides shelter from the storms of poverty, loeliess ad emotioal distress i Fairfield Couty. He asked us to use the Appeal to build a bridge to those who are most vulerable. Most importatly, he asked us to deepe our faith, which makes all of this possible. The kids love their Church! This issue of Fairfield Couty Catholic offers some great ews about the youg people i our Diocese. Whether Marchig for Life i Washigto, DC, collectig food for the poor over Souper Bowl weeked, excellig i school ad sports, or spedig a Saturday afteroo meetig Bishop Caggiao ad sharig their thoughts about the future of the Church, the youg people i our diocese brig great eergy, hope, ad spirit to our faith commuity. May of them struggle to fid a way forward i a cofusig world of mixed messages, bad behavior, ad self-destructive lifestyles that are celebrated as celebrity triumph. Bishop Caggiao has made outreach to youth oe of the hallmarks of his leadership i our diocese ad a issue of great importace to be addressed i the upcomig Syod. Whe more tha 350 tees met with him recetly at St. Aloysius Parish, they told him it was tough to practice their faith i this eviromet ad that they are cocered that so may of their cotemporaries o loger go to Church. The bishop told them he would do everythig i his power to chage that ad we ca oly be ispired by their faith i him ad his determiatio to brig their joy ad witess ito the Church. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Littlest Agel BY LYDIA BISSENDEN Oce upo a time, a agel came dow from heave. She was a guardia agel, ad she had a lovig heart. She watched over childre. She was a little agel but she was helpful. God was very pleased. He wated to reward the little agel, but the little agel said, I do t eed to be rewarded. My reward has already come. The reward I have is your love. God was very happy with the little agel. So from that day forward God ad the little agel had the happiest hearts i the world. Lydia Bissede, age 7, is the yougest cotributor to this issue of Fairfield Couty Catholic. She is a studet at Holy Ifats School i Orage, ad is the graddaughter of Deaco Bill Bissede, who miisters to the Cathedral Parish i Bridgeport. 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. CLERGYAPPOINTMENTS CLERGYAPPOINTMENTS DIOCESAN REVEREND MONSIGNOR DARIUSZ J. ZIELONKA, appoited Director of the Diocesa Syod. Effective date was February 1. REVEREND IAN JEREMIAH, Parochial Vicar of St. Aloysius Parish, New Caaa, to Episcopal Vicar for Clergy ad Director of the Office of Clergy ad Religious. Effective date is May 1. (Revered Mosigor Kevi T. Royal will remai Episcopal Vicar for Clergy util April 30). REVEREND SAMUEL SCOTT, Pastor, Sait Joseph Parish, Dabury, appoited Episcopal Vicar for Ecumeical ad Iterreligious Affairs. Father Scott will remai pastor of Sait Joseph Parish. Effective date was Jauary 23. Bishop Caggiao has appoited the followig me to the ewly formed Assigmet Board (formerly the Clergy Persoel Board). Bishop Caggiao is Chair of the Board. Revered Mosigor Kevi T. Royal (util April 30, 2014) Revered Ia Jeremiah (after May 1, 2014) Revered Gustavo A. Falla Revered Leoel S. Medeiros Revered David W. Blachfield Revered Pawel M. Hrebeko Revered Peter J. Lych Revered Corey V. Picciio Revered George F. O Neill PAROCHIAL VICAR REVEREND SHAWN CUTLER, Parochial Vicar of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield to Parochial Vicar, St. Theresa Parish, Trumbull. Effective date is February 21. REVEREND MATTHEW KRANKALL, Parochial Vicar of St. Theresa Parish, Trumbull, to Residece at Our Lady of the Assumptio, Westport. Effective date is February 21. REVEREND JAIME MARIN-CARDONA, Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph Parish, South Norwalk, to Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Dabury. Effective date is February 21. REVEREND JUAN GABRIEL ACOSTA, Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of the Assumptio Parish, Westport, to Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph Parish, South Norwalk. Effective date is February 21. REVEREND RAYMOND K. PETRUCCI, Assistat, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield, remaiig Assistat Chaplai at Dabury Hospital. Effective date is February 17. Revered Mosigor. Kevi T. Royal, Episcopal Vicar for Clergy Persoel February, 2014 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. Wallace Graphic Desiger bwallace@diobpt.org Jill Moroe Office Maager/Admi jmoroe@diobpt.org Soia Burs Spaish Editor* soiarburs@yahoo.com Madelie Ghilardi Copy Editor* * Cosultats The Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao, Bishop of Bridgeport, has made the followig clergy appoitmets i the Diocese of Bridgeport: Circulatio Every registered Catholic household i Fairfield Couty is etitled to a subscriptio. To add or chage a address, call , or fcc@diobpt.org Aual Subscriptio Price $20 (withi diocese) $50 (outside diocese) Postmaster sed address chages to: Fairfield Couty Catholic, 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, Coecticut Copyright 2014, Diocese of Bridgeport

13 13 Editorial A fall morig back i 1997 was very beautiful as I bega a walk to the beach adjacet to the motel where I was stayig i Fort Myers, FL. I had goe there for a much eeded oe-week vacatio, watig some time to meditate, read ad pray as I strolled by the water. Beig at a beach had special meaig for me. I could recall how my two sos, Peter ad Joh, ow goe from this earth, had loved the water ad beig o a beach made me feel extraordiarily close to them. I had arrived at the place I was stayig late i the afteroo ad immediately wet to the vast Imust cofess: I was t too surprised whe I leared that Philip Seymour Hoffma had died. I 2013, the Academy Award-wiig actor admitted relapsig ito drug addictio. News reports at the time oted that the 46-year old had bee i recovery sice his early tweties. So I kew however dimly that the guy was strugglig with demos. But I was sad because I remembered, too, that he was a father. His three small childre are, i fact, just about the same ages as my kids. Hoffma was a Kicks fa. Delivered by a Agel? A WOMAN S VIEW BY ANTOINETTE BOSCO Atoiette Bosco is a member of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish i Brookfield. beach, with its acres of white sad. As the su wet dow, I had bee prayig ad I foud myself askig God to give me a sig that my boys were together ad happy with their Maker i heave. Peter, the yougest of my seve childre, had died early six years earlier, puttig a gu to his head after a log battle with a devastatig metal breakdow. He had left us otes ad a log tape, expressig his eed to go home ad be with the Lord. We could sese his termial pai, yet his suicide at age 27 traumatized us. But the our agoy itesified beyod descriptio two ad I d ofte see pictures of him ad his so sittig courtside at Madiso Square Garde. For some reaso my first thought was: How could that poor kid ever watch a basketball game agai without thikig of his father, without oticig the hole i his life? The drug addictio did t surprise me, but thikig about those kids growig up without their father broke me apart. Here s a guy i his forties, like me, with three small childre. Ad he s goe. Those kids lost their father. Their mother lost her parter. He s ot comig back. a half years later whe my so Joh ad his wife Nacy were brutally murdered by a itruder as they slept i their ew home i Motaa, a 18-year-old wieldig a ie mm. semi-automatic gu. It was oly my faith ad my images of my loved oes beig i the arms of a good God that kept me from utter despair. Whe I left the motel that first morig, I was somewhat awed by the sight of the huge expase of clea, light sad betwee the motel ad the beach. I started to walk the log stretch of white sad, which I could see had just bee machie-cleaed by a beach worker, to get to the edge of the water. As I reached the place where the dry sad gave way to the sad hardeed by the water ad easier to walk o, my foot hit somethig. I looked dow. It was a small chuk of wood. I thought it was a strage item to be o this ewly cleaed sad ad stepped over it. But somethig made me stop, bed over ad pick it up. I thought of my so Joh, a furiture maker who had so loved wood that he would ofte Hoffma s Death Hits Home A DAD S VIEW BY MATTHEW HENNESSEY Matthew Heessey ad his family are parishioers of St. Aloysius i New Caaa. I imagied my kids losig their father. My wife losig her parter. Me ot comig back. Not a good feelig. I read somewhere that Philip Seymour Hoffma did t deserve the tributes he received i the days after his death because he was a heroi addict. I read the opiios of some that he chose drugs over his childre. I read that addictio is ot a disease, but a choice, so this guy should ot be celebrated. I m ot a addict, thaks be to God, but I ve kow ad bee close to quite a few of them. I believe these folks whe they tell me that o oe o oe chooses to be a druk, or a addict, or a jukie. Yeah, we all choose to take that first drik. But most of us do t ed up jukies. There s somethig else goig o with addicts. As the New York Times writer David Carr put it recetly, addictio is a pirate o matter how log you ve bee clea ad sober, it lurks, waitig, tryig to get you aloe, hopig to catch you i a reveretly hold a piece to show me its beauty, his woder at the Creator s geius evidet. Thikig of Joh, I looked at it, smilig at how he would have kow just where this wood came from. It was, ideed, a uusual piece. About a ich ad a half thick, it fit perfectly i my had, with my figers slippig ito wavelike ridges o its edges. I held it as I walked, prayig as usual, agai feelig my boys beside me. I felt so very comfortable holdig that chuk of wood. It was as if I were holdig a had. After walkig early a mile, I happeed to take a closer look at the wood. I had t oticed before, but it was shaped like a diamod. Sad was i its ridges, ad the su played o these crystals, makig the piece eve look like a huge, ethereal diamod. I thought, Joh would have had somethig ice to say about this piece of wood, which for the momet had become a jewel. There s a footote to this story. Whe I showed the woodpiece ad related the tale of my aswered prayer to my sister Jeaette Oppedisao, a dow- weak momet so it ca whisper i your ear ad get you to pick up that drik, or that pipe, or that eedle. It does t soud much like somethig ay sae perso would choose. I fact, it souds a lot like Sata. Small woder that so may get clea oly whe they accept that Higher Power. My father, who gave up drikig almost 40 years ago, told me oce that what kept him sober was kowig that havig just oe drik would sed him right back ito the worst part of his alcoholism. Whe you slip, you do t go back to the begiig ad slowly work back up to full-blow addictio. You go right back to where you left off. Maybe that s what happeed to Phil Hoffma. Maybe he thought he could cotrol the pirate. Maybe he oly realized whe it was too late that he was back i the same desperate place where he d left off. Scary stuff. I was deeply affected by the pictures of Hoffma s childre at his wake. Two little girls ad to-earth former college professor who taught busiess courses, she held the woode diamod up i reverse. Did you otice the back? she asked, ad cotiued, Could this be a agel s wig? That took me by surprise, for I had t really looked at the reverse side. Now I did, ad my heart jumped. I could see it clearly how the wood I held truly bore the appearace of a agel s wig! I kew, absolutely, that a prayer aswered so quickly ad directly could ot be trivialized by callig it coicidece. This was a gift, a sig of such origiality ad love, that it could oly have come from God ad my sos. Kowig how much I eeded this gift, they had it delivered to me by a agel! (This will be the fial colum from Atoiette Bosco. A prizewiig Catholic jouralist, sydicated columist ad popular speaker, she is the author of several books, icludig her latest, Mother Beedict, Foudress of Regia Laudis Abbey. We thak her for her geerous cotributio of colums to Fairfield Couty Catholic.) a boy cligig bravely to their mother, who herself appeared buoyed by emotioal stregth of ukow origi. Of course, as a dad, I could oly see my kids. Ad my wife. At my wake. The Jesuit priest Father James Marti is close to the family ad visited with them i the week after Hoffma s death. I hope he was able to give them comfort. Hoffma was give a Catholic fueral, celebrated by Father Marti. Some questioed whether the actor was truly a believer. But that misses the poit. I fact, it seems graceless eve to ask the questio. Hoffma was a baptized Catholic, like you ad me. He was etitled to a Catholic fueral. We may ot all be heroi addicts, but you ca be sure we re all siers. Judgmet is ot ours though we do a awful lot of it it s His. We d do well to remember that. Ad we d do well to remember that this was ot just a Hollywood tragedy. Three little kids lost their father. May they come to kow God s peace.

