5 World Mission Sunday

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1 Iside this issue 3 Healig Service for Victims of Abuse 5 World Missio Suday October 23 Please visit us o: at bridgeportdiocese at diobpt Latest ews: bridgeportdiocese.com

2 2 October 2016 ON THE COVER ue is iss e th Isid 3 Service Healig Abuse ims of for Vict Suday Missio ber 23 World Octo 5 Please visit us o: ok.com/ w.facebo e at ww rtdioces / bridgepo itter.com w.tw at ww diobpt.com ews: Latest eportdiocese bridg A PLACE OF PEACE Bishop Caggiao cuts the ribbo at the recet ceremoy celebratig the completio of the ew wig of the Catherie Deis Keefe Quee of Clergy Residece for Retired Priests i Stamford. (Above the fold) A member of the Catholic Service Corps durig the recet Diocesa Day of Service. Photos by Michelle Babyak CONTENTS 17 GOING SOLAR Immaculate High School, Dabury 19 RESPECTING LIFE Sr. Berard Wiecezak, CFSN 13 MENU FOR SUCCESS 21 CAPP COMMUNION BREAKFAST Dr. Joh Murphy to Speak A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE! Catholic Charities 100th 9 PRAYER SERVICE SET For Racial Healig Polpo Fudraiser for Catholic Academy A WALKING PILGRIMAGE Our Lady of Czestochowa PILGRIMAGE PREPARATION Cosecratio to the Sacred Heart

3 October Latest News Service of Peace, Hope ad Healig for Victims BRIGEPORT A Service of Peace, Hope ad Healig for those who have bee impacted by Sexual Abuse as Miors by Clergy, will be held at Fairfield Uiversity s Ega Chapel at 7 pm o Wedesday, November 2. Bishop Frak J. Caggiao will lead the gatherig i prayer ad will speak at the service, which will iclude music ad readigs as well as persoal reflectios by survivors of sexual abuse as miors by priests. The prayer service is beig coordiated by a plaig group of survivors, i cojuctio with the Diocese of Bridgeport. Sexual abuse has a impact o all members of the body of Christ. We hope this will be the start of ew opportuities for healig across our diocese. There is o more importat work durig this Year of Mercy. I am very grateful to the survivors who have take the leadership i plaig this service as a way of brigig healig to the lives of so may who have bee wouded by sexual abuse, said Bishop Caggiao. Eri Neil, director of Safe Eviromets ad Victims Assistace coordiator of the Diocese of Bridgeport, said the Healig Service is ope to victims, family ad frieds, ad all those who have bee impacted by clerical sexual abuse. We are reachig out to survivors of abuse as a mior by clergy, family members of survivors, those who work as leaders i child ad youth protectio, ad those who have accompaied the survivors o their jourey, she said. This past Jauary, Bishop Caggiao met with survivors ad family members from the Diocese of Bridgeport. He listeed to their stories i order to gai a better uderstadig of their jourey towards healig. The bishop asked the survivors for their guidace o ways that the diocese could further promote healig ad outreach to those who may still be sufferig i silece ad may ot have come forward. A Committee for Healig was formed out of these iitial meetigs ad cosists of five survivors ad three lay leaders of the Diocese of Bridgeport: the director of Safe Eviromets, the Victim Assistace couselor ad the director of Pastoral Plaig. The committee cosulted with idividuals both withi the diocese ad outside of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The decisio was made i July to sposor a Healig Service that would be welcomig ad would give all a chace to gather ad to pray together i a safe place. Victim Assistace coordiators Eri Neil ad Michael Titrup, together with lay voluteers ad clergy, will be available as a resource before ad immediately followig the service. (For iformatio about this service or to speak with someoe about sexual abuse or other forms of abuse as a mior by a perso from the Church, call Eri Neil, L.C.S.W., director of Safe Eviromets & Victim Assistace coordiator: , or Michael Titrup, L.C.S.W., Victim Assistace couselor: To report a ew icidet of suspected or kow abuse of a mior, please immediately otify the police or the CT Departmet of Childre ad Family Services ) U.S. Judge: mass icarceratio failed experimet BY BRIAN D. WALLACE Uited States district judge for the Souther District of New York, Judge Edgardo Ramos, said that madatory setecig i the 1980s ad 1990s has led to mass icarceratio ad a justice gap, i our society. Speakig to 150 attoreys, judges, ad legal professioals at the 2016 Red Mass held o October 2 at Fairfield Uiversity, Judge Ramos said that the Uited States has five percet of the world s populatio but accouts for 25 percet of the world s prisoers. Judge Ramos called o attoreys i private practice to cosider takig o more pro boo cases for the poor, ad said the govermet will eed to fid ew remedies for dealig with o-violet offeders. The morig bega with Mass i the Ega Chapel cocelebrated by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao; Fairfield Uiversity s presidet, Father Jeffrey vo Arx, SJ; ad members of the Jesuit commuity. The bishop thaked the attoreys for their faithful witess i society ad told them he prayed for them ofte throughout the year. He said that, i a society that ofte believes religious liberty should be cofied withi the four walls of a Church, may who practice law may feel a struggle to be me ad wome of faith ad to do what the law asks you to do ad admiister justice as required. Describig madatory miimum setecig as a failed social experimet, Judge Ramos said it has led to mass icarceratio of a etire geeratio of youg me of color, icludig may who were o-violet offeders ad could have bee treated more effectively i other settigs. He said his ow thikig o dealig with youthful offeders as a judge has chaged to believe that i additio to demadig persoal resposibility, the courts eed ew approaches that ca help divert youg me from the lure of gags ad the street. The Uited States ow has 2.3 millio people behid bars, with Africa Americas ad Latios accoutig for 60 percet of the imates at a total cost of more tha $260 billio a year. Judge Ramos said the murder rate i New York plummeted from 2,700 i 1990 to 328 i 2014, but mass icarceratio as had immese social cosequeces. The judge said studies show o relatioship betwee icarceratio ad crime rates, ad RED MASS FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS Atty. Ae McCrory, chief legal ad real estate officer of the Diocese of Bridgeport, with her husbad, Hugh McCrory (l) ad U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos at the Red Mass Commuio Breakfast held at Fairfield Uiversity. Judge Ramos said that mass icarceratio has had immese social cosequeces ad that low icome people also lack access to attoreys i civil cases that have a serious impact o their lives ad families. (PHOTO BY AMY MORTENSEN) at ad cosequetial i their lives, he said. Likewise, those who have bee released from priso fid impedimets to employmet, are ieligible for safety et programs ad are disqualified from Pell Grats that would help them cotiue their educatio. Judge Ramos told the gatherig that he is oe of eight childre raised by a sigle mother i Newark, New Jersey. Five of his brothers were arrested over the years ad his sister s ex-husbad is i priso. Based o his ow he discussed alteratives ad diversio programs that have show some success i workig with o-violet offeders i New York. He said that may people of color ad the poor ofte suffer serious cosequeces i their ow lives because they caot afford a attorey for civil cases i matters such as immigratio, evictio, discrimiatio ad child support. Four fifths of low icome people have o access to lawyers whe they eed oe o matters that are complex, importfamily experiece, Judge Ramos said he always felt he uderstood the hardships faced by youg people. However, at some poit after workig as a judge he bega to feel that my ow experieces were o loger so similar to the youth who stood before him for setecig. He said that may face very difficult, ofte isurmoutable odds to make the right decisio ad resist the pull of the street. Durig the breakfast, Bishop Caggiao preseted the St. Thomas More Award to outgoig Fairfield Uiversity presidet, Father Jeffrey vo Arx for his commitmet to the Red Mass ad his support for the diocese i a wide rage of programs ad joit efforts. Your door was always ope ad your departure is a great loss for the diocese, the bishop said to Father vo Arx as he preseted him the award. Edgardo Ramos was appoited Uited States District Judge for the Souther District of New York o September 15, 2011, after beig omiated by Presidet Barack Obama. He bega his term as a judge o December 15, He eared a B.A. i 1982 from Yale Uiversity ad a J.D. i 1987 from Harvard Law School.

4 World Missio Suday 2016 Beloved brothers ad sisters i Christ, O World Missio Suday, let us pray for the good success of our missioaries ad their edeavors. The secod collectio i all Catholic parishes is dedicated to supportig the Church s missioary efforts throughout the world. Now, more tha ay other time i history, our Church ad her missioaries face uprecedeted persecutio, poverty ad political upheaval. These obstacles, coupled with the ever before see mass emigratio of peoples, make the already difficult task of our missioaries eve more burdesome. They eed our support to sustai their ogoig work of spreadig the Gospel, carig for the sick ad the poor ad brigig the life-givig sacramets of the Church to the sufferig of the world. Your doatio makes their effort a extesio of your Christia witess. Your fiacial support couples you with their labors ad ejois you with their eterprises. Your doatio coects you with these dedicated me ad wome who are doig the work of the Church i ways that we caot. By your doatio today you become a missioary. Through your support you make visible your love for ad gratefuless to Christ ad His Church. By cotributig, we all share i the respose to Christ s commad to make disciples of all atios. Dear frieds, we kow that the Church is our hope, our salvatio, ad our comfort. She feeds ad ourishes us from her Mystical Table. She shelters us from the waves ad turbulet storms of life. Havig this appreciatio of the Church, how ca we refrai from sharig her with the orphas of the world? How ca we ot support with our utmost geerosity those me ad wome, who o our behalf brig her to a people thirstig for peace, hope ad salvatio? I beg you, beloved Brothers ad Sisters i the Lord, to give as geerously as possible o this World Missio Suday. Thik for a momet what we sped o various commo ameities each moth like cabletv, Iteret access, coffee or eve oe meal out at a restaurat, ad at the very least let us match that sigle expese with our doatio today. I thak you i advace ad I pray that the Lord will bless you for your geerosity ad grat you peace ad health ad all those thigs eeded for your salvatio. Faithfully yours i the service of Christ, Revered Seraphim Rohlma Director, Potifical Missio Societies Please use the evelope eclosed i this issue! Thak You!

5 October Propagatio of the Faith Mercy Chages the World World Missio Suday observed October 23 BY BETH LONGWARE DUFF The Catholic Church s Jubilee of Mercy (December 2015 to November 2016) also appropriately marks the 90th aiversary of what was origially called World Missioary Day whe it was approved by Pope Pius XI i 1926 ad orgaized by the Potifical Society for the Propagatio of the Faith. O the weeked of October 22-23, the World Missio Suday collectio will be take up i churches aroud the world, icludig all parishes i the Diocese of Bridgeport. Pope Fracis has writte that the Jubilee of Mercy casts a distict light o World Missio Suday It ivites us to cosider the missio ad getes (the missio to the atios) as a great, immese work of mercy, both spiritual ad material, he otes. O this World Missio Suday, all of us are ivited to go out as missioary disciples, each geerously offerig their talets, creativity, wisdom ad experiece i order to brig the message of God s tederess ad compassio to the etire huma family. Accordig to the Potifical Missio Societies, which coducts the World Missio Suday collectio, this year s theme is Mercy Chages the World. As i past years, fiacial ad spiritual support provided ow ad throughout the year is critical to the missio of priests, religious ad catechists servig i more tha 1,100 dioceses throughout Asia, Africa, parts of Lati America ad Europe, ad o the Islads of the Pacific, brigig the light of Christ to the darkest of circumstaces. The World Missio Suday celebratio highlights the outreach of local churches through priests, religious ad laity amog the poor ad margialized half a world away, the Potifical Missio Societies elaborates o its website. Life-chagig help is provided to missio churches i territories coverig more tha half the globe. Father Seraphim Rohlma is the director of the Potifical Missio Societies for the Diocese of Bridgeport. He explais that while the bulk of the moey collected durig World Missio Suday goes to Rome for worldwide distributio, the collectio also supports the local work of the missio office i each diocese. I Bridgeport, this icludes the formatio of priests ad deacos who serve i the missio fields ad the distributio of Mass stipeds to missioary priests for the itetios of the people of the diocese. Father Seraphim maitais that missio work is a essetial part of the Catholic faith. Christ, before his Ascesio, told the CATECHISM CLASS draws adults ad childre to a missio ru by Father Doald Kloster, a priest of this diocese, i Guayaquil, Ecuador. Apostles to go ad baptize all atios, makig disciples of them, ad to spread the Gospel, he otes. It s part of the work of the Church, ad the Church is made up of all of the faithful. So it s a commissio of all of the faithful to spread the Gospel. I additio to the ever-preset challeges preseted by atural disasters, recet global developmets have placed additioal pressure o missioaries i the ORPHANS IN TAMIL NADU, INDIA deped o the geerosity of Catholics i the World Missio Suday collectio. Sister Aila Christy, of the Daughters of Mary of the St. Joseph Provice, visits the diocese every year to speak o the eeds of her missio. field, makig it more critical tha ever that Catholics doate geerously to the World Missio Suday collectio. Everyoe sees the ews reports about the mass migratio of people who have bee displaced by war ad ethic coflicts that are occurrig, Father Seraphim says. Not oly are missioaries takig care of their ow people i missio dioceses, but ow they re also dealig with a iflux of Christias who are escapig persecutio ad geocide. That s really straiig the efforts, fiaces ad resources of the priests, religious ad laypeople who are servig i missioary fields. Father Seraphim calls active participatio i the World Missio Suday collectio a extesio of Christia witess. They do what we caot, he says of the religious ad lay missioaries aroud the world. While we re here, carig for our families ad ivolved i our various occupatios, through our fiacial support we become missioaries because we uite ourselves with the work of missioaries throughout the world whose vocatio it is to go ad spread the Gospel. (For more iformatio or to voluteer at the diocesa or parish level i the work of the Potifical Missio Societies, cotact Father Seraphim: )

6 6 October 2016 Catherie Deis Keefe Residece Quee of Clergy: A Place of Joy ad Peace BY BRIAN D. WALLACE Rated #1 i New Eglad i Total Customer Satisfactio Year after Year 767 Bridgeport Aveue (Rt. 1) Milford, Coecticut courteyhoda.com All Souls Day Mass Wedesday, November 2, :00 am, rai or shie We offer our thaks to Almighty God for the gift of this beautiful facility ad for the priests that live here, woderful me who have served us faithfully, geerously ad quietly for may years, priests that we kow well, priests who are dear to us, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao o October 9 at the Catherie Deis Keefe, Quee of Clergy Residece i Stamford. More tha 150 tured out o a rai soaked afteroo for the dedicatio ad ribbo cuttig ceremoy for the ew 16-suite additio to the retired priests residece. The bishop thaked doors who have cotributed $3.5 millio to make the expasio ad reovatio of the residece a reality, ad he thaked Msgr. William J. Scheyd, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish i New Caaa, ad Msgr. J. Peter Culle, retired pastor of St. Michael the Archagel Parish i Greewich, for their selfless leadership as prime movers of the project. Bishop Caggiao also thaked former Bridgeport bishops Edward M. Ega ad William E. Lori for their visio i creatig ad buildig the residece that i each ad every way allows priests to have what they eed to admiister joyfully ad healthfully. May this be a place of love ad peace for priests who will live here for they cotiue to seek the goodess of Christ, said Bishop Caggiao before cuttig the ribbo o the ew additio. The ceremoy was followed by a receptio ad tours of the ew facility provided by the retired priests. The expaded residece provides 33 suites for idepedet livig for retired priests. The 24,000 square foot facility icludes a chapel, commuity, exercise ad diig rooms, library, kitche ad full service (PHOTOS BY MICHELLE BABYAK) laudry. The Catherie Deis Keefe Quee of the Clergy Residece is located at 274 Strawberry Hill Ave., Stamford. For more iformatio, phoe To make a gift olie, go to www. bridgeportdiocese.org/quee-clergy/home/. Gate of Heave Cemetery 1056 Daiels Farm Road Trumbull Bishop Frak J. Caggiao Mai Celebrat Joi us for the start of a aual traditio. Each year the Mass will move to a differet Catholic Cemetery throughout the diocese o All Souls Day.