14 14 Cursillo Commuity Bishop sees spiritual rebirth ad reewal BY DEACON JOHN BUCHHOLZ More tha 200 members of the Cursillo commuity, icludig early a doze clergy ad religious, welcomed Bishop Frak J. Caggiao at its Jauary meetig at the social hall of St. Mary Parish i Bethel. Cursillo is a Spaish word for short course, reflectig the three-day weeked of spiritual reewal that those kow as Cursillistas have made. Each Cursillo meetig icludes a witess speaker, someoe who has bee o a Cursillo weeked ad talks about his or her cotiued jourey of piety, study ad actio with Christ. Bob Glea, a parishioer from Sacred Heart i Georgetow, spoke o the topic, How will Jesus appear to me today? Are we lookig for the Lord i our everyday lives or are we ot recogizig him as the disciples o the way to Emmaus did? asked Glea. He called the commuity to see Jesus i the homeless, the lost ad the sufferig, ad to pray to Jesus to help Cursillistas fid them. As Pope Fracis has stated, the ew evagelizatio must always start with prayer, said Fr. Ed McAuley, spiritual director for Cursillo of Fairfield Couty. God is always i our midst, but if we do t pray we will ot be ope to recogizig him. Fr. McAuley preseted the group to Bishop Caggiao with the words, Is t this a great commuity? I offer my sicere thaks to be touched by a deeply spiritual movemet such as Cursillo, said Bishop Caggiao. You are part of the Church s rebirth, ad I ask you to help others fid what you have already foud seekig 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. 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. greatess i Christ. Together we ca realize the dream of Blessed Pope Joh Paul II of a sprigtime of evagelizatio, oe I ca feel blossomig here i the diocese eve i Jauary. I am here to help ad maybe eve oe day I could fid a way to make a Cursillo weeked. Pat Gorma, a parishioer of St. Rose of Lima i Newtow, said The bishop has clearly rejuveated ad added a sese of vitality to our movemet. I am very happy the bishop could joi us, said Peter Baumgarter, parishioer of St. Mary s i Bethel. It gives me great joy to hear him say he is seeig a sprigtime of reewal i our diocese. It was great to hear the bishop validate that our Catholic commuity is strog, said Ileaa Kotulich, a parishioer at St. Jude Parish, Moroe. Gia Doarummo, director of adult formatio for the diocese ad curret leader of Cursillo of Fairfield Couty, said, I kow SYNOD DIRECTOR FROM PAGE 2 Msgr. Dariusz, served as priest secretary to Bishop William E. Lori ad vice chacellor of the diocese from 2002 to I 2008, he was amed Chaplai to His Holiess with the title of Mosigor, receivig Papal Hoors from Pope Beedict XVI. I March 2013, he was appoited to the Diocesa Tribual after completig his graduate studies at Catholic Uiversity of America, where he eared a doctorate i cao law. Msgr. Dariusz, 45, was bor i Piotrków Trybualski, Polad. He etered the archdiocesa semiary i Lódz, Polad, ad completed his theological studies at FR. ED MCAULEY, spiritual director for Cursillo of Fairfield Couty. how busy the bishop is, so I am very grateful that he came to meet with us, to lear who we are as a commuity. We have may clergy ad religious who have made a Cursillo weeked, so we hope we ca fid a way for the bishop to experiece oe. (Deaco Buchholz serves at St. Peter Parish i Dabury. More iformatio o Cursillo ca be foud at St. Charles Borromeo Semiary i Wyewood, PA. He was ordaied i St. Augustie Cathedral i Msgr. Dariusz served as parochial vicar at St. James Parish i Stratford ad St. Aloysius Parish i New Caaa prior to becomig priest secretary. He is also a member of the Diocesa College of Cosultors. I additio to reports i Fairfield Couty Catholic, Syod documets will be available olie at (For further iformatio o The Fourth Diocesa Syod, cotact: or syod@diobpt.org.)

15 15 Cofessio I was ivited BY DAMIEN O CONNOR I believe deeply i the existece of God. I equally believe i the existece of the Evil Oe. If I was the Evil Oe I would do two thigs: I would absolutely bury humaity i opportuities to experiece istat pleasures so that they would ever kow true joy ad would ultimately fid God ad his Church irrelevat. I would also do all that I ca to remove a idividual s hope that they are worthy of God s mercy while simultaeously poisoig the hearts of so-called true believers ad covice them that the sis of others are beyod redemptio ad to pass judgmet o them. It is precisely this reality that I grew up i, ad if ot for the Sacramet of Recociliatio I would be (quite possibly) permaetly lost i the chaotic, empty reality that I metioed above. Approximately 20 years ago I foud myself driftig ito the abyss of secularism. Alog with that came behaviors that systematically separated me from experiecig the joy of kowig our Lord. Thakfully, my faith was ot totally lost ad I remember goig o a retreat that, amog other thigs, opeed my eyes to the reality of God i my life. The Saturday eveig sessio cocluded with a opportuity to go to Cofessio. I felt ucomfortable with that idea because I had committed sis that I thought were uforgiveable. I had also experieced issues withi the Church that had hardeed my heart. I retrospect, this is exactly what the Evil Oe wated me to feel. Noetheless, the ivitatio from the priest moved me deeply. His words wet somethig like this: I kow that some of you are hurtig deeply. I kow that some of you have bee strugglig with pai ad sorrow for a very log time. I wat you to kow that our Lord loves you more tha you could possibly imagie. He wats othig less tha to take away all that pai ad sorrow ad for you to kow a joy that is beyod explaatio. I am persoally ivitig you to come to Cofessio this eveig. If it has bee a log time ad you do t remember how to make your Cofessio, do t worry about it. I will guide you the whole way. All you eed to do is ope your heart to the love ad mercy that God wats to share with you. I remember that it was the persoal ivitatio from that priest that stimulated my iterest ad the love of God that got me to get up ad go. I remember feelig that my sis were uforgiveable but I could ot help myself from experiecig the overwhelmig love of God. Before I could say a word, I bega to sob ucotrollably. The priest clearly sesed my sorrow ad told me to stad up. I did, ad the he embraced me. Not a word was said but it was as if Jesus himself embraced me ad my sorrow tured ito itese joy ad peace. We the cotiued with Cofessio ad withi a few miutes he absolved me of my sis ad I was healed. It chaged me forever ad Cofessio became a extremely importat part of my life from the o. This comig Let, the Diocese of Bridgeport will oce agai offer the Sacramet of Recociliatio i every parish every Tuesday from 7-9 pm. Please kow that Jesus is ivitig you ot simply because you have committed sis or are strugglig with itese pai ad sorrow. He wats you to kow his complete mercy ad a joy that has o bouds. Nothig ca separate us from God s love (Romas 8:31-39). (Damie O'Coor is seior director of Pastoral Services of the Diocese of Bridgeport.) Joi us for these upcomig evets Cotemplative Practice ad Healig Isights o Neuroplasticity ad Spiritual Care Friday, March 28 9 a.m. 3 p.m. O Keefe Commos Rose Hill Campus Fordham Uiversity Keyote Speaker: Deis McAuliffe, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Bry Mawr Uiversity; meditatio teacher; ad former Director of the Catholic Studies program at Georgetow Uiversity Also featurig presetatios by Fordham GRE faculty Catechetical Leadership i the New Milleium Religious Educatio ad Lifelog Catechesis Saturday, March 29 9 a.m. 3:30 p.m. O Keefe Commos Rose Hill Campus Fordham Uiversity Featurig presetatios by faculty from Fordham GRE ad St. Joseph s Semiary Cost to Atted: $15 per guest Lear how recet fidigs i eurosciece icludig the importace of midfuless for calmig the fear ad stress regios of the brai ca be applied i pastoral ad spiritual care. Cost to Atted: $50 per guest $25 for Fordham studets ad alumi For more iformatio ad to RSVP for either evet, please visit fordham.edu/gre/evets.

16 16 Prayig i Shelto, Feedig i Ethiopia God, make me passioate! BY KIM BARBOSA I kew I was capable of more i my life. I was so passioate i the curret role my husbad Joel ad I had as voluteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, but I kew that I was capable of somethig greater. For years I cosidered startig a o-profit orgaizatio, but did ot kow who to help or where to begi. I bega prayig. Prayig to God to make me passioate about somethig. I prayed for two years ot kowig if or how my prayer would be aswered. I 2011, I watched a video of childre i Ethiopia. My eyes immediately filled with tears, ad I kew that my life was headig i a ew directio. I bega researchig Ethiopia ad was led to a video of a orgaizatio that works i a trash dump commuity i Addis Ababa, Ethiopia s capital. May residets of the commuity have leprosy or are ifected with HIV. To survive, they dig for food i the dump. They also fid discarded objects i the dump to sell for icome. We siged up to sposor a child through a orgaizatio, ow kow as Out of the Ashes. Our mothly support would provide our 11-year-old sposored child with a educatio, oe hot meal per day ad Bible study. I kew sposorship was oly the begiig. After cotiuig to pray ad askig for a sig from God to make sure that he truly put a missio trip o my heart, I received my aswer. Oe year later, we met with our missio team from Ordiary Hero i Washigto, DC, ad flew together to Ethiopia for a te-day missio trip. Durig the trip we played soccer with childre, held childre i orphaages ad atteded a service at a local church. The most rewardig part was meetig our sposored child. We waited i her village of 130,000 people while oe of the local childre ra to fid her. As we waited, I wodered if she had received the photos of us we had set her. She did ot kow we were comig to Ethiopia, as it was a surprise. Withi miutes of meetig her, she held her arm aroud my back ad i the softest voice whispered, I love you. After returig from our trip, A SPEAKERS SERIES Civility i Religio with Bishop Frak Caggiao I felt guilty as if I had ot doe eough while i Ethiopia or sice returig home. I did ot feel that God had called me to start a orgaizatio or do aythig specific that would chage ayoe s life. It was a rough year for me kowig that we were returig i the summer of 2013 ot havig helped or advocated for the people of Ethiopia. Where would I begi whe there were so may eeds? My home parish was the aswer. This past April, I realized I eeded to share our experiece. Joel ad I visited the school of our home parish, St. Joseph s i Shelto, ad showed the childre photos of our trip. We gave the secod- through eighth-grade studets the opportuity to make cards with messages about Jesus as a way to evagelize to the childre of Ethiopia. We later put each card ito a Blessig Bag, a gallo-sized bag with a outfit that we would pass out o our upcomig trip. I decided that if I was t called to start a orgaizatio, the the greatest thig I could do o my ext trip was love. God had more i store for me. Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. The Ferguso Library, Stamford Register at or call Sposored by Sacred Heart Uiversity, the Dilescheider Group, the Ferguso Library ad Purdue Pharma i cojuctio with Hearst Media Services CT IN A SURPRISE MEETING, Kim ad Joel Barbosa coected to their sposored child o a visit to Ethiopia. The trip ad the meetig ecouraged them to work with a miistry for the strugglig families of that impoverished coutry. Near the ed of our trip, ad after visitig our sposored child agai, we visited a registered No-Govermetal Orgaizatio (NGO) miistry called Edihew (E-DEE-o) Hope. The miistry was started five years ago by a ma amed Edihew. He voluteers o Etoto Moutai, oe of the highest moutais i Addis Ababa. May adults ad childre o the moutai are ifected with HIV ad are uable to take the free medicatio provided by the govermet due to lack of food. Edihew uses doatios to ru a Saturday feedig program for 160 childre. As he passed out small plastic bags of bread ad sauce to the childre, he ra out before eve servig half of the childre. Hads bega reachig toward him ad the looks o the u-served childre s faces dropped. Our team was ot expectig to witess a shortage of food at a feedig program. I kew that God had called me to that moutai. He put me there to witess what these childre struggle with every day. He put me there to break my heart ad retur home to advocate for them. Sice returig home i August, Ordiary Hero, a 503(c) orgaizatio, has partered with Edihew Hope. I have bee i costat commuicatio with Edihew, through Facebook, assessig his eeds ad advocatig for his miistry. We have set up a Edihew Hope Facebook page to raise awareess ad advocate for wome ad child sposorships. The wome of the moutai, ad mothers of the childre we saw hugry, work each day to carry 10-foot budles of firewood, weighig over 100 pouds, dow the moutai to sell for less tha $1 per day. May of them struggle betwee payig ret for their homes made of sticks ad feedig their families. My teammates ad I are curretly workig to raise $4,100 to support a pottery program that will provide jobs i clay to eight wome. The fuds will cover three moths of traiig, materials, eight wheels, ret for a space ad salary support for the wome while they are i traiig. As soo as the moey is raised, the wome will be able to leave their jobs carryig firewood ad make pottery immediately. They will the be able to sell pottery to tourists who frequet Etoto Moutai. This is oly the begiig. (For iformatio o Edihew Hope, visit Facebook.com/ EdihewHope. To make a tax-deductible doatio, Kimberly@ordiaryhero.org or mail a check to: Ordiary Hero, P.O. Box 1945, Bretwood, TN Write Clay Program o the memo lie.)

17 17 Immaculate High School Bishop Caggiao to receive Leadership Award DANBURY Immaculate High School has aouced that Bishop Frak J. Caggiao will recieve the Nacy K. Dola Leadership Award at the 9th Aual Immaculate High School Gala, which will take place o March 22 at the Amber Room Coloade i Dabury. The eveig will iclude dier, dacig, live ad silet auctios, as well as the presetatio of the award. The Nacy K. Dola Leadership Award is give to idividuals who embody a commitmet to Catholic educatio, charity, helpig those i eed, ad a passioate faith. It is amed i hoor of the late Nacy K. Dola, who served as Immaculate s first chair of the School Advisory Board. A leader i the bakig idustry, she voluteered extesively i the greater Dabury commuity ad the Diocese of Bridgeport, ad helped dozes of religious ad educatioal groups. I 1991 Dola was iducted as Kids star i Souper Bowl FAIRFIELD Super Bowl Suday was a super Suday i more ways tha oe with the Souper Bowl of Carig held at Our Lady of the Assumptio Parish i Fairfield. The Pack the Pod Food Drive liked up with other drives held aually across the atio o the weeked of Super Bowl Suday. Groups collected o-perishable food ad moetary doatios o behalf of food baks ad other orgaizatios that help feed those i eed. At Our Lady of the Assumptio Church i Fairfield, we like to take it up a otch, says Lara Lisemeyer, who coordiated the evet. Years ago we used a Partridge Family Va to ecourage the commuity at large to fill the va with cas, which we did ad the some. This year s idea for usig a movig pod was aother fu a Lady of the Holy Sepulchre ad i 1992 received the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Potifice from Pope Joh Paul II, oe of the highest awards a lay perso ca receive from the Church. Past hoorees of the Nacy K. Dola Leadership Award iclude Kevi Kelleher, Archbishop William E. Lori, Joh Martocci, G. Ted LaBoe, Athoy Rizzo Sr., Waye J. Shepperd, Gerard D. Robilotti, ad most recetly, Msgr. Robert E. Weiss. Sice his istallatio last September, Bishop Caggiao has ispired the parishes ad schools of the Diocese of Bridgeport ad has quickly show his affiity to the values of the Nacy K. Dola Award, the school stated i makig the aoucemet. He celebrated Mass at Immaculate o the Feast of the Immaculate Coceptio, ad immediately coected with the school s studets. Kathlee Casey, Immaculate s presidet, commeted that the bishop is makig a positive differece i the faith lives of Immaculate s studets. Bishop Caggiao was very egagig ad friedly whe he came to visit, stoppig ito classrooms, takig time to talk with the studets ad truly listeig to what they had to say. I just a few short moths, he has demostrated his commitmet to the schools ad erichig the spiritual lives of our studets she added. He has visited Immaculate o two differet occasios to celebrate Mass ad meet with Immaculate s studets. We are blessed to have such a ispiratioal ad egagig spiritual leader. Immaculate is accredited by the New Eglad Associatio of Schools ad Colleges. It serves more tha 26 tows i the greater Dabury area, icludig Putam ad Duchess Couties i easter New York. The school s motto, Respect, Resposibility ad Reverece, is ecouraged ot oly i the classrooms but also o the athletic fields, the stage, ad i studets daily lives. St. Adrew s is Souper BRIDGEPORT The St. Adrew Church youth group added service to their celebratio of Super Bowl Suday. They decided to tackle huger by raisig $2, for The Thomas Merto House ad offerig to help with the diers for The St. Margaret Mary Faith Club. Our group has promised to be a missio youth group ad are cotiuig their missio to prayer, service ad stewardship! We re grateful for this awesome group of tees! said Susa Baldwi, director of Faith Formatio ad Youth Miistry at St. Adrew Church. FEED THE NEED Stadig i frot of the pod (l to r) Margie Wethig, Eri Scheller, Julia Eustace, Bishop Caggiao, Lara Lisemeyer, ad Daiel McAleese attractio to motivate parishioers ad the commuity. Lisemeyer said the idea of usig a pod was o her mid for some time ad she thought it might just draw eough iterest to help fill up the empty shelves of local food baks. It was a tall order because the pod was 18 feet by 7 feet. We collected a huge amout of food o behalf of St. Stephe s Food Patry at Merto Ceter i Bridgeport ad Operatio Hope Food Patry i Fairfield. Their eeds are great as the demad for assistace grows, servig triple the umber of people they typically do, she said. Lisemeyer said it was a great food drive ad the Cofirmatio studets ad adults leared that there is always more that ca be doe to help brothers ad sisters i eed. 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. SHU, Lecture Series o Civility i America, page 16 The So of God movie, page 19 SHU, Heri Nouwe Series, page 20 Next issue is our Lete issue. Please reserve ad space early, copy by March 5, 2014 To advertise, please cotact Ralph Lazzaro at: office, , cell, , or , rlazzaro@diobpt.org welcomeewadvertisers!