7 October Catholic Charities Catholic Charities Gala: A Night to Celebrate STAMFORD It was a eveig of high eergy, spirited music ad celebratio as Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty celebrated its 100th birthday i a gala at the Stamford Marriott. Over 400 me ad wome filled the mai ballroom for dier ad dacig. The eveig icluded a awards ceremoy ad video offerig a glimpse ito the 100-year history of Catholic Charities, which was formed i respose to the eeds of the immigrats, orphas ad workig of Catholic Charities has approved the creatio of the Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty Foudatio to permaetly edow its charitable works. Catholic Charities is love i actio, he said, after presetig the Dr. Marguerite T. Boyla Awards for service to the poor to ie idividuals from the area with a lifetime of service ad cocer for those i eed. Dr. Boyla fouded Catholic Charities i Bridgeport ad was a lifelog advocate of the poor. er cosultatio ad assistace to immigrats. It serves all people without regard to age, race, religio, or ability to pay. (For more iformatio, visit poor of idustrial Bridgeport. The gala capped a year of special evets plaed led by the Gala Committee leaders Marily Hart, Kevi Gremse, Jim McPartla ad Nacy Murphy. Fox News Achor Erie Aastos served as Master of Ceremoies ad Catholic Charities Presidet Al Barber served as auctioeer for the ight that raised over $100,000 for the feedig, behavioral health, childcare, ad commuity programs of the Church s social service arm i the couty. We stad o the shoulders of giats, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, otig that before Pope Fracis ispired the world with his cocer for the poor ad vulerable, ad 40 years before the diocese was formed, Catholic Charities was brigig compassio ad mercy to those i eed. Catholic Charities kows that people are ot problems to be solved but people to be loved, the bishop said, otig that the missio of Catholic Charities cotiues to ispire the diocese. At the ed of his remarks, the bishop aouced that the board The Boyla Awards were preseted to Peggy Cepois of Ridgefield for her voluteer service at Morig Glory Breakfast Program i Dabury; Father Joh Giuliai of Reddig, oe of the fouders of Merto House i Bridgeport; Bruce ad Lida Koe of Greewich who helped to foud the diocesa Loaves ad Fishes campaig; Deis ad Britta Nayde for their support of the Bishop s Scholarship Fud, St. Catherie s Academy ad Triity Catholic High School; Ae ad Mary Sommer for their support of Merto Ceter i Bridgeport ad New Coveat House i Stamford; ad Msgr. Robert Weiss for his outstadig ad compassioate leadership i the Newtow Commuity after the Sady Hook tragedy. Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty, Ic. is oe of the largest private social service providers i Coecticut. Sice 1916, Catholic Charities has served all people with programs that feed the hugry ad homeboud, shelter the homeless, stregthe families, assist the physically ad emotioally challeged ad deliv Aual Catholic Appeal Serves Our Commuity Every Day Have you made your gift? The miistries ad programs i our Diocese cotiues every day. There is still time to make your gift. To make a pledge olie, please visit 2016ACAbridgeport.com or call Thak you for your support! Gifts are payable through December 31, 2016

8 8 October 2016 Strategic ad Pastoral Plaig Pastoral plas look to stregthe parish life BRIDGEPORT More tha 60 parishes have already submitted their parish pastoral plas to Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, idetifyig the syod priorities o which they wish to focus for the ext two pastoral years. As part of the pastoral plaig process that was approved by the syod delegates, all of the parishes i the diocese were asked to establish a plaig task force, aalyze sacrametal ad fiacial data from the last few years, complete a parish self-assessmet ad the, based o that aalysis ad self-assessmet, articulate priority plas for the ext two years. Over the course of the last six moths, I have had the pleasure of meetig with more tha half of the plaig task forces, said Patrick Turer, director of the Office of Strategic ad Pastoral Plaig, ad have bee truly impressed with the dedicatio, love, ad desire of those servig o those task forces to stregthe the pastoral life of their parishes. So may of our parishes are doig great work i miistry, ad this plaig process gives them the opportuity to build o the good work that is already ogoig, ad look at areas of pastoral life that ca be stregtheed. Father Samuel Scott, pastor of St. Joseph Parish i Dabury, offered his assessmet of the plaig process: It has already produced good fruit i our commuity; there is a very positive sese about the future here because we are workig together DEEPEN THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH Bishop Caggiao led the recet Vespers Prayer Service at St. Augustie Cathedral for members of the parish Strategic Pla Taskforce. The Service was o the aiversary of the opeig of the Secod Vatica Coucil fifty-four years ago ad the feast day of St. Joh XXIII. Chagig times demad that we re-imagie how we live faithfully i the moder world, which has tured its back o the Gospel. The great spiritual struggle of the 21st cetury is the relevace of our parish ad school commuities for people who thik they ca search for God without the Church. We must ivite people back ito our family, oe perso at a time, ad together deepe the mystery of the Church as we live it i our ow age. We have to remember that everythig we do begis ad eds with Jesus. collaboratively the clergy ad lay leadership ow that we have a pastoral pla i place. The syod asked the parishes to look at their pastoral life i five areas: Worship ad Liturgy, Family Life, Evagelizatio, Leadership ad Catechesis ad Educatio, ad choose two of those o which to focus. Goals ad actio steps have bee created i a effort to respod to the challeges that a idividual parish may be facig. The overall goal is to create a vibracy, ad a sese of forward motio, that will egage parishioers ad those ot curretly actively ivolved i parish life. I additio, Bishop Caggiao, ecouraged the plaig task forces to also prioritize oe of three of the followig: fiaces, buildigs ad facilities, ad commuity life. As parishes move ito the implemetatio phase of the process, pastors ad plaig task force members are beig asked to share their pastoral plas with the broader parish commuity. SAINT MARY S CHURCH The Mother Church of Norwalk 669 West Ave., Norwalk Pastor: Rev. Richard G. Cipolla Parochial Vicar: Msgr. Igacio Barreiro MASSES: Daily Masses: Moday-Friday 8:00 am, 12:10 pm; Wedesday 6:00 pm Extraordiary Form; Saturday 9:00 am Extraordiary Form Saturday Aticipatory Mass: 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm (Spaish) Suday: 8:00 am, 9:30 am Lati High Mass, 11:30 am Eglish High Mass, 1:15 pm (Spaish) Deaco Stepha A. Geovese CONFESSION SCHEDULE: Moday-Friday: 11:30 am-12:00 pm; Wedesday: 5:30-5:50 pm; Saturday: 3:00-4:30 pm ADORATION: Wedesdays: 8:30 am-5:15 pm; Fridays: 8:30 am-5:30 pm SAINT MARY S BOOKSTORE Offerig a wide selectio of books, crucifixes, rosaries, sacrametals from Italy ad the Holy Lad, First Commuio & Cofirmatio gifts, & more. HOURS: Saturday 10am-2:30pm Suday 9-9:30am ad 11am-2pm Moday-Friday 2:45-4:45pm Located i Parish Ceter buildig behid Sait Mary Church VISA/MC ACCEPTED May of the parishes have already egaged i broad parish cosultatio through surveys or tow hall style meetigs, ad all parishes will publish their plas o two cosecutive weekeds prior to the Thaksgivig holiday. I additio, as part of a effort to promote full trasparecy, all of the pastoral plas will be published o the Office of Strategic ad Pastoral Plaig website i December. Goig forward, the Office of Strategic ad Pastoral Plaig will be updatig parish data this fall as parishes coduct the aual i-pew Mass couts ad submit their yearly sacrametal statistical summary for the previous pastoral year. This data will cotiue to assist our parishes ad the diocese i respodig to ogoig treds ad idetifyig challeges. Plaig task force members will be ivited to a series of workshops i the late witer/sprig of 2017 that will iclude speakers ad examie best practices i a particular syod priority area. It will allow members to share the good ews of work that is ogoig i their parish ad share ideas ad challeges with leaders from other parishes. Save the Date! Solem Closig of the Holy Door ad the Jubilee Year of Mercy Joi Bishop Frak J. Caggiao as he closes the Holy Door ad cocludes the Diocese of Bridgeport s observace of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. With the celebratio of Mass at St. Augustie Cathedral o Suday, November 20, at 9:30 am, the bishop will lead our thaksgivig to God for the graces of this year, ad pray that they will cotiue i the life of our diocese.

9 October Diocesa Iitiatives Prayer Service for Peace ad Racial Healig BRIDGEPORT A major iterfaith prayer service evet, Prayer for a Path to Peace ad Racial Healig, will be held o Tuesday, November 22, at 7 pm at St. Augustie Cathedral i Bridgeport. The service is ope to people of all faiths ad is the begiig of a major iterfaith iitiative desiged to brig together a widely diverse commuity with a goal towards brigig a ew level of dialogue ad kiship of people of may faiths ad ethicities. Featured speakers iclude Bishop Frak J. Caggiao; Rev. Cass Shaw, presidet/ceo of the Bridgeport Coucil of Churches; Rabbi James Prosit, leader of Cogregatio B ai Israel, a Reform temple i Bridgeport; ad Youth Day of Service begis ad eds i prayer BRIDGEPORT Today is a historic day i our Diocese with the iauguratio of the Catholic Service Corps, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, excited by the lauch of the first Diocesa Day of Service o September 24, sposored by the ewly formed Catholic Service Corps. The day bega with prayer, followed by voluteer work, ad Mass celebrated by the bishop at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Sacred Heart Uiversity. Youg service corps members worked i a variety of settigs icludig Merto Ceter i Bridgeport, St. Margaret s Shrie, New Coveat Ceter i Stamford, ad St. Thomas the Apostle Parish i Norwalk. The CSC was oe of the major iitiatives approved i the recet Diocesa Syod to provide opportuities for all the faithful, especially youg people, to deepe ad broade their Catholic faith by ivitig them to embrace a life of Christia service ad the call to be missioary disciples. The youg people who will begi to form the Catholic Service Corps will walk o the Pastor Athoy Beett, lead pastor of Mout Aery Baptist Church i Bridgeport, CONECT co-chair ad a local leader of Black Lives Matter. The Sacred Heart Uiversity Choir will provide musical selectios at the service, which will iclude iterfaith prayer ad a time for persoal reflectio. Bishop Caggiao has assembled a committee made up of clergy, laity ad iterfaith leaders. They have ot oly plaed this service; the committee is i the plaig stages for a ogoig iitiative to cotiue expadig the dialogue ad discussio regardig racial healig. Father Regiald D. Norma, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish i Wilto, ad episcopal frot lie of faith, tryig to overcome the temptatio of spiritual complacecy i their ow lives by embracig, over time, a true lifestyle of service. Their witess will also ecourage ad challege those aroud them to follow their example, Bishop Caggiao said. The bishop dropped i at a couple of the worksites to offer ecouragemet to the youg people, who worked i teams from differet schools ad parishes. He believes that the charitable work, grouded i prayer ad reflectio, is a importat part of faith formatio. My prayer is that the Corps will uleash a tidal wave vicar of the Apostolate of Africa America Catholics, said that give the urest i the world ad the problem of violece at home, of mercy that will slowly trasform the face of our diocesa Church, brigig the gift of lovig mercy to every corer of our couty. My dream is that such love will be effectively offered ad received by every huma heart seekig a path to God. Give some of the challeges that we have faced as a Church over the past 15 years, may people may be tempted to believe that the best days of our Church are behid us. Today proves that our best days are yet to come, he said. (For more ifo, cotact Michelle Smith: msmith@diobpt.org.) FATHER REGINALD D. NORMAN the service is meat to brig people of may differet faiths ad backgrouds together. It is our hope that as we begi i prayer, we will work together i the weeks ad moths to come to be a beaco of hope ad uderstadig for all people. Our world eeds a ope ad hoest dialogue regardig these issues. We are excited to begi this work. The icetive for this lauch evet is i respose to the request of the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) presidet, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, that all dioceses throughout the Uited States coduct a prayer service for peace ad for solutios to uresolved racial ad crimial justice issues that have led to the loss of life of civilias ad police i the ier cities. Archbishop Kurtz has writte that at times of growig tesio over crimial justice issues, We urge all to stay cetered i prayer ad i the kowledge that all of us, black ad white, civilia ad police, are valued ad beloved childre of God. Our commitmet i our Baptismal Coveat shows us the way forward to seek ad serve Christ i all persos, lovig our eighbors as ourselves ad to strive for justice ad peace amog all people, respectig the digity of every huma beig. So may evets of the past year have taught us that we ca t igore issues regardig police violece agaist the poor ay more tha we ca sactio violece agaist police, who put their lives o the lie to protect us, said Father Norma. It is ot a Black problem but a problem for all of society, ad we must all work o a just solutio that builds respect betwee police ad commuities ad respects the digity of all ivolved. I am excited that we are comig together to ope the dialogue ad process of craftig solutios i our commuity. Father Norma said he believes the iterfaith foudatio of the eveig will be a good forum to begi to preset the problems ad ope a veue for dialogue. This is the lauch of a broader iitiative focused o craftig solutios that have a real impact o reducig tesios ad buildig bridges betwee all elemets of our commuity. The iterfaith team is workig to idetify te sites aroud Fairfield Couty that will host listeig sessios to discuss the issues ad make recommedatios o ew ways to foster peace amogst all parties. (For more iformatio, cotact Jaet Davis: or jdavis@diobpt.org.)