18 18 Bible Studies Biblical Roots of the Catechism This past fall, the Pastoral Coucil of St. Joh Parish i Darie expressed a desire to hear more wome s voices. Their pastor, Msgr. Frak McGrath, immediately thought of Marya Kag of St. Thomas More Parish, also i Darie, who has bee leadig Bible Study Groups at St. Joh s ad other parishes i the diocese sice He shot off a to her, ivitig her to speak after the homily at Masses o whatever you ad I ad the Lord thik you should talk about. Kag is a former Stratford High School laguage teacher. She took early retiremet to follow a course of studies at Yale Diviity School i Scripture, Hebrew ad Greek leadig to a Masters i Religio i A Rhode Islad ative, Marya also leads a Bible Study i Narragasett, RI every summer. You ca imagie my surprise to receive a like that! Kag says. Still, I have taught at St. Joh s ad have kow Msgr. McGrath for may years. He is a woderful pastor who really listes to the Holy Spirit ad to his parishioers. I trust him. Whe she ad Msgr. McGrath sat dow to pla last November, Kag shared a experiece she had last summer with her Bible studets i Rhode Islad. I the sprig, she had ed her Rhode Islad studets a list of possible Bible books or themes for the Summer Bible Series at her summer parish, St. Thomas More i Narragasett. At the last miute, I had tacked o, We could also do the Biblical Roots of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It was a afterthought. To my surprise, that topic selectio came out o top! Thirty-five studets spet eight weeks readig the CCC at home ad discussig key selectios i class. I additio Kag led her studets to fid the origi of Church doctries i the pages of the Bible. Several studets later remarked, How come I ever kew this before ow? I additio to this experiece, Kag shared her covictio that may mature Catholics harbor misgivigs about their faith based o iadequate faith formatio. Ispired by his ow experiece of the richess ad power of the ew Catechism, Msgr. McGrath said that he wated to offer the same experiece to his parishioers. He asked Kag to talk about Bible Study at Masses i late Jauary. Durig her talk, she held up a three-legged woode stool made by her so years ago i idustrial arts class. The stool represets the three elemets of Catholic Truth: Traditio, Scripture ad the Magisterium. Take away ay of these elemets, she explaied, ad the stool falls. The Catechism is a product of these three elemets. Iside is a treasury of excerpts from the Bible, the Doctors of the Church, saits ad scholars spaig 20 ceturies from Jesus to us. It is a real gift to the Christia world. Kag made clear that she would offer the series oe caveat: participats must uderstad that she is ot a theologia. She is a cradle Catholic, a graduate of St. Sebastia s School i Providece, RI, Mahattaville College of ANNOUNCING A NEW BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM, facilitator Marya Kag, accompaied by (l) Fr. Peter Towsley, diocesa vicar for evagelizatio, ad Msgr. Frak McGrath, pastor, spoke o Scripture ad the Catechism at St. Joh Parish i Darie. the Sacred Heart ad Harvard Uiversity (MAT). She is a traied Catholic Bible scholar, teachig uder the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. She ad her husbad, Paul, have four grow childre ad 12 gradchildre. Most of all, she thoroughly believes, There is o theology without Scripture. ( The Biblical Roots of the Catechism of the Catholic Church will cotiue through February, March ad April. Participats are welcome to joi; ext sessio will be February Chose oe of two sessios, morig or eveig, each week: Wedesdays, 7-8:30 pm or Thursdays, 9:40-11:10 am. Brig a Bible ad the New Catechism of the Catholic Church, if you have oe. For more iformatio, cotact St. Joh Parish: , stjohdarie.com, or Marya Kag: , mmkag@aol.com.) St. Theresa Parish welcomes you to a teachig ad expositio of Sacred Relics. Over 150 relics will be show, some believed to be as old as 2000 years. Amog the treasures will be relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower ), St. Fracis of Assisi, St. Athoy of Padua, St. Thomas Aquias, ad St. Faustia Kowalska. I additio, there will also be preset a piece of a veil which is believed to have beloged to Our Lady ad oe of the largest remaiig pieces of the True Cross i the world. HELD IN THE CHURCH ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23 AT 2:00 PM

19 19 St. Philip Youth: Tell Everyoe Tees to fast 30 hours to fight huger NORWALK The St. Philip Youth Group is sposorig its 11th aual 30 Hour Famie the weeked of February 22 ad 23 for middle ad high school studets i Norwalk ad eighborig tows. More tha 160 local high school ad middle school tees will fast for the 30 hours while performig service i the commuity ad participatig i prayer the presece of the ewly appoited Bishop of Bridgeport, Bishop Frak J. Caggiao. He will joi the group at the Gree for the walk, ad the give the keyote i the church at 10:00 am. All are ivited. The Walk sets the toe for the 30 Hour Famie, to raise awareess amog our ow childre ad help them uderstad what is goig o i the world, said Mike Pappa, assistat direc- ad other activities to brig awareess of the stark reality of huger aroud the world while, i fact, there is eough food to provide every perso i the world with at least 2,700 calories a day, said Kali DiMarco, the parish s director of Youth Miistry. No oe eeds to starve. The program is icreasigly popular amog area tees. It was first held i 2004 with 29 participats who raised $4,000 i doatios to World Visio, a iteratioal relief orgaizatio that serves the world s poorest childre, ad to Maa House, Norwalk s soup kitche. The umber of participats ad doatios has rise each year, ad this year, DiMarco hopes the 30 Hour Famie will raise at least the amout it did last year, $35,000. She oted that each $30 will help feed ad care for a child for a moth. The fast begis at 9 am Saturday, February 23. The tees, adult voluteers, parets ad members of the commuity meet at the Norwalk Gree for a milelog Huger Walk. A excitig aspect of this year s evet will be tor of Youth Miistry. They feel so good about themselves ad they ca see the differece they make i the world. A full day s program follows, icludig a blessig i the church, with school ad offsite activities, games, service projects, music ad prayer, ad eds at 10 pm with a vigil i the church. Suday begis with a group meetig at 10 am. Mass ad a breakig of the fast with Eucharist, ad closes with breakfast i the masio. Bishop Caggiao will be returig to St. Philip o Suday to celebrate the Mass ad be with the tees as they break their fast. A ew additio to this year s evet is the parterig with local restaurats. The group is seekig establishmets that would like to be part of the 30 Hour Famie efforts. There will be a list of participatig restaurats ad residets are asked to eat out o Friday, February 28 (the last day of February). Each restaurat ca doate a percetage of their profits from that ight. Widow sigs will be give to each of these restaurats that say, We are parterig with the 30 Hour Famie at St. Philip Church because we believe that o child should go hugry. DiMarco ad Pappa urge adults i the commuity to doate to the campaig. To make a doatio, sed a check payable to either World Visio or Maa House addressed to Famie at St. Philip Church, Fr. Colo Place, Norwalk, CT More iformatio ca be foud at weebly.com. These tees really log to make a differece, ad they eed the help of adults i their commuity, DiMarco said. We eed lots of pledges to support their icredible efforts.

20 20 Sports Coach Hodges opes doors BY JOE RYAN The outside of the school at 33 Calhou place was quiet with the parkig lot covered i sow, but iside the vestibule there was a bustlig of eergy as the kids waited for their rides home. Sow was agai i the forecast ad maybe aother sow day which brought smiles to all but the girl s basketball team, well, to be hoest they are always smilig ad they should be. Over the past decade, the Kolbe Cathedral girls basketball team has bee oe of the best programs i the state but if people oly look at just umbers of wis however, they are seeig oly a portio of what makes the Cougars special. The wis ad trophies are ice, but coach Lisa Hodges has tured the program ito a steppigstoe to a larger world. Hodges is the school s Busiess Maager as well, ad i her cramped office the wall to the left of her desk carries all the iformatio you eed to kow about what is importat to Hodges. It holds the ames of all the colleges she has helped players gai scholarships where they cotiued their educatio. She scrambled ito her desk to get a otebook to reveal what was the record of last year s team ad her lifetime mark because those are just umbers that always chages ayway but off the top of her head she could poit to the colleges ad the ame of the girl who wet there. That is what makes her most proud because it was about helpig those girls live out their dreams. Hodges graduated from Kolbe i 1981 but that eded her playig days so this has become her missio to allow her players the chace to play. Players have received scholarships from the top schools like Quiipiac ad St. Joseph s plus they have see girls go o to play professioally overseas. Whe I wet to college, I just wet to college because college basketball was othig like it is today, said Hodges. Ultimately, my goal here is to get the girls see. If they have the ability to play at the college level ad we ca help them get scholarships, that is what we are lookig for ad we have gotte 18 girls scholarship moey. We have two who play overseas i Dubai, Ashley Prim is there ad Erica Beverly has traveled to Australia ad Switzerlad. That is what I m lookig for. It is a goal which has reaped other rewards i recogitio for the Cougars as well because you ca t igore the umbers i the SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY S FOURTH ANNUAL Heri Nouwe Lecture o Cotemporary Spirituality Wedesday, February 26, 7 p.m. Schie Auditorium Sacred Heart Uiversity 5151 Park Aveue, Fairfield, Coecticut RECEPTION FOLLOWING For more iformatio, call FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Sposored by the Divisio of Missio ad Catholic Idetity with Father Athoy Ciorra Assistat Vice Presidet for Missio ad Catholic Idetity at Sacred Heart Uiversity KOLBE CATHEDRAL GIRLS Vetera coach Lisa Hodges puts her team through the paces at a recet half-time talk. program s record of success however as the Cougars have built a outstadig record with Hodges at the Helm. They have wo five state titles ad were the ruer-up oce to go alog with two SWC crows ad five regular seaso champioships. Not bad for somebody who ever really cosidered coachig a optio. Hodges iitially came back i 1997 just to help as a assistat after havig her secod child, Leah, who is o this year s team ad after six years o the bech as a assistat, she was offered the head coachig job i The Cougars preseted her with her first state crow i oly her secod year as head coach by beatig Triity Catholic i the CIAC Class S fial i 2004 after a outstadig 18-2 regular seaso. Kolbe would wi Class S i 2005 ad 2007 sadwiched aroud a loss to Triity i They would add a Class L title i 2008 ad a Class M i As a assistat, you are uder your head coach but you always woder about how you would do thigs differet, said Hodges. I kew the kids so well after havig coached them o j.v. ad we just sort of took off from there. The recogitio comes ad goes like for a udefeated seaso; we ve had oe of those, but that s ot what drives me or the program. There are multiple reasos why Kolbe has grow i stature over the past decade ot the least of which is the fact that they have had the kid of athletes o their team which ca compete at the highest level. Hodges is just as big a reaso. First, she was a Cougar ad uderstads the uaces of Kolbe. She works closely i her role withi the school s admiistratio with the pricipal ad guidace departmets which works with her goal that all her players be hoor studets I am a Kolbe kid, so I uderstad how the school works, said Hodges. We have special days like Harvest Party which is like a idoor field day that oly Kolbe does, practice was goig to be rocky that day. I could put myself i the place of a studet because I was oe. With all the success, the players come to Kolbe ow to fid the success which has preceded them. Seior guard Kiara Epps is from Norwalk ad decided early o that this was the place for her. The public schools did t have aythig to offer ad I kow the history of Kolbe, said Epps. It s a privilege to play here, actually but sometimes it s a little hard tryig to be successful. Juior ceter Deisha Gardeer trasferred i from Norwalk High School ad actually had to be coviced that Kolbe was the perfect locatio for her to atted. Gardeer is pleased with the decisio ow. It is a privilege ad you wat to be like the other teams before, said Gardeer. My cofidece level has goe up because of the shoes I have had to fill. We had a lot of seiors last year ad ow I feel I have to step it up eve more. Hodges believes i adaptig to the talet of the girls o her squad ad also wats all of them ivolved. Some coaches oly trust a small core of their team to play the most miutes, but Hodges will utilize whatever skill a player has to make them part of the team s success. I have oe girl who is a dead o shooter ad that s what I wat from her every game, to come o ad make that shot, said Hodges. Hodges tries to promote a feelig that Kolbe will always be a home for her girls. She ivites them back after they graduate to iteract ad play with curret studets so the traditios are passed o.

21 21 Youth Oce hesitat about Covivio, ow a booster BY WILL MERCIER With societal pressures o youth beig stroger tha ever, may youg people are fidig it icreasigly difficult to be able to practice their Catholic faith without judgmet from their peers. Covivio is a weeked of the year which allows tees, ad other youth of the diocese, to freely practice their faith without ay judgmet from their fellow peers. Covivio, a aual Catholic youth cogress ow i its fifth year, will be held o March 7-9 at Sacred Heart Uiversity i Fairfield. The theme is, Love as I have loved you (Joh 15:12). Covivio cosists of activities desiged to stregthe the faith of the participats. Speeches, or talks, are give i small groups, as well as with everyoe together i the auditorium. These are used to reiforce the theme. Last year, the theme was friedship, ad the discussios ad group activities reflected this importat topic of discerig what true friedship really is. Sacramets are offered throughout the weeked as well; time is allotted for Recociliatio ad Suday Mass. Eucharistic Adoratio is offered perpetually throughout COACH HODGES FROM PAGE 20 Former players are istrumetal as metors for the curret squad. I ll brig players to come i ad practice, said Hodges. So it is a family, ad they all feel a part of it. the weeked. The theme Love as I have loved you will explore God s love for his creatio ad how we eed to carry out this love to our eighbors. As sacrificig his ow so Jesus Christ was the greatest act of God s love, the theme reiforces the sacrametal activities of the Eucharist ad Sice Recociliatio, both tagible symbols of the outpourig of love God has for us. May youth readig this may be hesitat to take part i this great ad fu opportuity. To be completely hoest, I felt the same hesitatio. I thought Covivio would be borig; I would have ever guessed that I would be 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 WANTED Buyig Baseball Cards ad Siged Memorabilia Call Ley Svelys to set up a appoitmet writig this today. However, as the first ight progressed ito the secod day, I realized that fortuately, these miscoceptios of boredom were icorrect. As I was i the small group playig oe of the may games over the weeked, I foud myself laughig ad havig fu. Ad, by the ed of the secod day, I foud myself sad that it was over. Not oly was Covivio fu, but it was a eye-opeig to the Catholic faith. While I had previously atteded Mass ad religious educatio, it was ot util I atteded a weeked that the faith became dimesioal. Covivio focuses o growig your relatioship with God ad developig a deeper uderstadig of why we believe what we believe. These lessos have resoated with me. Covivio was able to humble me; it allowed me to realize that I caot, or ca ayoe, go through life without ivokig divie aid. After realizig this, I ow fid myself askig help i situatios that I kow are too big for me to hadle aloe. Covivio may be a oeweeked-a-year evet, however it is merely the start to the opportuities it offers. Covivio sets up a pilgrimage ad voluteerig opportuities throughout the year. Also, it itroduces the High School Apostles program. All of these activities are desiged to cotiue the goals of Covivio by brigig you closer to God. They allow the fu of Covivio to be prologed past the oe weeked i March. To ayoe who is o the fece, or is hesitat to atted, I implore you to give it a try, ad you yourself may be feelig the elatio ad closeess to God that I experieced, which is well worth it. The weeked rus March 7 from 4-9 pm, March 8 from 9 am-9 pm, ad March 9 from 9 am-4 pm. It costs $50 to participate ad those iterested may cotact coecticut@covivio.org. While reflectig o Covivio, I ofte thik ot oly did it make me a better Catholic, but I truly believe it made me a better perso. I urge you to take part i this icredible opportuity ad ope yourself up to God s love. (Will Mercier is a sophomore at St. Joseph High School ad a member of St. Jude Parish i Moroe.) If oe setece could sum up the goal of Hodges, it would probably be echoig the phrase from Gardeer. The coach wats her players to have the cofidece to replicate the success of the past ad use that to build their ow futures. Computer Systems, Networks, , Iteret, Traiig & Tutorig MENTION THIS AD TO RECEIVE THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY CATHOLIC DISCOUNT! RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY DRAIN CLEANING MUNICIPAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE LICENSED & INSURED CATCH BASIN CLEANING HIGH VELOCITY WATER JETTING LARGE DIAMETER POWER RODDING or Office: 534 Surf Aveue Stratford TV PIPE INSPECTION AIR TESTING JET RODDING VACTOR SERVICE