10 10 EDITORIAL O Faithful Citizeship As we approach the presidetial electio, we are cofroted by may serious social ad political issues that demad our attetio as citizes ad people of faith. For this reaso, the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued Formig Coscieces for Faithful Citizeship, its teachig documet o the political resposibility of Catholics. Faithful Citizeship represets the Church s guidace i the exercise of their rights ad duties as participats i our democracy. As we approach the presidetial electio, all pastors, lay ad religious faithful, ad all people of good will are ecouraged to use the documet to help form their coscieces; to teach those etrusted to their care; to cotribute to civil ad respectful public dialogue; ad to shape political choices i the comig electio i light of Catholic teachig. This year s guide has bee updated to take accout of recet developmets i the Uited States i both domestic ad foreig policy: The ogoig destructio of over oe millio iocet huma lives each year by abortio Physicia-assisted suicide The redefiitio of marriage the vital cell of society by the courts, political bodies, ad icreasigly by America culture itself The excessive cosumptio of material goods ad the destructio of atural resources, which harm both the eviromet ad the poor The deadly attacks o fellow Christias ad religious miorities throughout the world The arrowig redefiitio of religious freedom, which threates both idividual cosciece ad the freedom of the Church to serve Ecoomic policies that fail to prioritize the poor, at home or abroad A broke immigratio system ad a worldwide refugee crisis Wars, terror, ad violece that threate every aspect of huma life ad digity All of these grave issues speak to a breakdow i what Pope Fracis has called a itegral ecology (Laudato Si, os ). The bishops remid us that Without the proper orderig of relatioships of persos with each other, with creatio, ad ultimately with God himself, si takes hold. Pope Fracis remids us that all idividuals, atios ad members of the global commuity have the duty to place the eeds of others ahead of selfish desires to possess ad exploit the good thigs that come from God s had. While the Church is ivolved i the political process, it is ot partisa. Yet, as Faithful Citizeship poits out, it would be a serious mistake ad oe that occurs with regrettable frequecy to use oly selected parts of the Church s teachig to advace partisa political iterests or validate ideological biases. All of us are called to be servats to the whole truth i authetic love, ad it is our fervet hope ad prayer that this documet will provide aid to all those seekig to heed this call. It is ofte said that religious freedom should ever be cofied to the four walls of the Church, but must be lived ad witessed i the lives of believers ad their impact o the larger commuity. Oe of the best ways to fulfill this obligatio is to cast a ballot ad make your voice heard. Resposible citizeship is a virtue, ad participatio i political life is a obligatio. Let us all take to heart the urgecy of our vocatio to live i service of others through the grace of Christ ad ask humbly i prayer for a outpourig of the grace of the Holy Spirit o the Uited States of America. The Formig Coscieces for Faithful Citizeship guide is available i its etirety olie through the Uited States Coferece of Catholic Bishops website: EDITOR S CHOICE PAROCHIAL VICAR REVEREND DAMIAN PIELESZ, Parochial Vicar, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Stamford, to Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Wilto. Effective date is October 21. REVEREND TOMASZ PRZYBYL, SVD, ew to the Diocese, to Parochial Vicar, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Stamford. Effective date is October 21. 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 The Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao, Bishop of Bridgeport, has made the followig clergy appoitmets i the Diocese of Bridgeport: DIRECTOR REVEREND WILLIAM F. PLATT, BCC, has bee appoited to Diocesa Director of Hospital Chaplais. Father Platt will cotiue to serve as Parochial Vicar at Sait Catherie of Siea Parish, Riverside. Effective date was September 20. RETIREMENT DEACON WILLIAM D. MURPHY, Sait Gregory the Most Revered Frak J. Caggiao Publisher Bria D. Wallace Executive Editor bdwallace@diobpt.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 Joh Grosso Social Media Leader jgrosso@diobpt.org Roie Lazzaro Copy Editor (Cosultat) October 2016 Sesatioal at 60! St. Aloysius School celebrates aiversary NEW CANAAN St. Aloysius School celebrated sixty years of providig a quality Catholic elemetary educatio at a party o September 17 at the school. Over 100 alumi icludig members of the Karl, Fraco ad Fly families who have put a combied total of thirty childre through the school tured out for the milestoe evet. First Selectma Rob Mallozzi cogratulated everyoe who has helped make the school such a success over six decades, icludig former pricipal Dr. Doald Howard ad (i photo l-r) Msgr. William Scheyd, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish; icomig pastor Father Robert Kially; ad curret Pricipal Bardhyl Gjoka. Cogratulatios St. Aloysius School here s to aother 60 years! Great Parish, Dabury, to retiremet. Effective date was October 2. OTHER REVEREND FRANCIS XAVIER BILUNG, Parochial Vicar, Sait Mark Parish, Stratford, to home diocese of Simdega, Idia. Effective date was September 29. Mosigor Thomas W. Powers, Vicar Geeral, October, 2016 Advertise To place a ad, cotact Ralph Lazzaro: Circulatio Every registered Catholic household i Fairfield Couty is etitled to a subscriptio. To cacel, chage or add a address, please 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 2016, Diocese of Bridgeport

11 October Editorial Somethig More After the recet decisio by Judge Thomas Moukawsher that said Coecticut is defaultig o its costitutioal duty to provide the state s childre with a adequate educatio, I was dismayed to read the comparisos ad iequities betwee the schools i Fairfield ad the dimiishig resources ad results i eighborig Bridgeport. What a differece a ZIP code ca make! However, ot all schools i Bridgeport share the discouragig statistics metioed i recet A WOMAN S VOICE BY SISTER JOAN MAGNETTI, RSCJ A atioally-kow educator, Sister Joa, rscj, is the executive director of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport. ewspaper articles. As the state sets out to reshape our system of public educatio, I would like to make a few observatios, based o my persoal experieces as a educator ad admiistrator. I have bee i Catholic school educatio as a pricipal of idepedet girls schools for 30 years i such welloff suburbs as Priceto, N.J., ad Greewich, Co., with tuitios upward of $30,000. For seve years, I have bee executive director for the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport, which comprises four academies: St. A, St. Adrew, St. Raphael ad St. Augustie, servig almost 1,000 low-icome elemetary school childre with a average tuitio of $4,700. It costs us $7,500 to educate each pupil, while public school studets (who do ot pay tuitio) receive $14,000 per pupil from the state. Suburba schools augmet these fuds with local tax dollars ad special fudraisers. Our Catholic Academy of Bridgeport serves the same populatio of studets as public schools i Bridgeport. Not all our childre are Catholic, the majority are below the poverty lie, ad our racial ad ethic mix mirrors that of the Bridgeport public schools. More tha 85 percet of our studets qualify for fiacial aid, requirig that we raise over $2 millio aually. We receive o public moies except for some Title II fuds for professioal developmet, the presece of a school urse whe possible, ad trasportatio, which is ow threateig to demad our childre as youg as five years old walk if they live less tha 1.5 miles away from their school. Our faculty salaries are ofte tes of thousads less tha public school teachers, yet they joyfully serve. All teachers are evaluated aually; there is o teure ad uderperformig teachers are ot rehired. Our teachers take pride i kowig that, together, we set high stadards for our pupils ad themselves. So why are our outcomes so differet? Our Terra Nova tests reveal that except for several childre with special learig challeges, the vast majority of our studets are o or above grade level i math ad readig/ laguage arts, sometimes by two years. Our 8th graders move o to public ad Catholic high schools with a high school graduatio rate of 100 percet. No oe drops out. Nietyeight percet atted college or techical schools ad distiguish themselves ot oly by their academic achievemets but also by their character ad disciplie. Our tag lie for the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport is Somethig More. Why? Because we fid that is why parets choose to sed their childre to our school. They wat somethig more. They wat schools that are safe, develop character, celebrate religious diversity ad ecourage strog academics. The court decisio will lead to wide-ragig chages i the public educatio system, I am sure. However, I await the day whe we ca have a dialogue i America that allows public, religiously affiliated ad idepedet schools to joi hads i our commo effort to make sure o studet gets the short ed of the stick educatioally, ad that academic success is ot determied by ZIP code but by our resolve to provide the best for all childre. I ca barely hear what Sally is sayig. Her lips move, but she s covered her tiy mouth with miiature hads. She looks like someoe with a secret that she might be willig to cofess. Did you say somethig, sweetheart? I ask, tryig hard to coceal my curiosity, tryig hard ot to lead the witess. Sally is t yet four years old. She has lately bee strugglig with the arrival of her ew baby brother Billy, who has soaked up every excess ouce of attetio sice arrivig home from the hospital. Fair to say, Sally would like her old place of promiece back. She is t above playig My Sheep Hear My Voice A DAD S VIEW BY MATTHEW HENNESSEY Matthew Heessey ad his family are parishioers of St. Aloysius i New Caaa. games to get it. Sally repeats whatever it was she said the first time. Her voice is soft ad high ad getle, like the puff of air beeath the wigs of a butterfly. I still ca t hear it. I m really sorry, love, but Daddy s ears are t so good. What did you say? She drops her hads to her sides ad glares. What a disappoitmet I must be. Here she is, ready to spill the beas, ad Daddy is playig hard to get. What a letdow the big world ca be whe you re three. I waa whispa somefig i you ear, she says i her baby girl voice, ow at full volume, ad puctuated by a sharp stomp of her bare right foot o the rugless floor. I lea dow so she ca speak directly ito my auditory apparatus. What could this be about? The momet she has bee maufacturig i her mid has arrived. I am at her disposal. I wait. She says othig. I begi to ulea myself. She grabs my shoulder. Uable to remai i the bet positio, I drop to oe kee. Wait, she says. I waa whispa somefig. Go ahead the, I say. Daddy does t have all day. I m gettig ready to put the dishes away. I ca feel my patiece slip. These are the times that try parets souls. Still holdig my shoulder, still she says othig. Sally... I start, but she stops me. I love you Daddy, she says. My heart skips. I wated to whispa dat i you ear. My heart fids its rhythm agai. Sally ad me, we have a groovy kid of love. Oh, Sally. I love you too. More tha you ca ever kow. We hug. She seems pleased agai. At least util the ext time I disappoit her. The world is a cofusig place. It will ofte igore you. Thigs chage i a istat, ad they do t chage back. People are bor; people die. Doubt persists. Every oce i a while a kid eeds to be reassured that Daddy s full attetio is obtaiable. The eed does t go away whe you re ot a kid aymore. Maybe it dims a bit; dulls. The great existetial fear is that o oe s listeig. Maybe there s obody o the other ed of the lie. I do t mea to scadalize you. It s a commo axiety, eve amog Christias. The fear rus both ways. I ofte woder if maybe God is tryig to tell me somethig ad I m ot hearig it. It could be that I ca t hear it, or it could be that I wo t hear it. Either way, I m i trouble. I the preface to his aptly-amed 2004 play Doubt, Joh Patrick Shaley meditates o the The world is a cofusig place. It will ofte igore you. Thigs chage i a istat, ad they do t chage back. People are bor; people die. Doubt persists. isecurity that we feel whe we summo the courage to examie our beliefs: Doubt requires more courage tha covictio does, ad more eergy; because covictio is a restig place ad doubt is ifiite. Fear of the void ever leaves us. Ad Shaley is right it sucks up a lot of eergy. Though we profess faith, ad look forward to the life of the world to come, we are vulerable to the sis that are bor of impatiece. I kow I am. We are sheep. We eed to hear the shepherd s voice. I my momets of doubt, whe I m feelig igored, I liste hard for that whispa i my ear, ad I kow I m ot aloe. I kow it.

12 12 October 2016 Sait Mary, Norwalk Regia Pacis Classical Catholic Academy thrives BY GREGORY BISHOP AND PAUL BRUNNER NORWALK O September 8, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgi Mary, Regia Pacis Academy (RPA) opeed its doors to welcome families to its 12th academic year. The academy provides a classical curriculum to K-8 boys ad girls i a wholesome Catholic eviromet at a reasoable cost for all. As its Lati ame attests, Regia Pacis Academy etrusts itself to the Blessed Mother uder the title of Our Lady, Quee of Peace. Our classical approach ad our low studet-to-teacher ratios differetiate us from other schools i the area, said the pricipal, Barbara Logsdail. The childre respod very well because our method fosters a love for learig by appealig to their atural itellectual curiosity ad by buildig their self-esteem. We seek to provide childre with the ecessary tools for learig by developig a sese of woder ad love for all that is true, good ad beautiful. The classical curriculum at RPA is directed toward the formatio of the whole perso spiritually, itellectually, morally, socially ad physically. Its goal is to form i the studet the ability to lear ew material. Istead of teachig what to thik, studets are taught how to thik. Grouded i the trivium comprised of grammar, logic ad rhetoric, RPA prepares studets to eter high school by offerig a full curriculum. This icludes: theology; math through algebra I; Eglish grammar ad compositio; history divided ito four periods (the aciets, the medieval period through the Reaissace, the early moder era, moder times); sciece; Lati; art; music; drama; poetry; ad physical educatio. The teachers at RPA are the A CLASSICAL APPROACH to educatio combied with a low studet-teacher ratio embodies the philosophy of Regia Pacis Academy. Located o the grouds of St. Mary Parish i Norwalk, the K-8 academy draws families from several tows i Fairfield Couty builders of this classical formatio. Our teachers are all practicig Catholics who are committed to pursuig our goals with excellece, said Pricipal Logsdail. RPA is located o the campus of St. Mary Parish o West Ave. The close proximity of the school to the church makes it coveiet for the studets ad faculty to frequetly participate i the sacramets, said Father Richard Cipolla, pastor of St. Mary s. That icludes weekly Mass, Adoratio ad Rosary ad mothly cofessios. Families ad staff are also ecouraged to atted the daily 8 am Mass before school wheever possible. May of the boys serve at daily Mass. The classrooms ad other facilities have bee reovated over the past few years to create a welcomig ad safe atmosphere, ad the school also makes use of the gym ad outdoor play areas. We re grateful to Father Cipolla ad the Bridgeport Diocese for the use of the premises, said Fra Schae, chair of the Board of Trustees, ad we re pleased to be able to cotribute to the gradual reovatio of the overall facility. The arragemet beefits both the parish ad the school ad fosters a peaceful, thrivig eviromet. Sice we moved to St. Mary s campus two years ago the buildig has provided a capacity that we did ot previously have. We ow have the ability to grow. The school draws families from a variety of cultural heritages, ad from several differet tows i Fairfield Couty. Some of our families drive log distaces to get to school every day, said Sharo Marchetti, chair of the Seto Society, the school s paret orgaizatio. So it s importat to build a strog commuity by providig parets the opportuity to actively participate i the life ad growth of our school through service. Regia Pacis Academy will Triity Catholic High christes athletic field STAMFORD Sixtee moths after Bishop Frak J. Caggiao presided over the groud breakig for the ew Triity Catholic High School multi-purpose athletic field, Iterim Pricipal Toy Pavia welcomed doors, studets, faculty, staff, parets ad digitaries from the Diocese of Bridgeport to the christeig of the ew multi-purpose athletic field. Followig the first Friday Mass, everyoe made their way dow to Gaglio Field for the christeig ceremoy. host its mai aual Fall Gala fudraiser o Saturday, December 10 at the Norwalk Shore ad Coutry Club. We re committed to keepig tuitio levels affordable for all, said Michael Ducho, a paret ad chair of the school s Fall Gala committee. It s a real team effort with all our families pitchig i to make the eveig a great success. (For more iformatio, visit regiapacisacademy.com or call Ayoe iterested i attedig or sposorig the Fall Gala ca cotact Michael Ducho: mjducho@yahoo.com or )