22 22 Obituaries Sr. Barbara, RSM, loved Lati Sr. Barbara Bossler, RSM, died December 1 i West Hartford. Bor March 23, 1938, she was raised i Hartford, attedig St. Joseph Cathedral grade ad high schools. Sr. Barbara graduated with a bachelor s degree from St. Joseph College i West Hartford, majorig i Lati, before eterig the Sisters of Mercy i She later eared a M.A. i Lati ad a Sixth-Year Certificate i Eglish. Most of her ext 32 years were spet teachig Lati, her first love. She taught first at St. Paul High School i Bristol ad the, i a strage twist for the life of a religious Sister, taught Lati at Logfellow School ad Cetral High School, both i Bridgeport, before her retiremet i She had recetly celebrated 53 years of religious life. Sr. Barbara s life was celebrated with a Mass of the Resurrectio o December 5 i the chapel of St. Mary Home, West Hartford. Burial took place the followig day at St. Mary Cemetery. FUNERAL GUIDE Collis Fueral Home 92 East Aveue Norwalk NEIL F. HARDING Director/Ower Hardig FUNERAL HOME William A. Skidd William R. Kelley William G. Lahey, Jr. William P. Skidd Adrew D. Skidd Family owed for four geeratios PRE-NEED FUNERAL PLANNING Deaco Joseph Rowa DARIEN Deaco Joseph Lawrece Rowa, a logtime residet of Darie, died peacefully o November 26. He was 88. Joseph Rowa was bor i Phoeixville, PA, o July 26, He served with the Merchat Marie i the North Atlatic durig World War II. After servig i the military, he joied the America Broadcastig Compay, evetually becomig a vice presidet. He moved his family to Darie i After his retiremet, he pursued degrees at Charter Oak College ad Souther Coecticut Uiversity, receivig a bachelor s ad a master s degree i philosophy. A avid reader, he particularly loved philosophy, religio ad history. Joe was what I would call a cheery coservative, says Deaco William Murphy, who serves at St. Joseph Parish i South Norwalk. The two me were i the diacoate program together. He loved the age of moasticism, ad his hero was St. Berard of Clairvaux, the great spiritual writer ad Doctor of the Church. He was surrouded by us Vatica II guys. We drove him crazy but he was always ready to laugh about it. Deaco Rowa was ordaied by Bishop Edward M. Ega i 1995 ad served at St. Thomas More Parish i Darie ad St. Aloysius Parish i New Caaa. I additio to his itellectual pursuits, he loved aviatio ad became a licesed private pilot o his 50th birthday. Deaco Rowa was predeceased by his wife, A, i He is survived i this diocese by his daughter A Dickso ad her husbad Thomas ad their two sos, who are members of St. Joh Parish i Darie. His so, Paul, lives i New York City. A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for Deaco Rowa at St. Joh s o November 30. Msgr. Frak McGrath, St. Joh s pastor, was the celebrat ad homilist. Itermet was private. DECEASED CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT FEBRUARY RY 16 MARCH M / FAX 203/ POST ROAD EAST WESTPORT, CT Quiet Digity Without Extravagace Affordable Direct Crematio Title XIX Welcome Z Family owed for three geeratios Z Call for free iformative brochure Z or MATTHEW K. MURPHY, FUNERAL DIRECTOR 267 GREENWICH AVENUE GREENWICH, CT Z Hadlig every detail Z I home arragemets Z Memorial service facility FEBRUARY 17 Rev. George M. Karciski Msgr. Adrew J. Hajus Msgr. George B. Curtiss Msgr. Miroslav J. Myschshy Rev. Joseph E. Russo Rev. Walter J. Seekamp Msgr. Hery E. Flaaga MARCH 1 Rev. Leoard M. Colo Msgr. Joh J. Pitoak Rev. Boleslaus Rarus Rev. Raymod H. Stepheso Rev. Leo Suwiski Deaco Joseph L. Cross Rev. Vicet P. Cleary Msgr. Fracis J. Sugrue Msgr. Edward G. Zibell Rev. William J. Galya

23 Obituaries Sr. Thérèse LaPlate, 88 Sr. Thérèse LaPlate, 88, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, died o October 18 at the Holy Spirit Health Care Ceter i Putam, CT. Bor Marie Thérèse Rita LaPlate i Machester, NH, o Jue 6, 1925, she etered religious life i Putam ad made her ovitiate at the order s motherhouse i St. Brieuc, Frace, ad made her religious professio there i She took the religious ame of Sr. Marguerite de l Eucharistie. Early i her career Sr. Thérèse was a teacher, but i 1953 she bega studies at Holy Ghost Hospital i Cambridge, MA, ad became a licesed practical urse. From she miistered i home ursig i Massachusetts, Rhode Islad ad Coecticut. For most of those 50 years, from ad agai from , she miistered to ill ad fragile people i their homes throughout the greater Bridgeport area. She did so uder the auspices of the Quee s Daughters i Bridgeport ad the Uited Way of Southwester Coecticut. I 2005, Sr. Thérèse bega her retiremet at the Holy Spirit Provicial House i Putam. Followig some health issues, she was admitted to Holy Spirit Health Care Ceter i October, A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for Sr. Thérèse o October 22 at the Holy Spirit Provicial House. Burial followed at St. Mary Cemetery i Putam. Sr. Hoe, RSCJ Margaret Mary Hoe, RSCJ, died o November 24 at Teresia House i Albay, NY. She was 88. Bor i Rochester, NY, o September 8, 1925, she etered the Society of the Sacred Heart i 1947 at Kewood i Albay ad made her fial vows at the Motherhouse i Rome i She eared her bachelor of arts degree from Mahattaville College of the Sacred Heart i New York City i 1947 ad her master s from the Mahattaville Graduate Divisio i Albay i She spet almost a decade teachig i New York, Rhode Islad ad Michiga. Whe, to her surprise, she was called upo to hadle fiacial admiistratio, she foud that she loved the work. Meticulous by ature, she cotiued i that miistry, icludig fiacial work for the cogregatio s academies i Darie ad Greewich from I 1988 she was called back to Kewood, where she maaged fiacial affairs ad helped i ay way eeded util 2005, whe she etered prayer miistry. A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for Sr. Hoe o December 2 i the Teresia House Chapel i Albay. Burial followed i the Sacred Heart Cemetery at Kewood. Sr. Jaice May, RSM, served at Lauralto Hall Sr. Mary Jaice May, RSM, died o November 9 i Hartford. She was 88. Hele Catherie May was bor i Bridgeport o August 4, Draw by the example of the Sisters she had kow as a yougster, she etered the Sisters of Mercy followig graduatio from high school. She eared a B.S. degree i educatio from St. Joseph College i West Hartford ad a masters degree i admiistratio from Bosto College. Later she did extesive postgraduate studies at both St. Joseph College ad Fairfield Uiversity. Sr. Jaice taught ad served as a pricipal i elemetary schools aroud Coecticut before comig to Our Lady of Mercy Academy Lauralto Hall, i Milford. She spet the past 35 years, her happiest, at Lauralto, miisterig as a teacher, guidace couselor, ad admissios director. I 1990 Sr. Jaice was hoored by Lauralto with the Mother Mary Augustie Clave Award. After her retiremet i 2003, she cotiued to serve there as a voluteer staff assistat util her move to St. Mary Home i West Hartford a few moths before her death. Her life was celebrated with 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. 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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)

24 24 Colum Wome of strog faith ad values After Commuio, a loud, piercig roll of thuder echoed through the church like a approachig storm or a rumblig earthquake. It was the familiar soud of several hudred keelers beig kicked up by the cogregatio. Clearly, they were ever educated i the etiquette of raisig ad lowerig keelers by such emiet authorities as Sr. Immaculata or Sr. Mary Joseph or ay of the Old School us who cosidered it a serious ifractio to slam keelers. My fried Laura, who atteded Catholic schools for 12 years, is coviced we could prevet the collapse of Wester Civilizatio if we brought back the us who wore black habits ad orthopedic shoes to teach us adolescets SWIMMING UPSTREAM BY JOE PISANI Joe Pisai, a jouralist for may years, is pricipal at The Dilescheider Group, a strategic commuicatios firm. ad adults alike a few thigs about good maers ad morals. She ca still recall her traiig period i the school chapel, where the girls leared to raise ad lower keelers properly ad why it s verbote to let them slam durig the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The sisters, bless their hearts, kew that good maers require practice. They also made the girls keel every morig to determie whether their skirts were too short. If the hems touched the floor, they were good to go. Back the, it was a differet world, ad modesty was still part of our vocabulary. The sisters kew somethig that parets ad educators ofte forget: Impartig values ad good maers to youg people requires costat work, costat practice ad costat diligece. Ad it s a lifelog process. A logtime fried of mie, Sr. Roberta of the Sisters of Mercy, who lived i Rochester, NY, beloged to the Old School ad ofte wrote me about my spiritual developmet. Every few weeks, she d mail me a evelope stuffed with clippigs, prayers, poems ad cartoos to educate ad etertai me. Oce she set a copy of the Daily Offerig pasted to a idex card ad told me i o ucertai terms: Be sure to pray this every morig. She also remided me to pray the rosary every day ad to offer up my persoal sufferigs, large ad small, for the poor souls i purgatory ad for graces to covert siers. My prayer book is still brimmig with her clippigs a daily remider of a woma who uderstood the importace of prayer ad sacrifice. O what was her last Christmas, I set her a check, figurig that retired priests ad us could use a little fiacial help, but she immediately retured it with a ote that said, Thak you, but this is too much. I kew eough ot to quibble with her, so I wrote aother check for a smaller amout. May years ago whe I taught Eglish grammar ad compositio at a Catholic juior high school, I was blessed to work with sisters of strog faith ad values, ad I m idebted to oe of them for offerig some soul-savig advice. At a time whe I was overwhelmed with questios about God ad life, I told Sister Paulie, I wish I could believe the way you do. Faith is a gift, she respoded. My heart sak because I figured I was t good eough to get the gift. The, she added, All you have to do is ask. Whe I fially foud the humility ad/or courage to ask, the Holy Spirit s respose was immediate. The Holy Spirit is always at work i the world, makig thigs ew ad poitig us i the right directio toward the path God wats us to take. I her book The Ear of the Heart: A Actress Jourey from Hollywood to Holy Vows, Dolores Hart, who gave Elvis his first o-scree kiss, talks about her jourey of faith as a Beedictie u ad why she left behid the glamour of stardom ad pursued God istead of fame. Hart was i te movies with stars like Athoy Qui, Myra Loy ad Motgomery Clift, ad the she walked away from a multimillio dollar career for the cotemplative life i a covet. Today, she s prioress at the Regia Laudis Abbey i Bethlehem, CT, ad her story was tured ito a documetary titled God Is Bigger tha Elvis. I ve ofte marveled at vocatios like that i our secular society, where the lure of prestige, power, pleasure ad success is so strog. Nevertheless, youg wome are still beig called to the religious life. I recetly came upo a story about the ew postulats for the Sisters of Life. They were youg wome from across North America who received the call to the religious life i a era whe faith is ofte looked upo with disfavor. They came from may differet backgrouds, ad the group icluded a accoutat, a registered urse, a libraria, a attorey, a chemistry teacher, ad a quality-cotrol maager at a solar plat. Their radiat smiles told the whole story. I guess you could say they were New School us with Old School values. The Holy Spirit is still at work. Yes, God is much bigger tha Elvis ad with God, all thigs are possible. ST. JOSEPH S CENTER By 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 VEHICLES SALES SERVIICE PARTS BODY SHOP