13 October Catholic Academy Polpo : a meu for success GREENWICH More tha 50 people from Fairfield ad Westchester couties tured out for a fudraisig dier at Polpo Restaurat i Greewich o September 27, doatig more tha $225,000 to the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport ad surpassig last year s record doatios by several thousad dollars. With its four campuses of St. Adrew, St. A, St. Augustie ad St. Raphael, the Catholic Academy educates 930 studets, most from the ier city of Bridgeport. We are completely thrilled ad overwhelmed, said the executive director of the Catholic Academy, Sister Joa Magetti, rscj. Our faithful supporters tured out toight as well as may ew doors who really believe i our missio ad our studets. This will further our commitmet to raise over $2 millio aually for scholarship awards. Brad Evas, chair of the board of the Catholic Academy ad seior advisor at Morga Staley, welcomed all preset, icludig fellow board members, the pricipals of the academy, ad other ivited guests. Paul Queally, former board member of the Catholic Academy ad geeral parter ad co-presidet of Welsh, Carso, Aderso & Stowe ad a parishioer of St. Aloysius Parish i New Caaa, spoke of the importace that his wife Ae-Marie ad he place o educatio ad how essetial it is that a excellet educatio rooted i values ad faith will shape our future world. Queally said that he ad his wife were so eamored with the academy s scholarship programs, particularly the Leaders of Tomorrow program, that they decided to supersize their commitmet ad start a additioal scholarship program two years ago: the Queally Scholars. As a result, the Queallys ow persoally sposor more tha 60 studets each year. Queally ecouraged those preset to help i a similar way through the Leaders of Tomorrow program. With sposorships of $4,500 per year, this program liks doors with specific studets, ad doors receive report cards ad letters from their studets throughout the year. They also have the opportuity to meet with their sposored child at their respective school. Also speakig at Polpo was eighth grade teacher A Marie Doelly, who shared highlights of her more tha 30 years o the St. Augustie campus. Each year my RON ROSA, OWNER OF POLPO i Greewich, geerously uderwrote all of the food for the third year i a row. studets have taught me somethig icredible, ofte with a overarchig theme, she said. Oe year they taught me about determiatio, aother about compassio, ad last year, about love. I fact, the class of 2016 ot oly felt like a family to Doelly, oe studet i particular felt like a third so. She explaied, Oe of my favorite studets of all time is here with me toight. At the ed of last year he wrote me a thak you ote ad it started out Dear Mom, because I was like a secod mother to him. The studet Doelly referred to was José Dataram, a freshma at Fairfield Prep, who was accompaied to Polpo by his real mother, Rosa Torres. Dataram, oe of seve childre, boasted that all of his sibligs have received a Catholic educatio i the city of Bridgeport ad all have oly bee able to do so because of the geerous fiacial aid they received. As Dataram spoke of the hardships he has experieced growig up i a ier city, the sacrifices he has watched his parets make to sed him ad his CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

14 14 October 2016 Deacos Wives Miistry Studets participate i food drives BY PAT HENNESSY Our food bak is very low we eed your help. Jaie Jeigs, who heads the Deacos Wives Miistry i the Stamford area, received that plea from St. Joseph Paretig Ceter i Stamford. The wet o to list the food items desperately eeded, from cereal ad soup to baby food. Jeigs husbad, Deaco Paul Jeigs, is assiged to Holy Spirit Parish i Stamford. The wives of deacos i the Diocese of Bridgeport were already actively ivolved i miistries throughout the diocese whe they decided to orgaize more formally for fellowship ad miistry. With the blessig of Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, DW Miistry, Ic., was formally icorporated as a charitable orgaizatio o Jue 1, They decided to meet mothly i each of the three areas of the irregular geographic triagle that makes up Fairfield Couty ad to pla the social outreach most eeded i their ow commuities. Whe we all got together, we picked outreach to food patries as our mai focus, says PROUD OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION, these studets from St. Lawrece School i Shelto display items they have collected for local food patries. The food collectios are sposored by Deacos Wives Miistry at schools ad parish religious educatio programs. Ilee Iaiello, whose husbad Da is a deaco at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish i Fairfield. Wome i each area decided the program that could most use their help, like St. Joseph s Paretig Ceter i the Stamford area, because they kew the local situatio best. I order to assist local food patries, DW miistries decided to elist the participatio of studets i religious educatio ad Catholic elemetary schools. Iaiello spoke to Rose Talbot- Babey, coordiator of childhood fatih formatio i the diocesa Faith Formatio Office, ad Dr. Steve Cheesema, superitedet of Catholic schools. Both gave their ethusiastic support. Whe we are istructig our childre ad their families i the faith, it s always importat to give them practical ad hads-o iitiatives to brig the poit home ad help them become true disciples of Christ, says Talbot-Babey. The food collectio with the Deaco s Wives Miistries does just that. They experiece what it meas to serve Christ by servig the poor ad less fortuate. Oe of our missios at DW Miistries is to brig awareess to adults as well as childre that oe of the madates of the Church is to feed the poor, adds Iaiello. She poits as a example to Holy Spirit Parish i Stamford. Last year, at the coclusio of their food drive, each child i the religious educatio program brought a perishable food item to the altar durig the offertory processio. Not oly the childre ad their parets but the etire cogregatio was give cocrete witess to the importace of Christia outreach. DW Miistries is already speakig to directors of religious educatio, catechists, ad Catholic school teachers to help them icorporate support for the poor ito their religio classes. This is oe of our missios, says Iaiello. This is what we do as a Church. The Kidest School i America FAIRFIELD The atioal Thik Kidess Orgaizatio has recogized St. Thomas Aquias Catholic School i Fairfield as the The Kidest School i America! The school had participated i the Thik Kidess program, sposored by this o-profit orgaizatio whose missio is to ispire measurable acts of kidess i schools ad commuities aroud the world. The program motivated the school to spark kidess both locally ad globally over a period of 15 days. The school was challeged to perform 5,000 acts of kidess withi the commuity ad collect 1,921 pairs of getly-used shoes to doate to childre i cetral Keya. The school came together ad ot oly met but exceeded their goal. 5,668 acts of kidess were performed ad 4,038 pairs of shoes were collected! School Pricipal Pat Brady exclaimed, I was so proud of our studets ad teachers for how they embraced the Thik Kidess program. It really had a great impact o our school commuity. I a effort to cotiue the positive school climate, this year the Thik Kidess program challeged the school to form a service group called Kidess Crew. This group would serve as a pro-active step i promotig kidess ad iclusio throughout the school for the etire year. Pricipal Brady was axious to aouce this ew peer-to-peer leadership program to her studets but asked the orgaizatio for permissio to reame it Joey s Crew i hoor of alumus Joey Kulaga 15, who died i a tragic car accidet i December Bria Williams, the fouder of the program, agreed to the re-amig of the program ad arrived at the school for a assembly to kick off Joey s Crew. I additio to the ew school service group, a commemorative bech was placed o the school playgroud i hoor of Joey s kid ad getle spirit. The bech, also kow as the buddy bech, ivites ay studet i eed of a playmate to sit o the bech. Others who see someoe sittig o the bech will kow they are lookig for someoe to play with ad should ivite them to play.

15 October Walkig Pilgrimage Our Lady of Czestochowa BY ANNA HARABURDA We are a youg Catholic family from Stratford ad members of St. Michael Parish i Bridgeport. We would like to share with you a beautiful experiece that happeed to us this summer. For the first time as a family we decided to go for a walkig pilgrimage. My husbad Tomasz ad I, with our two-year-old daughter, walked four days to the Natioal Shrie of Our Lady of Czestochowa i Doylestow, Pa. It was a amazig experiece that brought us closer together as a family. Reowed for miracles, the ico of the Black Madoa of Czestochowa i Polad attracts thousads of pilgrims every year. Right before the feast of the Assumptio i August, pilgrims from all over the coutry make the sacrifice ad walk to Czestochowa. Some of them walk for two weeks. The ico of the Virgi Mary holdig baby Jesus is well kow throughout the world. Polish immigrats brought the devotio to America, ad i 1955 a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa was opeed i Doylestow. It has grow to become the Natioal Shrie of Our Lady of Czestochowa. We leared about the walkig pilgrimage from our pastor, Father Michael Nowak, at St. Michael s. He told parishioers, who are mostly from a Polish backgroud, that pilgrims gather i the moth of August to walk to the shrie, imitatig o a smaller scale the pilgrimage i Polad. The pilgrimage route is 57 miles log, ad walkig it takes four days. All pilgrims get together i St. Peter s ad Paul s Church i Great Meadows, N. J., ad begi their walk from there. This year a bus picked up people from areas i Coecticut, icludig about 20 people from our parish. Most of them were youg couples, some with kids. From the startig poit i New Jersey, there were aroud 2,500 people walkig. More joied every day to be a part of the pilgrimage. By the time we reached the Natioal Shrie, we were about 3,000 people who had come to pray together. Pilgrims differ i age ad atioality but there is oe thig that uites them all love for Our Lady. Someoe ca ask why? Why do people do that? Why leave your comfortable house, car, Iteret, phoe? Why choose to walk for miles, ofte i rai or heat ad humidity? Why ot simply drive there by car or bus? There are may reasos to joi a pilgrimage. Let me share a few. First of all, you uite with others i Christ. We are all brothers ad sisters i him. This is a very formative experiece for all Catholics because we share the same values ad we wat to cofirm our Christia idetity especially i today s world. This is a great experiece for families. As youg parets, we wat to covey our faith to our daughter. Walkig as a family, we spet time together. (Not to metio how much fu our daughter had sleepig i a tet!) Aother reaso why people go o this type of pilgrimage is to fid a ier peace that oly comes from God. We prayed a lot. Each morig we prayed the beautiful Liturgy of the Hours, the the Rosary. We listeed to testimoies of faith from other people. We also had time to walk i silece. I persoally discovered how beautiful the Liturgy of the Hours is. O our pilgrimage, we had daily Mass celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Weski of Miami, Florida. Thousads of pilgrims carry itetios to Our Lady of Czestochowa, ad so did we. Some people share their itetios; some wat to keep it to themselves. People asked for health, for freedom from addictios for their loved oes ad may more. I truly believe that all of the itetios are heard. As a family with a youg child, we had cocers at first about whether we should go for all four days of the pilgrimage. Whe we did, we met other families like us who were walkig with their childre as well. We met oe family who were walkig with their three childre. This was their third pilgrimage, ad their little girl was three years old ca you imagie? I witessed may deeds of mercy ad love. Ofte people offered their help with pushig our stroller up hill. I saw a elderly couple holdig hads while walkig, a teeage girl carryig someoe else s backpack ad smiles ad words of comfort durig the jourey. We had may cocers whe we started, but the orgaizers thought about everythig. They had buses ready for people at every rest break i case someoe decided they could t walk ay more. They provided breakfast, luch ad dier, carried our luggage from stop to stop ad provided a first aid team. May who could ot walk siged up as voluteers icludig the people who made 2000 sadwiches each morig! Alog the way, we had thuderstorms. I leared that, i my YOUNG PARENTS Aa ad Tomasz Haraburda took a leap of faith i decidig to go o a walkig pilgrimage. I witessed may deeds of mercy ad love, says Aa. life, if God lets that storm come, the that s his will. He will be with you. You ll get through it. By the ed of the pilgrimage I was exhausted. I leared that everythig, eve this walk, depeds o God, ot o me. Everythig i my life is a blessig from him. (To lear more about the pilgrimage to the Natioal Shrie of Our Lady of Czestochowa, go to

16 16 October 2016 St. Vicet s College Miisters of Mercy BRIDGEPORT You re at the frotlie of sufferig. You eter the rooms of those who are sufferig ad serve as Miisters of Mercy, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao to 250 studets ad faculty of St. Vicet s College. The bishop delivered his homily at the 2016 Covocatio Mass, held i the Hawley Coferece Ceter. The evet also celebrated the 25th aiversary of the trasitio from School of Nursig to St. Vicet s College. Dr. Kare Barett, Dea of Health Services of St. Vicet s College, delivered the welcome. We are childre of God called to share his mercy ad we are citizes of the atio called to serve the commuity, she said. Priests from the St. Vicet s Pastoral Care Departmet cocelebrated the Mass with the bishop, while studets ad faculty mem- bers delivered the readigs ad resposes. Vice Capoi, ewly amed CEO of St. Vicet s Health Services, was also i attedace. Speakig o the Feast of the Exaltatio of the Holy Cross, the bishop said that sufferig is part of the huma coditio, but people ca choose to trasform it through the eyes of faith ad mercy. I sufferig we ca choose to surreder ourselves to the will of God ad trust i his great love, said the bishop. The bishop oted that whe Jesus appeared to the Apostles after his death, he had the wouds of the cross o his hads ad i his side. Eve i glory, Christ bears the wouds of his passio, said the bishop. The cross reveals a God who is ot afraid to stad by his people i their sufferig. God is ever closer to the huma heart tha i the momet of sufferig, the bishop said as a ambulace sire souded outside the buildig. The bishop said that eve whe healthcare workers caot reverse the course of sufferig, they ca help to brig life ad healig. You eter ito the wouded-ess of others. Thak you for beig miisters of mercy, he told the future healthcare professioals. Durig the ceremoy, Bishop Caggiao blessed the ew chalice ad pate purchased for the St. Vicet s Medical Ceter Chapel. He also blessed the St. Vicet s College flag, which was raised o the Mai St. flagpole followig Mass. Mike Gargao, presidet of St. Vicet s College, called the covocatio a historic momet, YOU RE AT THE FRONTLINE of sufferig, Bishop Caggiao told the studets ad faculty at the Covocatio Mass for St. Vicet s College. ad asked studets to thik of the ew flag as a symbol of the school s history, which bega with the visio of the Daughters of Charity to serve the poorest ad sickest amog us. Presidet Gargao said the Sisters did t do their work for recogitio, ad he urged studets to always keep i mid that Nothig matters if we do t serve others. Gregory Norbet, Da Schutte to appear i cocert INSPIRING Studet Success Notre Dame graduates are makig their mark as tomorrow s leaders. BECOME ONE. Notre Dame has istilled i me a appreciatio for kowledge, the importace of academic rigor, ad the idispesable value of service to God ad others. Breiaa Campbell 16, GATES MILLENIUM SCHOLARSHIP WINNER, NOW ATTENDING DARTMOUTH COLLEGE COME SEE FOR YOURSELF Ope House Etrace Exam SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 Please pre-register at otredame.org FAIRFIELD Two Catholic musicias ad composers who have writte some of the most edurig ad memorable sogs for cotemporary worship i the Church will joi forces for a rare cocert together o Suday, October 23, at 6 pm at St. Athoy of Padua Church i Fairfield. Gregory Norbet, who spet 21 years as a Beedictie mok ad music director at Westo Priory i Vermot, ad Da Schutte, who bega his work as a composer of the St. Louis Jesuit Mass, will perform some of their best kow sogs alog with ew music. Norbet is the composer of sogs such as Hosea, All I Ask of You, Wherever You Go, Doa Nobis Pacem, ad Peace, Come To Me, while Schutte s work icludes stadards such as Here I am Lord, City of God ad Oly this I Wat. Father Joh Bara, pastor of St. Athoy Parish, said both me have provided music for liturgies at the parish over the years, but the October 23 evet will be the first time the two atioally kow composers will come together for a performace. Father Bara said the cocert will also be a special momet because it celebrates the parish s joiig the Coucil of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Profits from the cocert will be doated to this amazig orgaizatio, which uder the capable leadership of Rev. Cass Shaw rus may programs that fill i the gap for people i eed. They are curretly tryig to raise $25,000 so their 40 food patries ad soup kitches ca cotiue to provide food through the ed of December, he said. Eleaor Sauers, director of religious educatio at St. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

17 October High School News Immaculate goes solar BY ALEXANDRIA FAIZ Athoy Rizzo, Jr., calls Immaculate High School i Dabury a hidde jewel. Over the summer, he helped to chage that. Now ay aerial photograph of the school shows gleamig ew solar paels o the roof toppig off umerous other eergy efficiecy upgrades completed i August. Rizzo, servig as chair of the school s advisory board, worked closely with Richard Rapice, project maager i the Diocese of Bridgeport Real Estate Office, ad fellow Immaculate board members, Gerry Hatcher ad David Cappiello, to replace the 50-year-old roof ad the boiler as well as every sigle light bulb. The reovatio also gave the studets a ew eergy-efficiet physics laboratory. The complete project cost $700,000, but it s projected to save Immaculate 20 percet aually i eergy costs. Eve with a steadily icreasig erollmet ad geerous cotributios from the Immaculate commuity, raisig that amout of moey required fidig aother fiacial GLEAMING NEW SOLAR PANELS top the roof of Immaculate High School i Dabury. The project, ow complete, should save Immaculate 20 percet aually i eergy costs. CONCERT FROM PAGE 16 parter. That role was filled by the Coecticut Gree Bak, which rus the Commercial Property Assessed Clea Eergy program, commoly kow as C-PACE. C-PACE eables property owers to gradually pay for certai eergy-related improvemets with a additioal charge o their property tax bills. It was this program, accordig to Rizzo, that made the major reovatios at Immaculate possible. Uder the directio of Bishop Frak J. Caggiao, all parishes ad schools are udergoig self-assessmets, which ofte iclude facility reviews. Choosig the correct types of devices ad buildig materials that ca save a particular buildig the most eergy ca quickly overwhelm ayoe. Eve fidig the right professioal to call could mea hours of research. The wrog approach is to replace a sigle fixture without studyig the whole eergy flow. A buildig really eeds to be thermally wrapped, advises Rapice. To fid the right approach, Catholic parishes ad schools simply eed to cotact Rapice. A Coecticut licesed architect ad buildig official, he arrages free comprehesive eergy audits. A team of professioals coverig all of the facets of eergy coservatio are offerig their expertise o a pro-boo basis. These audits ca take half a day or a few days, but i the ed, a thorough outlie of the optios available is laid bare. Rapice s cotacts ca also assist i applyig for various public programs like C-PACE. Thus far, his office has performed over 30 eergy audits. His deep experiece gives access to some isider tips. Solar pael istallatios, for istace, are ofte based o a twety-year lease, which costs the parish or school very little. However, the roof they re beig placed o eeds to last that log. So a roof replacemet may be eeded, which was the case for Immaculate High School. Also, after lookig at the whole buildig ad how it is beig used, some upgrades may be more useful ad cost less tha others. Switchig to LED lightig ad upgradig HVAC cotrols may offer a far better retur tha istallig low-flush toilets or gree roofs, he says. This eergy-efficiecy service formally started just over a year ago, oe of the outcomes of the Diocesa Syod. However, Catholic dioceses have bee shiig a light o ways to better maage their buildigs well before Pope Fracis s 2015 ecyclical Laudato Si. Betwee 1989 ad 1994, dioceses from Baltimore, the District of Columbia, Virgiia, ad Pesylvaia gathered their facility maagers together, a effort that grew ito the aual, ad atioal, Coferece for Catholic Facility Maagemet or CCFM. Baltimore ad Chicago have really take the lead i this area, said Rapice i a recet iterview. We re lookig to do may more Sacred Heart Academy STRONG VALUES. STRONG ACADEMICS. STRONG LEADERSHIP clea eergy ad reewable eergy projects throughout the Bridgeport Diocese. He s curretly overseeig projects at St. Joseph High School i Trumbull ad St. Bridget of Irelad Parish i Stamford, alog with others. The Pope advised i his ecyclical: Evirometal impact assessmet should ot come after the drawig up of a busiess propositio or the proposal of a particular policy, pla or program. It should be part of the process from the begiig, ad be carried out i a way which is iterdiscipliary, trasparet ad free of all ecoomic or political pressure. Athoy Rizzo from Immaculate agrees. He detailed how the high school s reovatio has bee a ogoig focus area for the board for may years, from covertig the library ito a learig commos, redoig the gymasium, ad expadig the chapel to icreasig security measures. Savig dollars o the ext eergy bill was t the mai reaso to put craes o the roof this summer. Everythig we do is for the studets, Rizzo emphasized. If somethig helps them lear or perform better, that becomes a priority. Athoy s said the relatioship of both artists to the parish developed i a orgaic fashio over the last few years. Gregory ad Da, at various times, were ivited to help the parish celebrate the liturgical seasos of Advet ad Let. Through these visits, they embraced the parish, beig draw by the welcomig spirit of the cogregatio ad the collaboratio of the staff, led by Father Bara. Sauers said the parish i tur embraced Gregory ad Da, lovig their music ad aticipatig their retur. She said the idea of sigig together i cocert developed over the course of this past Triduum, ad both artists were itrigued by the idea of doig a beefit for the Coucil of Churches. (Cocert tickets available through the Box Office at the Quick Ceter: Cost: $25 for geeral seatig; $50 for preferred seatig ad a pre-cocert wie ad cheese receptio with the artists. Seats are limited ad the cocert is ope to the etire diocese.) OPEN HOUSE Suday, Oct. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. ENTRANCE EXAM Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to Noo Impelled by Christ s Love 265 Beham Street, Hamde CT sacredhearthamde.org

18 18 October 2016 Star of the Sea Fr. Rob Galea has X-factor STAMFORD Father Rob Galea, a youg Catholic priest from the islad of Malta who gaied fame for his performace o the Australia televisio musical competitio show, The X-Factor, will perform i cocert at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Stamford, o Saturday, November 19, begiig at 7 pm. Star of the Sea Parish is sposorig his appearace i cojuctio with Malta House to raise moey for the parish ad Malta House, which helps youg pregat wome i eed of housig ad familial support. We are thrilled to be able to offer this cocert to our parish ad the public at large i our very ow church. Father Rob is a icredibly taleted musicia who helps to show Christ s love for us all i a fu, family-friedly maer, said Father Peter Smolik, pastor of Star of the Sea. We are always lookig for differet ways to egage with the public ad we Ivest i her possibilities are excited to parter with Malta House for this beefit cocert. Father Rob has a sigificat evagelistic ad outreach miistry, speakig ad sigig at schools, cofereces, ad churches aroud Australia ad the world, to over 200,000 youg people every year. He was chose to sig i the iteratioal versio of the World Youth Day sog, Receive the Power, ad has persoally writte sogs for a umber of differet iteratioal cofereces ad promotios. Father Rob, who was ordaied i 2010, is curretly servig as a assistat priest at St. Killia Parish i Victoria, Australia. He is a foudig member of the Stroger Youth Program, a iitiative that cosists of retreats, rallies ad small group meetigs amog Catholic youth i Australia to foster their faith ad sese of commuity. The eveig will get uder way with a 5 pm receptio to hoor logtime Our Lady Star of the Sea parishioer Bob Uwold with the the first Msgr. Edward Surwilo Award. Bob, who joied the parish i 1983, was a member of the parish advisory committee for over two decades ad a parish trustee from 2003 util his retiremet i 2015, durig which time he actively supported the church commuity as a whole. I could t have asked for a more committed, well-coected ad taleted perso to work with over all of his years of service to the parish, said Msgr. Surwilo. (Cocert tickets are $25; tickets to the VIP receptio are $100 ($50 for those 30 ad uder). For more iformatio ad for tickets, go to www. maltahouse.org or ourladystaroftheseastamford.org.) Respect Life Mass THE PERRY FAMILY preseted flowers to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroess of the ubor. (PHOTO BY MICHELLE BABYAK) STAMFORD O October 2, Father Robert Kially, chacellor of the diocese, celebrated a Respect Life Mass at Holy Spirit Parish i Stamford. The Mass iitiates the observace of Respect Life moth every October. This year the theme is Moved by Mercy. Throughout the moth, special activities ad observaces will brig home to Catholics the importace of every huma life, assistig wome i crisis pregacies, visitig the sick ad homeboud, welcomig immigrats ad showig i so may differet ways whe you do this for the least of these, you do it for me (Matt 25: 40). While all of us are called to respect life from its begiig to atural death, sometimes society ad govermet disappoit us, said Father Kially. Respect Life Moth remids us to pray, discer ad act. This is what we as a Church are called to do. Kowledge & Grace You ve give her a strog foudatio. We ca provide your daughter with the tools she eeds to become a strog, cofidet woma. Lauralto Hall The ivestmet of her lifetime Exam Dates Saturday October 15 or 22 8:00 am Apply Now at LauraltoHall.org college prep 9 12 milford, coecticut portsmouth abbey school a idepedet coeducatioal Catholic boardig & day school for studets i grades 9-12, seve miles from Newport, Rhode Islad Please call to arrage a campus tour: or visit our website for more iformatio:

19 October Respect Life Sister Berard captures life stories BY PAT HENNESSY I love my miistry, says Sister Mary Berard Wiecezak, CFSN. I love people. I miister to the elderly, right to the poit of death. As the pastoral associate for Homeboud Miistry at St. Peter Parish i Dabury, Sister Berard speds her days o the road, visitig homeboud parishioers, seeig patiets at Dabury Hospital, ad stoppig i to seve ursig homes i Dabury, Ridgefield ad Bethel. Altogether she may see 80 people a moth. No two days are the same, she says. The purpose is simple, to keep people coected to the parish. Whe I come, it s a little bit of a social visit, lettig them kow what s goig o i the parish. It s a cocer visit, How are you, how is the family doig? Ad it s a spiritual visit that may or may ot iclude the Eucharist, depedig o their eeds. Sister Berard is ot oly filled with a love of people of all ages ad stages of life, she brigs a wide-ragig backgroud to her miistry. I ve see life i all of its facets, she says. She s ot exaggeratig. LOVE OF THE PEOPLE who share their stories, a heart filled with compassio, ad the ability to liste are the qualities Sister Berard brigs to the hospice patiets at Griffi Hospital. CATHOLIC ACADEMY FROM PAGE 13 Iitially joiig the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a teacher, she has taught every age from elemetary through high school. As a partial listig of her experieces through the years, she has worked as a ay, bee a pricipal, taught at Sacred Heart Uiversity, served i the Vatica o the secretarial staff of Pope Joh Paul II, staffed a tee pregacy ceter, worked i the Moroe tow library, ad is certified i therapeutic recreatio for ursig homes. Give her variety of iterests ad experieces, what does she do i her time away from her miistry to the ill ad homeboud? sibligs to a Catholic school, ad his hopes ad dreams for the future, Dataram s mother as well as may guests i attedace had tears i their eyes. Dataram s partig words, spoke from the heart ad specifically targetig the may doors ad supporters i the room, were filled with emotio: I love you guys. I really just love you guys. Me ad my family could t have doe it without you. Ro Rosa, Polpo s ower, ad his wife Domiique graciously hosted ad uderwrote the food for the etire evet for the third year i a row. The meu icluded chopped salad with ricotta salata ad Gray Smith apples, pee vodka, Brazio al Foro, Chicke Martii, Veal Carciofi, ad a samplig of Polpo s beloved desserts tiramisu, apoleo, caoli, cheesecake ad apple pie. (The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport will host its ext fudraiser, a Ladies Lucheo at Woodway Coutry Club i Darie, o April 5, For more iformatio, cotact Susa Cecere: scecere@diobpt.org or ) I 1998, I leared about voluteer opportuities at Griffi Hospital i Derby, she recalls. The workig i therapeutic recreatio at Southport Maor, Sister Berard started givig up a free day each week to voluteer at Griffi. She bega simply, bakig muffis ad cookies for patiets, visitors ad staff. After a short time she felt called to aother voluteer prospect, oe that remais close to her heart. Through Griffi s voluteer services she bega writig Vital Patiet Stories, usually for hospice patiets. These are ot a biography, she emphasizes. They are a way to share happy memories with the people you love. Her greatest skill is ot her writig talet, strog though it is. Love of the people who share their stories, a heart filled with compassio, ad the ability to liste are her most importat qualities. Whe I go i, I look aroud. Are there flowers, cards, special baked treats? That ca get the stories started who set you the flowers? Who did the bakig? Were you usually the baker i your family? Oce she has made a friedly coectio, Sister Berard Etrace Exams Saturday, October 15, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, November 5, 8:30 a.m. explais what the patiet stories are, ad offers to write oe. She does t take otes, just listes itetly. These are stories that are close to their heart stories about their childre, their life together, their gradchildre. Although most of the patiets are i hospice care, what matters most to them are the cherished experieces of a lifetime. I had a woma who ejoyed doig Christmas shoppig i July to take advatage of all the sales. She had completed her shoppig, ad wrapped the presets, before she wet ito the hospital. A ma spet the whole visit talkig about the time he first met his wife. Aother was the eighborhood hadyma. A Italia lady loved to make meatballs. Her husbad gave the ultimate complimet of sayig they were better tha his mother s! For families, these ca become cherished memories, says Diae Betkoski, director of Plaetree Voluteer Services at Griffi. Plaetree is a orgaizatio dedicated to humaizig health care, ad Griffi is the flagship of the etwork. Although they maitai patiet cofidetiality, if the patiets are willig, Sister Berard will add their story to the medical record. It helps the doctors, the urses, the aides to kow who they are as a perso, ot just a patiet, says Betkoski. By ow, Sister Berard has writte over a thousad stories. Although she writes them immediately after her visit, more tha oce the patiet has fiished life s jourey by the time she comes back. I do t see it as somethig depressig, she says. It s a joy ad a privilege. How much more ca you show respect for a life if, at the momet before death, I have them lookig backward with joy ad forward to the afterlife. Oe story she shares captures that experiece exactly. The adveturous teeager who, at fourtee, got a tattoo of a eagle o his arm. To me it seemed symbolic of who I wated to be, he told Sister Berard. Now, after a full life, he feels like that bird. Cofidet, efficiet ad strog, I have faced may situatios that have challeged me, he wet o. Like a eagle I will fly to the ed of my days, kowig that my life has bee lived to the fullest. 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20 20 October 2016 Respect Life A Dream Becomes Reality BY THOM GUTHRIE AND ELLEN MCGINNESS Nervous is how Laura Veira described her feeligs whe she walked ito the Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty (CCFC) Immigratio Services office three years ago at the youg age of fiftee. But she had decided to make a leap of faith that Alex Arevalo, a immigratio couselor there, would help her achieve her goal to be i the Uited States without fear of deportatio. Arevalo delivered, successfully registerig the udocumeted girl from Colombia with the Uited States govermet through the federal immigratio eforcemet priority policy called Deferred Actio for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Why did that matter? Because as a mior registered i DACA, Laura would be eligible to receive a reewable two-year work permit ad exemptio form. But more o Laura later. The Catholic Church has always made a poit of providig for those i great eed, ad Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty is cotiuig that traditio with its Immigratio Services program i the Diocese of Bridgeport. Created i 2006 to meet the urget eeds of Fairfield Couty s 194,000 foreig-bor residets, it urtures the largest such populatio i Coecticut. I additio to providig support services withi Catholic Charities, the program also coordiates social support from various local commuities. Over the past decade, more tha 350 people have bee helped each year through CCFC s programs. Oe service offered is legal couselig, from cosultatio to full represetatio, i family-based immigratio services. To facilitate this, the full-time ad part-time workers at the Catholic Ceter i Bridgeport ad a part-time traied voluteer at the New Coveat Ceter i Stamford are accredited by the Board of Immigratio Appeals, allowig them to act as comprehesive advocates throughout the etire immigratio process. With their assistace the Immigratio Services program strives to make the experiece easier ad more uderstadable for cliets. Aother service offered is case maagemet, which addresses the day-to-day eeds of cliets lives such as Eglish as a Secod Laguage istructio, U.S Civics ad Literacy for Naturalizatio iterviews, employmet services, as well as securig food, clothig, housig, ad health isurace for log-term legal permaet residets SACRED HEART GREENWICH Where youg wome become global leaders K 12 Ope House Saturday, Nov. 5 at 9:00 a.m. Barat Ceter Ope Houses Friday, Nov. 11 at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Ja. 20 at 9:30 a.m. A idepedet, Catholic college-preparatory girls school K 12 with coed Barat Ceter for Early Childhood Educatio CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART 1177 Kig Street Greewich, Coecticut VALEDICTORIAN LAURA VEIRA of Brie McMaho High School stued the crowd i her speech this Jue whe she publicly aouced that she was a udocumeted immigrat. She is curretly a freshma at Harvard Uiversity. who seek CCFC s assistace. What s more, i order to create a system that promotes ad maitais the goals of peace ad justice, fosterig the huma spirit ad aidig those i the direst eed, the CCFC immigratio program acts to educate cliets ad the geeral public regardig laws, policies, ad practices that are ufair ad ihumae. I Bridgeport, the office is ope five days a week, icludig eveig appoitmets. Sice the Latio commuity comprises the majority of immigrats i Fairfield Couty, assistace is available i both Spaish ad Eglish. I additio to its existig resources, the immigratio program is also closely affiliated with the Catholic Legal Immigratio Network, Ic. (CLINIC), which offers access to ogoig traiig, a attorey help lie, program maagemet legal assistace, techical legal assistace, ad admiistrative advocacy support. CLINIC is the atio s largest etwork of o-profit immigratio programs. Give the demad for these services which is projected to icrease CCFC is plaig growth beyod Bridgeport. The first expasio is targeted for the CCFC s New Coveat Ceter, a soup kitche ad patry i Stamford. That city has the highest proportio of immigrats i Coecticut ad is also oe with the largest uderserved populatio. Amog the program s future goals are to develop immigratio sites i Norwalk ad Dabury, where CCFC has already established offices for other types of programs ad services. These two cities also cout a high proportio of immigrats amog their populatio. Back to Laura Veira s story. This past Jue, she graduated as valedictoria of Brie McMaho High School i Norwalk. Whe she took the podium for her valedictoria speech, she stued the crowd. Laura publicly aouced that she was a udocumeted immigrat. That she had sacrificed friedships ad edured great axiety harborig her secret. That she decided to stop hidig ad reveal her udocumeted status. Laura also shared with the audiece that she had joied a statewide orgaizatio of youth immigratio advocates called Coecticut Studets for a Dream (CT4D). They are part of the atioal orgaizatio of DACAmeted DREAMers, a group whose members could potetially qualify for the Developmet, Relief, ad Educatio for Alie Miors (DREAM) Act, if it is ever eacted ito law. Takig these actios, Laura said, helped lesse her fears of beig deported ad put her o a better track. Besides earig valedictoria status, Laura s impressive academic achievemets iclude outperformig the majority of high school studets, immigrat or ative, aroud the coutry. As if all of this is ot eough, she accomplished a feat may would argue is oe of the biggest of America dreams: she was accepted ito Harvard Uiversity this fall ad is ow studyig there amogst the best ad brightest from aroud the world. That day three years ago whe Laura walked ito Catholic Charities immigratio office was oe she ll ever forget. This udocumeted, taleted youg woma sees it as the begiig of her jourey to play by the rules, alleviate her fears, ad rely o her curret school s motto, Veritas or truth to make her dream a reality. (For more iformatio o this program, cotact Alex Arevalo: aarevalo@ccfc-ct.org. To support it through a doatio, cotact Bill Mori: wmori@ccfc-ct.org.)