25 25 Colum Go to the lad that I will show you the Lord said to Abram, Go from your coutry Now ad your kidred ad your father s house to the lad that I will show you. Geesis 12:1 With the appearace of Abraham, the character of the Old Testamet arrative chages. God steps i to set ito motio a ew pla for humaity; a ew period begis. A certai people will be formed ad set apart from others. From this people will come the Christ. I the 12th chapter of Geesis, Abraham s call is dramatically preseted. God suddely calls Abram to leave his coutry, his cla, ad his home, ad jourey to a lad God will reveal to him. Yahweh does t eve tell Abram SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FROM PAGE 7 POTPOURRI BY THOMAS H. HICKS Thomas Hicks is a member of St. Theresa Parish i Trumbull. (later Abraham) where he is supposed to go. He just calls it a place that I will show you. God makes a decisive itrusio ito Abraham s life ad suddely iverts his life. Abraham s story is cotiually ew ad ca be uderstood persoally. O the mysterious jourey that is life, God ofte reshuffles the cards. The switch is tripped ad a ew epoch begis. We all come to kow that chage is a way of life. To live is to chage, wrote Cardial Newma, ad to live well is to have chaged ofte. Goethe said, To live is to adapt. Life is full of havig ad lettig go, of embracig ad partig. But what I have i mid is a radical departure, a aoucemet of a door ulockig ad ivitig oe to eter. We feel the pressure to move away from our compass poits. The trajectory is losig its arc. Some ier force is movig us out of a compartmet. We feel pushed to chage our arragemet with life, to jourey to aother place, almost to aother cosciousess. It may be true that most people are most cocered about safety, security, ad a predictable future. We wat what is sug by Taylor Swift: Safe ad soud, safe ad soud, all aroud safe ad soud. Chage is frighteig, tryig to fit oeself ito a ew scheme of thigs. Ca I uproot ad re-embed myself? People ted to remai i a place that is familiar rather tha to go forward ito the ukow. The Abraham story would advise us to be willig to go, to take the leap of trust ito the ukow. Whe medieval map makers came to the limit of their kowledge of the kow world, they ofte wrote i the empty space, Here be dragos. There is somethig frighteig about movig ito the ukow SAINTLYLIVES which might harm or devour us. However, we must risk a jourey through drago territory to a ew place. The ew place is likely where we ca more fully realize our potetials, become more of what we are i God s eyes. We ought to wat to make the most of ourselves, whatever that most may be. That which is possible should become actual; what oe ca be, oe must be. It is hard to leave deeply rooted routies, but it is tragic to clig to thigs which have had their day. We trust that the future belogs to God ad love. I thik, ultimately, it is God who brigs about the future, ad God is beyod our predictig. God likes to go off-road. There ca be a false cofidece i our ability to secure the future by our ow efforts ad resources. The true future is that which breaks through the most precise calculatios of the future. The truth is that life is ucertai. Thigs chage that we thought would ever chage. Our experiece of life ievitably icludes the realizatio that, for most of us, life is ot what we evisioed. BY ED WALDRON The Abraham story would suggest that the arrative moves to the mystery of God s ways. A short story by Isaac Bashevis Siger has stayed with me. The story is titled A Fried of Kafka, ad is about a ma playig a game of chess with a icomparable Chess Master. Siger writes: We all play chess with a parter. He makes a move, we make a move. He tries to checkmate us, we try to prevet it. We kow we ca t wi, but we re drive to give him a good fight. Siger leads the reader to realize that the Grad Master is God. He writes, If there is t a God, who is playig all the games with us? Siger s story is about the chess game of life. The image of God sittig across the table from us, egagig us i a game of life is itriguig. It is a chess game with a Master who has may tricks up his superatural sleeve. Thus, Siger suggests I picture God sittig huched over across the chessboard from me, figurig out his ext move. Sometimes I complai about his move, sometimes he complais about mie, ad the game goes o. report to the Carelie. To report suspected abuse cotact: Eri Neil, LCSW, Diocesa Director of Safe Eviromets ad Victim Assistace Coordiator: or Michael Titrup, LCSW, Victim Assistace Couselor, Madated reporters must also directly report ay icidet of sexual abuse of a mior to: The State of Coecticut Child Abuse ad Neglect Carelie: To read the complete Safe Eviromet policies of the diocese ad to view additioal iformatio visit the diocesa website at com/idex.php/safeeviromets/policy To register to atted VIRTUS, Protectig God s Childre for Adults, please visit Select registratio ad select Bridgeport Diocese.

26 26 Bits & Pieces ALL TEENS WELCOME AT ST. JOSEPH YOUTH GROUP special youth group meetig o Su., Feb. 16 Zach will be leadig the meetig about what it takes to make hard decisios usig clips from Lord of the Rigs! 6-9 pm at 8 Robiso Ave., Dabury. CURSILLO ULTREYAS held Feb. 17, St. Bridget of Irelad Parish, Stamford at 7:30 pm; Feb. 20, at St. Mary Parish, Bethel at 7:30 pm; Feb. 22, Day of Reflectio at St. Bridget of Irelad Parish, Stamford 8 am Mass to 1:30 pm. For more iformatio cotact Jeaette at jkovacs@set.et AN OVERVIEW OF THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH a te-sessio series o Biblical roots startig Feb. 19, at St. Joh Parish, 1986 Post Rd., Darie. For iformatio or to register call Marya at or mmkag@ aol.com or parish office at HIGH SCHOOL TEENS 30 HOUR FAMINE at St. Philip, 1 Father Colo Pl., Norwalk 9 am o Feb. 22 through 12 oo o Feb. 23. Our theme is Tell Everyoe! Please joi, RSVP to ad share this evet to tell everyoe that you support our fight agaist World Huger. 4TH ANNUAL CRYSTAL BALL GALA at St. Rose of Lima, Newtow o Feb. 22. A luxurious evet of fie food, spirits, dacig ad exclusive offerigs. $125pp. RSVP to strosegala2014@gmail.com. Proceeds go to parish ad school. For iformatio cotact Stephaie or Tracy at strosegala2014@gmail.com. SACRED RELICS OF THE SAINTS a expositio of Sacred Treasures held at St. Theresa Parish, Mai St., Trumbull o Su., Feb. 23, at 2 pm. Fr. Carlos Martis of the Compaios of the Cross will teach about these holy objects: of St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower ), St. Fracis of Assisi, St. Athoy of Padua, St. Thomas Aquias, ad St. Faustia Kowalska. Also preset will be a portio of the veil of Our Lady, as well as 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 October 9-15, 2014 $3,754 Oct. 30- Nov. 9, 2014 $3,750 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 oe of the remaiig pieces of the True Cross i the world. Attedees will be able to examie ad veerate each relic. You are ecouraged to brig your articles of devotio (such as rosaries, holy cards, etc.) ad pictures of ill frieds/family members which you will be able to touch to the reliquaries as a meas of itercessio. WHAT S IN YOUR BAG? Tools for the Trade: A Eveig Workshop for Parish Catechists o Tues., Feb. 25, 6-9 pm with Liza Peters ad Jaie Cote. Joi us as we share tools for the trade i religious educatio. If you are a sacrametal preparatio catechist or CCD/ Religious Educatio program catechist, this program is for you! Recources provided. $40pp, icludes dier, presetatio, ad discussio PREMIERE OF THE MOVIE SON OF GOD & FUNDRAISER FOR AL s ANGELS Fri., Feb. 28, at 7 pm at Showcase Ciemas, Bridgeport. Group sales available cotact Al DiGuido at adiguido@yahoo.com. 100% of proceeds beefit Al s Agels which provides childre ad families battlig cacer, rare blood diseases ad severe fiacial hardship. ALL TEENS GR EMMAUS WEEKEND Feb. 28-Mar. 2 at St. Aloysius Church, New Caaa. Sig up early as spots get take fast! Go to St. Aloysius Youth Group page for iformatio or MORNING GLORY EVENING OF CHANCE FUNDRAISER o Feb. 28 from 6:30-9 pm at Athoy s Lake Club, 10 Christopher Columbus Ave., Dabury. Food, driks, games ad raffles. Fu evet for great cause! $50 pp, $90 per couple. Tickets at www. ccfairfield.org. RSVP by Feb. 20 to mcoderio@ccfc-ct.org or , ext NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING classes at St. Rose of Lima Parish, 38 Church Hill Rd., Newtow. Fri., Feb. 28, Mar. 28 ad Apr. 25 from 7-9:30 pm. Classes held i the Religious Educatio buildig. It takes the full series of 3 classes to lear the method. For more iformatio cotact Adriee ad Al Keogler at a.keogler@att.et. To register or for more iformatio about NFP go to the Couple to Couple League Iteratioal at MUSICAL BARNUM AT ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, 4 Riverside Ave., Riverside by St. Catherie s Players. Dates: Fri., Feb. 28, at 8 pm (opeig ight receptio ad meet & greet ); Sat., Mar. 1, at 7:30 pm; Su., Mar. 2, at 2 pm; Fri., Mar. 7, at 8 pm; Sat., Mar. 8, at 7:30 pm ad Su., Mar. 9, at 2 pm. Tickets may be purchased olie at at St. Catherie of Siea s rectory, or call , ext. 327 ad leave your ame, telephoe umber, address, preferred performace date ad umber of tickets desired. Tickets $20 if purchased prior to Thursday before performace, otherwise $21 each. For more iformatio cotact Cidy at acbusai@optolie. et or , ext. 327 or 3RD ANNUAL NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL GALA held at Sacred Heart Uiversity o Sat., Mar. 1, from 6-10:30 pm. This is the school s largest fudraiser of the year ad promises to be a woderful eveig celebratig Notre Dame s past, preset, ad excitig future. For more iformatio or to make a reservatio cotact Theresa at marzik@ otredame.org or or go to There are several ways to make a doatio to this year s auctio. CURSILLO ULTREYA o Mar. 3, at St. James, Stratford at 7 pm. For more iformatio cotact Jeaette at jkovacs@set.et BEAREVEMENT MINISTRY at Our Lady of Peace, Parish Ceter, 10 Ivy St., Stratford begis Mar. 5. For iformatio call , ext. 10. LEARN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES startig Mar. 5 for 8 weeks. $140pp; goes to support the Deaf & Hard of Hearig Commuity of the Valley. Classes held at 142 Mai St., Derby. Checks payable to: Fr. Nick Pavia Deaf Miistry, mail to: 50 Fairmot Pl., Shelto, CT Cotact ASL Teacher Daw Sorretio at cdwhitey2010@yahoo.com. DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES The Creed: Do you believe what you just said? held at Holy Spirit Church, 403 Scofieldtow Rd., Stamford o Thurs., Mar. 6, at 7:30 pm. Theologia, Dr. Joa Kelly, will explore the Nicee Creed. Refreshmets; free ad ope to the public. For more iformatio dre@holyspiritstamford. org or call or www. holyspiritstamford.org. CONVIVIO HIGH SCHOOL CONGRESS o Mar. 7, 8 & 9, at Sacred Heart Uiversity. All high school youth welcome! Ivite your frieds! $50pp registratio fee. Call , coecticut@covivio. org or or Facebook: covivioct ST. PATRICK DAY CELEBRATION & CONCERT o Sat., Mar. 8, at St. Jude Social Hall, 707 Moroe Turpike, Moroe at 7:30 pm featurig sogs ad humor of Keltick Kick Bad. Food ad driks available for purchase. BYOB. $20pp. Sposored by Moroe Kights of Columbus proceeds go to charitable orgaizatios for the eedy ad hadicapped throughout the area. Seatig is reservatio oly. For iformatio ad tickets call Bill or Dave ONE-DAY RETREAT ENCOUNTERING THE WORD MADE FLESH for ayoe ivolved i lay miistry Trips to Scotlad, Frace, Irelad, Shries of Europe ad much more.. ragig from $3,599 $4,899 for Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/airfare from aywhere i the cotietal USA Italy/Switzerlad: Apr 5-17, Apr 12-24, May 3-15, May Italy Regular: Apr 5-13, Apr 12-20, Apr 19-27, Apr 26-May 4... Holy Lad: Apr 9-19, Apr 14-24, Apr 28-May 8, May Holy Lad/Italy: Apr 7-20, Apr 14-27, Apr 21-May 4, May Irelad/Scotlad: Apr 26-May 8, May 3-15, May athoy@proximotravel.com Carmela A. Maago-Executive Director

27 27 Bits & Pieces o Sat., Mar. 8, from 10 am-4 pm at St. A Parish, Bridgeport. Deepe your relatioship with Jesus. $45pp icludes luch; opportuity for Cofessio ad Mass. For iformatio or to register call or www. stablackrock.com LENTEN DEVOTION A Fracisca Way of the Cross lead by Fr. Norma Guilbert o Sat., Mar. 8, at 9:30 am at St. Emery Church, 838 Kigs Highway, Fairfield. Social meetig ad refreshmets after service. All welcome! For iformatio call Patricia TH ANNUAL EDUCATOR S COMMUNION BREAKFAST o Su., Mar. 9, at Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Sacred Heart Uiversity i Fairfield. Begis with 9 am Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiao; breakfast followig. Seatig limited; all are welcome. Call or to register. BINGO WITH CHRIST THE KING TRUMBULL WOMENS GROUP o Mo., Mar. 10, at 10 am i parish hall. We shall celebrate St. Patrick s Day by playig bigo. All are welcome! For more iformatio call LENTEN SPIRITUALITY SERIES based o Fr. Richard Rohr s book Fallig Upward: Newspapers Publicatios Shoppers Catalogs Magazies Directories Coupo Books College Course Catalogs Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Coducted by James R. Cook, LCSW at St. Luke Church, Westport o Mar. 11, 18, 25 & Apr. 1, 7:30-9 pm. Participats should read the book ahead of time. For iformatio cotact GIANT INDOOR TAG SALE at St. Catherie of Siea Parish, 210 Shelto Rd., Trumbull, o Sat., Mar. 15, from 8 am-3 pm. Attic treasures, ew vedors, breakfast, luch & sacks for sale from Vazzy s Café. Church raffle. All proceeds to beefit our church. For iformatio call Doa at , ext. 11 or d.bria@att.et. CATHOLIC MEN S CONFERENCE o Sat., Mar. 15, (registratio opes Feb. 1) at Seto Hall Uiversity, 400 South Orage Ave., South Orage, NJ Keyote Speaker, His Emiece Timothy Cardial Dola, as well as Fr. Larry Richards ad the Most Rev. Joh Joseph Myers. Also features Spaish speakig guest speakers ad special talks to youg adults. Our theme Be Not Afraid! Fear is useless.be Not Afraid! Coferece website: MAGNIFICAT WOMEN S PRAYER BREAKFAST (a Miistry to Catholic Wome) We are the proud priters of the Fairfield Couty Catholic for the past 20 years. 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 o Sat., Mar. 15, from 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Roberto s Restaurat i Moroe. Sr. Nacy Kellar from the Sisters of Charity i Scarsdale, NY will be guest speaker. $25pp. Register by Mar. 8, seatig is limited. For more iformatio call Fra Hood or s.m.hood@sbcglobal.et. Ivitatio available o Bridgeport Diocese Website uder Woma s Miistry sectio. MASS OF HEALING AND HOPE o Mo., Mar. 17, at St. Lawrece Church, Hutigto at 7:30 pm with Fr. Ed Nadoly. LENT TALK/RETREAT Uite Your Sufferig with the Sufferig of Christ o Sat., Mar. 22, at St. Mark Parish, 500 Wigwam Lae, Stratford, begiig with 8 am Mass, refreshmets, talk by Deaco Toy Coti, adoratio, rosary, Statios of the Cross, witess talk by Damie O Coor, luch. $12pp; $20/husbad & wife. RSVP to Gia Doarummo, gdoarummo@diobpt.org or ; mail check made payable to Office for Pastoral Services to: 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, CT IMMACULATE HIGH SCHOOL 9TH ANNUAL GALA DINNER DANCE o Sat., Mar. 22, from 6:30-11:30 pm at the Amber Room Coloade, 1 Stacey Rd., Dabury. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao will be hoored with the Nacy K. Dola Leadership Award at this year s Gala. For iformatio cotact Debbie Basile at dbasile@immaculatehs. org or , ext BRIDGEPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS DAY AT YANKEE STADIUM the NY Yakees vs Bosto Red Sox o Sat., Apr. 12, at 1 pm. Tickets $22 ad $55. Deadlie to purchase tickets is Mar. 7. Cotact Susa at THEOLOGY OF THE BODY: CALLED TO LOVE held Mar provides a profoudly beautiful visio of huma sexuality who we are, how God made us, ad how we are to live out our sacred sexuality. The truths it cotais are rooted i scripture ad, while ot revolutioary, will ispire you to live your true callig more fully. Held at Our Lady of the Assumptio Church, 545 Stratfield Rd., Fairfield. $20pp (icludes refreshmets & luch). To register go to: marriageprep. Register by Mar. 20. For more iformatio cotact Agela Matero, Director of Marriage ad Family at amatero@diobpt.org. 21ST ANNUAL WHITE MASS to be held o Mar. 30, at 9 am at St. Peter Church, 121 Mai St., Dabury to hoor persos i the healthcare field. Breakfast follows immediately after Mass at Crow Plaza Hotel, 18 Old Ridgebury Rd., Dabury. For more iformatio call Jea Talamelli or jtalamelli@diobpt.org. Busiess & Fiacial Periodicals Free Stadig Iserts Advertisig Supplemets 205 Sprig Hill Road, Trumbull CT Call us for a free quote. * 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

28 getler hads make your diagosis a calmig experiece. Every phase of your cardiac treatmet is importat. Which is why the getle hads at St. Vicet s Regioal Heart ad Vascular Ceter take careful care of you from the begiig. After all, for may of us, the diagosis ad fear of the ukow ca be the most erve-wrackig part. That s why we take extra steps to comfort you ad to help you uderstad what happes ext. Ad while our hads treat you getly, our mids are workig overtime to provide the clearest, safest ad most precise aswer. getler hads / sharper mids To fid a cardiologist call (877) / stvicets.org / Bridgeport, CT STV_1312_FairfieldCoutyCath_10.125x idd 1 10/1/13 5:24 PM