21 October CAPP Commuio Breakfast Dr. Joh Murphy to speak at Fairfield U FAIRFIELD Dr. Joh Murphy, presidet ad chief executive officer of the Wester Coecticut Health Network, will be the featured speaker at the 10th Aual Commuio Breakfast o Suday, November 6, at Fairfield Uiversity. The aual breakfast is sposored by Cetesimus Aus Pro Potifice (CAPP) of Fairfield Couty ad by Fairfield Uiversity s Ceter for Faith ad Public Life The morig will begi at 9 am at Fairfield Uiversity s Ega Chapel of St. Igatius Loyola with the celebratio of Mass by Bishop Frak J. Caggiao. Immediately followig the Mass, breakfast will be served i the earby Oak Room i the Baroe Campus Ceter. There Murphy will deliver his talk, Is Healthcare Simply a Commodity? The Risks of Commercializig Our Healthcare Delivery System. GAIL BERARDINO Dr. Murphy is a eurologist who joied Dabury Hospital as executive vice presidet i 2008 ad became the hospital s presidet ad CEO i July As presidet ad CEO, he establishes the visio, strategy ad key priorities for the Wester Coecticut Health Network, esurig their realizatio by overseeig the JOHN MURPHY, MD directio for cliical developmet, ew program offerigs ad system expasio. Dr. Murphy works with the etwork s cliical leadership ad commuity physicias to establish collaborative care delivery models that have improved patiet outcomes, lowered costs, ad grow the Network s physicia portfolio. His thoughtful leadership is advacig the Network to become a itegrated health care delivery system focused o accessible, efficiet, accoutable care ad populatio health maagemet. This year s CAPP Busiess Leadership Award will be preseted to Gail Berardio for her philathropic work for the America Associatio of the Kights of Malta. Before joiig the America Associatio of the Kights of Malta, Berardio s career i maagemet at the McCall Patter Compay, spaed 30 years. I 2010, Berardio retired as vice presidet of advertisig ad promotios ad publisher of Vogue Patters Magazie. Durig her time at McCall Patter Compay, she pioeered mass-market promotios for Vogue, Butterick ad McCall patters to atioal multi-chael retailers icludig Wal-Mart, QVC, ad Jo-A Fabrics. She also authored the Super Sweater Idea Book. Berardio ad her husbad Joe have actively supported Catholic ad Jesuit missios, icludig establishig scholarships at Fairfield Uiversity, Bosto College, ad Georgetow Uiversity. I 2010, Berardio co-chaired the Order of Malta s 25th aual pilgrimage to Lourdes. (Seatig is limited. Tickets are $35 ad sposorship opportuities are available. For more iformatio, cotact Michelle Ross: , ext. 3415, or mross@fairfield.edu, or visit

22 22 October 2016 Diocesa Pilgrimage Preparatio Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Saturday, November 5, 2016 St. Augustie Cathedral, 1:00-5:00 pm I. The Meaig of Christia Pilgrimage This is the first of four preparatory essays for the Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Hearig the word pilgrimage might brig to mid images of me ad wome of log ago, trekkig over difficult, hilly terrai, o their way to a distat church, i which to pray, offer reparatio, ad ask the Lord for particular graces ad blessigs. But pilgrimages are ot just from times past. They are still very much part of the Church s life. Pilgrimages are privileged, spiritual opportuities for all of us to grow i our faith. Just as our whole lives are a jourey through time, with the goal of that jourey beig to reach safely the presece of Christ Himself, so too a pilgrimage is a jourey made by a perso of faith to a site which holds some deep spiritual sigificace. Whe Pope Fracis called the whole Church to observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy which is ow uderway, he explaied why makig a pilgrimage is especially appropriate for this Year. He wrote: The practice of pilgrimage has a special place i the Holy Year, because it represets the jourey each of us makes i this life. Life itself is a pilgrimage, ad the huma beig is a viator, a pilgrim travellig alog the road May pilgrimage be a impetus to coversio: by crossig the threshold of the Holy Door, we will fid the stregth to embrace God s mercy ad dedicate ourselves to beig merciful with others as the Father has bee with us (Misericordiae Vultus, 14). Our diocesa family of faith will have the opportuity to make such a pilgrimage o Saturday, November 5. Rather tha travelig to a far-off place, the destiatio of our diocesa pilgrimage will be St. Augustie Cathedral i Bridgeport so that as may people as possible may take part. At the Cathedral that day, each pilgrim will have the opportuity to pass through the Holy Door ad to receive the Jubilee Idulgece, to receive the Sacramet of Recociliatio, ad to be preset as Bishop Frak J. Caggiao cosecrates the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pilgrimages are special; they re out-of-the-ordiary. A ecessary aspect of makig a pilgrimage is to approach it with a spirit of opeess to deeper persoal coversio. Pilgrimages help us to be itetioal about turig away from si, so as to be capable of a deeper fidelity to the Gospel. The grace of this pilgrimage is ope eve to the sick ad the homeboud, who are ivited by our bishop to uite themselves i prayer with those physically makig the pilgrimage to the Cathedral o November 5, ad to offer their sufferigs for the eeds of our local Church. Together with Pope Fracis, who remids us that mercy is a goal to reach, ad requires dedicatio ad sacrifice, let us pray that we, together with our brothers ad sisters across our diocese, will respod ethusiastically to this ivitatio, so that our diocesa pilgrimage ad cosecratio o November 5 will be a day of joy, ad of lastig grace, for this local Church i this Jubilee Year of Mercy. II. Devotio to the Sacred Heart of Jesus This is the secod of four preparatory essays for the Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Christ s divie ad huma love is symbolized i His physical Heart. He, the Word made flesh, maifests God s divie love through a huma body ad a Heart formed i the womb of the Blessed Virgi Mary. The Church s geeral devotio to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dates back may ceturies ad umerous saits have cotributed to its developmet. Specific devotios became eve more popularized whe Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque ( ), a Visitatio u, as she prayed before the Blessed Sacramet. St. Margaret Mary wrote, He disclosed to me the marvels of His Love ad the iexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart. Christ emphasized to her His love ad His wouds caused DESTINATION: IMMACULATE WHERE YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS. FALL ADMISSIONS EVENTS > Mustag For A Day Visits immaculatehs.org/mfad > Ope House Suday, October 11:00am > Placemet Exam (HSPT) Saturday, October 29 & November 8:00am > Weeked With The Mustags October > Apply Now #DestiatioImmaculate 73 Souther Boulevard Dabury CT (203) ifo@immaculatehs.org

23 October Diocesa Pilgrimage Preparatio by ma s idifferece to this love. Devotio to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ivolves both ackowledgig Him as our Creator, Redeemer ad Kig, ad also by repetig, turig away from si ad resolvig to love ad serve Him more faithfully. Jesus promised to those who practice ad ecourage devotio to His Sacred Heart: 1) He will give them all the graces ecessary i their state of life; 2) He will establish peace i their homes; 3) He will comfort them i all their afflictios; 4) He will be their secure refuge durig life, ad above all, i death; 5) He will bestow abudat blessigs upo all their udertakigs; 6) Siers will fid i His Heart the source ad ifiite ocea of mercy; 7) Lukewarm souls shall become fervet; 8) Fervet souls shall quickly mout to high perfectio; 9) He will bless every place i which a image of His Heart is exposed ad hoored; 10) He will give to priests the gift of touchig the most hardeed hearts; 11) Those who shall promote this devotio shall have their ames writte i His Heart; 12) I the excessive mercy of His Heart He promises that His all-powerful love will grat to all those who receive Holy Commuio o the First Fridays i ie cosecutive moths the grace of fial perseverace; they shall ot die i His disgrace, or without receivig their sacramets. His divie Heart shall be their safe refuge i this last momet. All those participatig i the pilgrimage ad cosecratio o Saturday, November 5 at St. Augustie Cathedral will receive a holy card with a special prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which ca be prayed every day for oe s persoal eeds ad for the eeds of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Let us pray for the opeess to give over our etire lives to our Lord Jesus Christ, icludig all of our choices, our actios, our sufferigs ad our joys, so that we may hoor, love ad glorify His Sacred Heart. III. Novea to the Sacred Heart of Jesus This is the third of four preparatory essays for the Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A ovea cosists of ie days of prayer for a special occasio or itetio. Its origi goes back to the ie days that the Blessed Virgi Mary ad the disciples spet together i prayer betwee the Ascesio ad Petecost. As we prepare for Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus o Saturday, November 5 at St. Augustie Cathedral, each oe of us is ecouraged to pray the followig prayers every day for ie days, begiig o Thursday, October 27 ad cocludig o Friday, November 4. As you pray the ovea, please iclude with your itetios the eeds of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Novea Prayers O my Jesus, you have said: Truly I say to you, ask ad you will receive, seek ad you will fid, kock ad it will be opeed to you. Behold I kock, I seek ad ask for the grace of (here ame your request). Pray oe Our Father, oe Hail Mary ad oe Glory Be, ad the say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust i you. O my Jesus, you have said: Truly I say to you, if you ask aythig of the Father i my ame, he will give it to you. Behold, i your ame, I ask the Father for the grace of (here ame your request). Pray oe Our Father, oe Hail Mary ad oe Glory Be, ad the say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust i you. O my Jesus, you have said: Truly I say to you, heave ad earth will pass away but my words will ot pass away. Ecouraged by your ifallible words I ow ask for the grace of (here ame your request). Pray oe Our Father, oe Hail Mary ad oe Glory Be, ad the say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust i you. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible ot to have compassio o the afflicted, have pity o us miserable siers ad grat us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful ad Immaculate Heart of Mary, your teder Mother ad ours. Hail, Holy Quee, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetess ad our hope. To thee do we cry, poor baished childre of Eve. To thee do we sed up our sighs, mourig ad weepig i this valley of tears. Tur, the, most gracious advocate, thie eyes of mercy toward us, ad after this, our exile, show uto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clemet, O lovig, O sweet Virgi Mary. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us. IV. The Sacred Heart of Jesus ad the Immaculate Heart of Mary This is the fourth of four preparatory essays for the Cosecratio of the Diocese of Bridgeport to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the closig of the Syod Mass o September 19, 2015, Bishop Caggiao cosecrated the Diocese of Bridgeport to Mary s protectio, uder the title of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He asked that Our Blessed Mother lead the ship of Christ, our diocesa church, o a path for reewal ad take us safely to Christ, her So ad our Lord, remidig us that Mary always is uited with ad leads us to her So, Jesus. Therefore, it is fittig that o Saturday, November 5, at St. Augustie Cathedral the bishop will cosecrate the Diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our veeratio of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is aalogous to our worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Just as Christ s divie ad huma love is symbolized i His physical Heart, the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgi Mary is a sig ad symbol of her compassio ad silessess. As such, her physical heart is a object of devotio by the faithful. Whe we meditate o the Immaculate Heart of Mary we poder all of Mary s iterior life: her joys ad sorrows, her virtues, her trust i God, her materal love for her Divie So ad her motherly ad compassioate care for her childre here below. As He hug upo the Cross, Jesus was cosoled by the presece of His mother, because her Immaculate Heart, which had ever kow si, was a teder stregth for him as He bore the sis of makid. She was the oly oe who fully uderstood the mystery of His sufferig heart at that momet. She etered ito the itimacy of His Heart. The wouds that Christ received i His body, she felt i her heart. May faithful throughout the diocese have begu the Novea to the Sacred Heart of Jesus i preparatio for the evet o November 5. Bishop Caggiao is also askig that i immediate preparatio for the cosecratio, all priests, cosecrated me ad wome ad lay me ad wome of the diocese participate i a day of fastig ad abstiece o Friday, November 4. All persos betwee the ages of 18 ad 59 ad ot otherwise uable to fast are ivited to abstai from meat ad take oly oe full meal ad two smaller meals that together are ot equal to the full meal. Alog with your ow itetios, please pray ad fast for Bishop Caggiao, the priests, deacos ad cosecrated me ad wome, the lay faithful ad all of the parishes, Catholic schools ad istitutios of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Furthermore, Bishop Caggiao has asked that all Masses celebrated i the Diocese of Bridgeport o Suday, November 6 (icludig the Saturday Vigil Masses), use the prayers for the Votive Mass for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Votive Mass #8 i the Roma Missal). White vestmets should be wor, ad the homily should make some referece to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The readigs, however, are to be take from the Thirty-Secod Suday i Ordiary Time. Holy See grats Pleary Idulgece for Diocesa Pilgrimage The Decree issued by the Apostolic Peitetiary of the Holy See grats a Pleary Idulgece to all those who o November 5, atted the pilgrimage persoally at St. Augustie Cathedral or participate i the day through commuicatio techologies: the Mass will be live streamed o Periscope (@dioceseofbridgeport) ad Facebook Live (DioceseofBridgeport). A pleary idulgece is the full remissio of the temporal puishmet due to those sis which have already bee absolved i Cofessio. To obtai this idulgece, oe must also go to sacrametal Cofessio, receive Holy Commuio ad pray for the itetios of the Holy Father.

24 24 October 2016 Sports Cogratulatios Rya Boyle RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil Rya Boyle, former Moroe residet ad St. Joseph High School alum 12, wo a Silver Medal i cyclig at the Paralympics. St. Joe s is particularly proud of Rya ad all he has accomplished, give his steep climb to this achievemet. I 2003, Rya was struck ad dragged by a pickup truck while ridig a Big Wheel at a fried s birthday party. Emergecy brai surgery saved his life, but he lost a portio of the back of his brai. At the age of 10, he had to lear to how to breath, swallow, talk, eat, stad, sit, walk everythig all over agai. Fightig to regai his life, Rya was able to eter St. Joseph s, where he became foudig presidet of the St. Joseph High School Car Club, maaged the boys varsity basketball team, was elected to the studet coucil, ejoyed workig with the video productio club ad was a studet ambassador. Rya s parets, Matthew ad Nacy, ad older brother Matthew were o had at the Olympic Stadium i Rio. Upo learig of his silver, Rya came to tears kowig how hard he had worked to achieve his goal of wiig his first Paralympic medal. My family is here ad my parets are the first people I saw whe I crossed the lie, he said. Whe I saw them ad the heard the ews I could t stop my emotios. Amog his other achievemets, Rya wrote a book of his experiece: Whe the Lights go Out: A Boy Give a Secod Chace. DECEASED CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT: OCTOBER 16 NOVEMBER 19 OCTOBER 16 Msgr. Joh V. Horga Kug Msgr. Beedict Tighe Bishop Walter W. Curtis Rev. Corelius J. Looey Msgr. David F. Bao Deaco Doald Foseca Rev. Robert C. Frakli Msgr. Thomas J. Whale Deaco Joh Kucera Rev. Michael A. D Elia Msgr. Leo M. Fi Rev. Fracis D. McKea NOVEMBER 3 Msgr. Joseph A. Heffera Deaco Thomas P. Freibott Rev. Berard Dola Rev. Stephe A. Grivalsky Deaco Domigo Reveró Rev. Gerard C. Maso Msgr. Victor J. Torres-Frias Msgr. Alphose J. V. Fiedorczyk Rev. Joh P. Odie Rev. M. Steve Barrett, S.S Rev. Rocco D. Nadile Regecy Limousie Ic. Door to Door 24 Hours a day All Airports, Piers, & Theatres New York City - Corporate Accouts Weddig & Special Occasios Chauffeured Licol Limousies & Regecy Tow Car Sedas Aytime, Aywhere Licesed by CT D.O.T. CATHOLIC PROFESSIONAL NETWORK Home PC & Mac Help Computer Systems, Networks, , Iteret, Traiig & Tutorig MENTION THIS AD TO RECEIVE THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY CATHOLIC DISCOUNT! ext:112 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 Attetio Advertisers! Please joi Fairfield Couty Catholic s special upcomig issues Make your ad pop: add 4-color for just $150! November Issue Fall College, Religious Ed, Advet, copy due: November 2; i homes: November 15 December Issue Christmas, copy due: November 30; i homes: December 17 Please reserve your space early by callig Ralph Lazzaro or rlazzaro@diobpt.org. Law Office of James M. Hughes Elder Law/TITLE 19/MEDICAID-Plaig Vetera s Beefits - Aid & Attedace Estates/Probate/Real Estate 1432 Post Road, Fairfield, Coecticut hughes_james@sbcglobal.et

25 October Obituaries Shelto-bor Archbishop Gerety dies TOTOWA, N.J. Sheltobor ad raised Archbishop Peter L. Gerety, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Newark, died Sept. 20 while i the care of the Little Sisters of the Poor i Totowa, N.J. He was 104. Archbishop Gerety was the world s oldest Catholic bishop at the time of his death. By 2007, whe he was merely a youg 95, he was already the oldest livig U.S. bishop. A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for Archbishop Gerety i the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart i Newark o September 26. The archbishop had maitaied a strog coectio to his hometow ad diocese throughout the years. Archbishop Gerety grew up i St. Joseph Parish i Shelto ad is revered by those who remember him well FUNERAL GUIDE NEIL F. HARDING Director/Ower Hardig FUNERAL HOME 203/ FAX 203/ POST ROAD EAST WESTPORT, CT for his kidess ad geerosity as a perso, said Bishop Frak J. Caggiao o learig of his death. I am persoally grateful that he traveled back to the diocese at the age of 101 to atted my istallatio as bishop. Bor July 19, 1912, i Shelto, Leo Gerety was the eldest of ie sos. His parets, Peter ad Charlotte Gerety, had a tremedous religious faith, ad a tremedously optimistic view of life. They loved life very much. They taught us we could do almost aythig, the archbishop oce said. He wo academic hoors at Shelto High School ad was captai of the football team. Sister Nacy Strillacci, ASCJ, who lives i the covet at St. Joseph s, has bee i cotact with Archbishop Gerety over the years. She says that his days Collis Fueral Home 92 East Aveue Norwalk William A. Skidd William R. Kelley Quiet Digity Without Extravagace Affordable Direct Crematio Title XIX Welcome Z Family owed for three geeratios Z Call for free iformative brochure Z or at Shelto High left the football team with a logstadig traditio. To this day, before a game, the team has a traditio of attedig Mass at St. Joseph because of Archbishop Gerety, she said. Of course it s optioal some members of the team are t Catholic. But the parish provides sadwiches for the team afterwards, ad that custom bega with Father Gerety. After workig for the U.S. Departmet of Agriculture ad the New Jersey Trasportatio Departmet, the future archbishop etered St. Thomas Semiary i Bloomfield, ad was chose for study abroad at St. Sulpice Semiary i Issy, Frace. He was ordaied for the Archdiocese of Hartford, which at that time icluded all of Coecticut, i 1939 at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris. William G. Lahey, Jr. William P. Skidd Adrew D. Skidd Family owed for four geeratios PRE-NEED FUNERAL PLANNING MATTHEW K. MURPHY, FUNERAL DIRECTOR 267 GREENWICH AVENUE GREENWICH, CT Z Hadlig every detail Z I home arragemets Z Memorial service facility Oe hallmark of his service i the Archdiocese of Hartford was miistry to black Catholics i New Have. He fouded a iterracial social ad religious ceter, the St. Marti de Porres Ceter, which gaied parish status i 1956 with the-father Gerety as its first pastor. I the 1960s, he fouded the New Have chapter of the Urba League ad was a member of the Coecticut State Committee o Race ad Religio ad the Natioal Catholic Coferece o Iterracial Justice. He was appoited coadjutor bishop of Portlad, Maie i 1966 ad became the eighth Bishop of Portlad i 1969, where he was active i pro-life ad social justice causes. I 1974 he was amed Archbishop of Newark. There, Archbishop Gerety expaded ARCHBISHOP PETER L. GERETY Msgr. Robert F. McCormick, residet chaplai of the Covet of St. Birgitta i Darie, died o September 23 at St. Birgitta. He was 95 years old. Raised i New Rochelle, N.Y., Msgr. McCormick was the yougest of eight childre. He received a B.A. from Fordham Uiversity before completig his theological studies at Duwoodie Semiary i Yokers, N.Y. Upo his ordiatio i 1947, Msgr. McCormick served at Most Holy Triity Catholic outreach to black ad Hispaic Catholics, ad shored up a deterioratig archdiocesa fiacial base. He led a most remarkable life i so may ways, said Bishop Caggiao, icludig his logevity. Whe he retured to St. Joseph Parish to celebrate its 100th aiversary i 2013, he was the oly perso who was there at both the Church s opeig ad its 100th aiversary. He is remembered as a ma of wit ad humor with a great love for the poor ad a sese of the importace of commuity i the life of the Church ad i our eighborhoods. Msgr. McCormick, St. Birgitta chaplai MSGR. ROBERT F. MCCORMICK Chapel at the Military Academy at West Poit, for 28 years util I 1975 he was appoited pastor at St. Augustie Parish i Ossiig, N.Y. ad was elevated to Mosigor durig his teure there. He served as pastor util his retiremet i I 1997, Msgr. McCormick became the chaplai at the Covet of St. Birgitta, located i the Tokeeke sectio of Darie, where he served the commuity with daily Mass ad frequet discussio groups. His homilies affected people for their simplicity ad wisdom ad he will be remembered by may for his trademark lie Oly good lovers go to heave. Msgr. McCormick had tremedous admiratio for the work of the Bridgettie Sisters who ru the covet. Throughout his 69 years i the priesthood, Msgr. McCormick was kow for his quick wit ad kee sese of humor. A Mass of Christia burial was celebrated at St. Augustie Church o September 30. His Emiece, Timothy Cardial Dola, was the pricipal celebrat. Burial followed at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery i New Rochelle.

26 26 October 2016 Nuestra Voz Sata Aa acoge a los vecios hispaos POR MARICARMEN GODOY El vecidario de Black Rock, ubicado e la frotera de Fairfield y Bridgeport, ha visto crecer durate este último año a la comuidad hispaa de la Parroquia de Sata Aa (Sait A), gracias a que el grupo de Cosagrados de María solicitó al Padre Peter Lych que oficiará ua misa domiical y los sacrametos e español debido a que otaro que la agrupació estaba creciedo y requería de ateció urgete. Al iicio, cueta César Vertiz, de orige peruao y presidete del Grupo Hispao de la comuidad de Sata Aa, el Padre Lych estuvo preocupado porque creía que, a pesar de haber vivido varios años e España, su español sería isuficiete como para tratar asutos hispaos. Pero poco a poco los feligreses le fuero dado cofiaza, y al mediodía del domigo 2 de agosto del 2015, celebró la primera Misa e español co treita feligreses y dio por fudado el primer movimieto hispao e la parroquia. Co el apoyo del Diácoo José Vásquez y Erika Rivera, ecargados de la liturgia, y del grupo de Cosagrados de María, Sata Aa, situada e 481 Brewster Street, abría sus puertas a los feligreses hispaos y ofrecía o solamete misas e español, sio que habría ua reuió ampliada para formar u comité para acrecetar el miisterio hispao co lectores, moaguillos, catequistas, catores, etc. Queríamos darle a uestra iglesia u setido de perteecia y por eso todos los que vivimos e este vecidario y que formamos el grupo Cosagrados de Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Bridgeport Pre-plaig your fial restig place will give you ad your family peace of mid Purchasig a crypt i advace affords you the opportuity to have up to two years to pay iterest free Crypts are available at the followig cemeteries: St. Michael Cemetery 2205 Stratford Aveue Stratford, Coecticut St. Joh Cemetery 223 Richards Aveue Norwalk, Coecticut St. Mary Putam Cemetery 399 North Street Greewich, Coecticut By choosig a Catholic Cemetery, oe selects a fial restig place that reflects the beliefs ad values from life s persoal jourey. It is a restig place that is sacred ad shared with all believers awaitig the resurrectio of the dead ad the promise of everlastig life. María optamos por salir a las calles, pegado afiches e las tiedas y lavaderías y cotádoles a uestras amistadas y vecios que Sata Aa se volvió hispaa, dijo Vertiz, quie recooce que la labor del Padre Lych ha sido ivaluable porque ha logrado mateer la ateció a los feligreses hispaos, porque ha logrado fortalecer u movimieto católico que se dedica a velar por los iños a través del catecismo, a fometar la fe a través de los cursillos sobre la fe y los sacrametos y a ecotrar la uidad etre sus miembros que se reúe para orar, comulgar, cofesarse y para cociar y repartir comidas, esayar las cacioes de la misa y para los evetos artísticos. El Padre Lych, co la resposabilidad a cuestas, se reuió co el Obispo Frak Caggiao, quie imediatamete le dio el visto bueo para que desarrolle el Miisterio Hispao. El siguiete paso fue solicitar al Padre Jesuita, Gerald Blaszczak, SJ, director espiritual de Fairfield Uiversity, apoyo para celebrar dos veces al mes la misa domiical; e iiciar la búsqueda de familias co iños para que acuda a la catequesis y sirva de moaguillos e las homilías. El Padre Jerry, por su parte, hace lo suyo. Co aputes escritos a mao prepara todo el sermó que va a predicar e su misa domiical y aparta u glosario de palabras que las llama vocabulario para asegurarse que cada palabra que dice sea correcta, tato e su prouciació como e su sigificado. Empiezo a preparar la misa desde el lues. Poco a poco voy leyedo las lecturas, los salmos, las oracioes, el evagelio del día y armo mi hoja de vocabulario porque el español o es mi legua matera, cueta. Al pregutarle al Padre Jerry porqué le gusta trabajar e Sata Aa, e forma simple recooce que Sata Aa represeta el corazó estadouidese porque es el reflejo de la imigració y la calidez co que el pueblo debe acogerlos. Yo soy ieto de u polaco. Mi abuelo, e su mometo, abadoó su país buscado ua mejor vida, este feómeo de la A GROWING OUTREACH to the Hispaic commuity at St. A Parish i the Black Rock eighborhood of Bridgeport bega last year after members of the group cosecrated to the Sacred Heart of Mary ecouraged Father Peter Lych, pastor, to offer Suday Mass ad the sacramets i Spaish. Father Lych did that ad more, ecouragig Hispaic parishioers to take a active part i parish life as altar servers, lectors, music leaders ad participats i a umber of faith activities. He is assisted by Father Gerald Blaszczak, SJ, spiritual director of Fairfield Uiversity (show here vested for Mass). imigració se repite ua y otra vez, pero ahora e estos tiempos estamos viedo que alguos líderes reaccioa e cotra de los imigrates olvidádose que esto ha dado fuerza a uestra ació, dijo. Durate este primer año de vida hispaa e Sata Aa ya se ha podido otar varias fiestas propias de Latioamérica. Los mexicaos del Grupo Tepeyac celebraro la fiesta de la Virge de Guadalupe, se impulsaro las posadas de Navidad, y el próximo 16 de octubre la comuidad peruaa realizará ua Misa de Acció de Gracias e hoor al Señor de los Milagros, patroo del Perú. De las cie familias hispaas registradas que asiste regularmete a la parroquia, la mayoría so oriudos de México, Guatemala y Hoduras; seguidos por El Salvador, Ecuador, Perú, Colombia y Puerto Rico. Mesualmete e el saló comuitario feligreses del Grupo Hispao vede comida que prepara e sus casas co el fi de ayudar a pagar los gastos de la parroquia. La próxima veta de comida será el 23 de octubre. E este año el Padre Lych ha realizado siete bautizos y se ecuetra preparado a 60 iños para que haga el próximo año su Primera Comuió, de los cuales u 40 por cieto so hispaos. Los vieres a las 7 pm se reza el Sato Rosario e iglés y español; los cofesioes se ofrece cada sábado a partir de las tres de la tarde y 15 miutos ates de cada Misa. El primer vieres de cada mes se cumple la Adoració al Satísimo y se reza el Rosario. Y cada segudo sábado del mes desde las 7:30 pm se efectúa u eveto especial llamado Catholic Udergroud, dispuesto para acrecetar la fe. La Iglesia quiere que a través del Señor haya uidad etre osotros y que el corazó de Jesús se jute co el corazó de osotros; eso se logra estado cerca de los sacrametos y viviedo e la misericordia de su amor, sitetizó e su mesaje el Padre Lych para eteder por qué aceptó el reto de apoyar u movimieto hispao e su parroquia.

27 October Catholic Culture The selected poetry of Sister Miriam BY BARRY WALLACE I sometimes thik that God gave us the mystics to remid us that the Church has a heart as well as a head, ad that the heart of the Church is the heart of Jesus. Mysticism is oe of those subjects that ca oly be trivialized by writig about it. Yet whe you are i the presece of the mystical heart it is a umistakable witess to the presece of God. The Selected Poetry of Jessica Powers (Sister Miriam) is oe such maifestatio of the mystical. Jessica Powers was a Discalced Carmelite u who lived from She etered the covet i 1941 i Milwaukee, Wiscosi, ad took the ame Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit. Her life i the rugged beauty of the Wiscosi coutryside was outwardly uremarkable. Durig her log years of prayer ad service she wrote about 400 poems. May of these poems are astoishig. They are the portrait of a soul so alive with ecstasy ad despair, logig ad listeig, faith ad fidelity that they fly off the page like a hadful of small birds set free. I was havig luch with a Jesuit fried of mie whe he quoted a few lies of hers at the table. (Jesuits are likely to do such thigs.) I was captivated by them ad asked him where they came from. He told me about Jessica Powers, ad I cofessed I had ever heard of her. I thik this may be true of may Catholics as well as the geeral readig public. The fact that she wrote i obscurity heightes the mystery of her geius ad her life. Like Emily Dickiso she became her ow audiece, but she bured with a quiet itesity that eeded o applause. The mai subject of the mystic is the presece of God i silece ad surreder, i the beauty of ature ad i the depth of the huma heart. The mystic seeks uio with God oly to come upo her abject othigess, ad i that othigess to kow that God is there. The mystic will always talk of her ow emptiess ad God s immesity. The mystic is spoke to by God, but ot i the laguage of ma. The experiece is oe of deep listeig ad log sileces, bouts of darkess ad sudde bursts of light. Quite ofte the poems take atural form from the seasos ad the particular spledors of creatio a kildeer s cry, a cedar tree, ice storms ad ordiary momets. I Everythig Rushes, Rushes, a lyric remiiscet of Hopkis, she writes, The brisk blue morig whisked i with a thought: everythig i creatio rushes, rushes towards God tall trees, small bushes, quick birds ad fish, the beetles roud as aught I aother lyric she prays to be as strog ad cheerful as a chickadee: The small pereial siger of the earth who makes the weed of a December day the pivot of his mirth. Sister Miriam fids God i a meadow through the sog of a lark, ad i a witer cedar tree carryig its burde of cold ad sow. While her images may be earthy ad simple, her poetry is subtle ad well-wrought. The poems have a complexity of thought ad experiece withi the everyday world she portrays as shiig with the existece of God. The sufferig of huma life ad the heart i search of God are also represeted with poems of stuig hoesty ad immese compassio. She is always aware of her ow huma frailty. Christ is my oly trust/ I am my fear sice, dow the laes of ill/ my steps surprised a dark Iscariot/ plottig i my ow will. She is i the compay of Emily Dickiso with lyrics like this that plumb the darkess of the soul. She also tells us about the day she leared to love God. It was the day I bega to see truly/ that I came from othig ad ever toward othigess tred/ that the works of my hads are foolishess. All true mystics fid God oly whe the vaity of their ow egos are bured off. The mystics are crucial for the soul because they teach us that we ca have a fierce ad lovig relatioship with God, ot just a polite, hads-off acquaitace that eters o further tha our weekly obligatios ad our uchalleged sese of ourselves. Sister Miriam s poems are filled with light ad love. Her poems take us ito the meadows ad forests of our belief, ad they reder images of God as fresh ad verdat as the psalms. They also explore the deserts of desolatio ad the wouded soul cryig for the mercy of God ad the gift of love that breaks out from behid the clouds ad illumiates our hearts. The Holy Spirit is surely alive i these works of grace ad visio from the pe of a recluse who embraced the world i the midst of her silece.

28 28 October 2016 Colum: Thomas Hicks All Thigs Fold was a time, late i August, whe the trees were rich with There leaves, but these become, suddely oe day, stragely still, as if i expectatio ad aware. They kew it was edig, all that oe loved was at risk (James POTPOURRI BY THOMAS H. HICKS Thomas Hicks is a member of St. Theresa Parish i Trumbull. Salter, All That Is). Every islad of joy is shot through with the realizatio that it caot last; othig lasts, ad the greater the happiess, the more tragic is its ievitable passig. Buddhism has a great sese of how everythig is trasitory. It regards the evets i this life: As a star at daw. A bubble i a stream/a flash of lightig i a summer cloud/a dream. (Vairacchedika, 32) Buddha aalyzed huma existece as pai ad trasiet, ad cosidered them to be iterchageable words. Life is paiful because it is trasiet ad we ca fid o edurig peace here. Buddhism realizes the radical isufficiecy of this chageable world. Huma beigs ca have a false sese of the owership of time. Weather forecasters speak of your day tomorrow, or your weeked. A huma beig ca either make or retai oe momet of time. It all comes to us as a pure gift. Whe I was a boy, time moved at a glacial pace. I Jue, the glorious thig about summer vacatio was that it would last practically forever. Some of Jue, all of July, all of August, ad some of September. That used to be a log, log time. Remember? Time seemed to stad still for a little while that boyhood sese of time. Now I have a sese of the tyray of time. There is o way that we ca hold back time ad call it our ow. Time will ot relet; it is uyieldig. Life goes o. I ca become agry with time for passig that we must grow up ad grow sad, that we must age ad weake. I sigh for lost years. How fragile everythig is. Nothig stays, all chages. All is o loa. We are oly o loa for each other, for a short time. We clig ad clutch for some permaece. We search for that oe perso or thig that will fulfill us perfectly. Like everyoe else, I am ot sufficiet for myself, either am I sufficiet for others. There is the loeliess i the very experiece of love. By ad large the world s offerigs are good. Evetually, however, every earthly good is limited, fiite, ad oe fids oeself askig eve the best this world ca offer, Is this all? Tolstoy poited out i his Cofessios that we ca o loger believe i the fiite. There are the limitatios we feel i all our experieces, eve i our most satisfyig momets. Christiaity tells us that the world is good, but it is ot the absolute good. The Christia does ot make this world absolute. There ca be o ultimate satisfactio o this earth. Oly God ultimately satisfies. I varyig degrees, we grow coscious that all our experieces are limited oly partially fulfillig. The Scriptures tell us a umber of times that we live as stragers i a strage lad, travelers o the way, ot at home here. Whe I see photographs of large gatherigs of people take durig the Civil War or First World War times, I thik of how all those people i those photos were worlds i their times, with their loves ad hates, their axieties ad logigs, their pride ad dark doubts, their fears of death. Everythig has a ed. Whether we make it explicit or ot, there is a logig for the ifiite. We discover what St. Augustie expresses so timelessly i his Cofessios. It all passes. How may of our ad our fathers years have flowed away through your today? Ma is bor for eterity. (Book Oe) October is well advaced. The flood of summer light has almost ebbed. The melacholy autum days will slowly slip ito witer. The shadows are legtheig. We partake of our particular fragmet of time ad try to treat it carefully, treasure it, appreciate it, ad give thaks. All thigs fold. Matthew 6:19: Do ot store up for ourselves treasure o earth, where moths ad rust cosume ad where thieves break i ad steal. But store up for yourselves treasures i heave, where either moths or rust cosume ad where thieves do ot break i ad steal. Kidey Needed My ame is Peggy Karbovaec ad I desperately eed a kidey trasplat. To lear more about my situatio, please cotact me at: maggieclaire@gmail.com Or visit my website: Or call: Yale NY Presbyteria

29 October Colum: Joe Pisai Christ s defiitio of success I t s the time of year whe parets sit their kids dow ad have heart-to-heart talks about The Future. The what do you wat to be whe you grow up? talks that geerally scare youg people, who are more cocered about partyig, chasig Pokemo, shoppig at the mall ad fidig love. May of them are past the age whe they wat to be Presidet of the Uited States or super models although the super model obsessio, like some viruses, ca last a log time ad preoccupy youg wome well ito their 20s. (I kow because I have four daughters.) As far as presidet, history has show ayoe ca apply. I dreaded these talks with my dad, who d ask, What do you SWIMMING UPSTREAM BY JOE PISANI Joe Pisai has bee a writer ad editor for 30 years. wat to do with your life? But he ever liked my aswers. Now that the price tag o a college educatio is slightly less tha a luxury apartmet i dowtow Dubai, the discussio has eormous implicatios for Sammy ad Susie, Billy ad Hillary, ot to metio Mom ad Dad, who ofte have their hearts set o retirig comfortably sometime this milleium. Most parets, myself icluded, are pleased if their childre wat to pursue careers that come with a hefty compesatio package, icludig a geerous base salary, lavish frige beefits ad a semi-aual bous or at least a aual bous tied to compay performace. Eglish ad theology majors eed ot apply. I ofte ecouraged my daughters to make career choices that could give me braggig rights o the trai platform ad support me i old age, if ot etirely, at least partially. Take your pick: Doctor, Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Presidet of Yale, CEO of Citibak. I had to fight log ad hard to dissuade two daughters from careers i the fashio idustry, ad they hold it agaist me to this day because, as their logic goes, if Kedall Jeer ca do it, so could they. Job requiremets: be uderourished, pout a lot, take coutless selfies, ad walk aroud with a vacuous stare that suggests you re sufferig from chroic arcissism or may have bee abducted by alies. I remembered all those family debates whe I was at Mass recetly ad the priest read Matthew s Gospel about fidig a pearl of eormous value... otherwise kow as the Kigdom of Heave. Needless to say, the values they cosider importat i the Kigdom of Heave are t the values they cosider importat i the offices of Vogue magazie or o Wall Street. Christ does t judge success the way the world judges success, the priest said. God does t care about possessios, power, prestige or wealth precisely the thigs that we re usually obsessed with. The week before, I was sufferig a bout of self-pity over choices I made i my life, comparig myself to frieds ad associates who have it better off. They re rich, they re promiet ad they re recogized. They have academic hoors, log resumes, large bak accouts, big houses, ad their obituaries will probably appear i the New York Times. The problem is I was lookig at life the way ma does, ot the way God does. O the other had, if I had some assurace that I was workig hard for Christ all those years or Christ does t judge success the way the world judges success, the priest said. at least some of those years I might feel a little better. But that s the kid of thig you have to take o faith. Most of all, it s importat to keep your focus o Christ, ot just durig crises or whe you eed somethig, but all day. I try to begi with the Morig Offerig so that my prayers, works, joys ad sufferigs are offered up. Ad durig coversatios ad activities, I ve bee askig myself, What would Jesus wat me to do i this situatio? Ad it geerally has little to do with my self-advacemet. The lessos we teach our kids will last a lifetime, so we better get it right. Do we wat them motivated by greed or by geerosity, by cruelty or by kidess, by duplicity or by hoesty, by fatasies or by faith? As the priest said, the most importat thig we ca do is commit our lives to Christ, strive to become holier a day at a time, ad brig other souls ito the Kigdom. Those are the stadards by which we ll be judged i the ed. It s a fudametal lesso that we heard as kids i catechism class, ad yet it s so easy to forget whe we get mired i worldly pursuits. 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

30 30 October 2016 Bits ad Pieces AL S ANGELS Holiday Toy Drive eeds 10,000 toys this year. If you, your compay, retail busiess, school, etc. would like to host a toy drive, cotact Al Diguido at adiguido@yahoo.com CONCERTS IN THE CHAPEL, a musical series at St. Catherie of Siea Parish, Riverside, featurig differet guest artists, hosts A Hour of Jazz directed by Dr. Ro Petrides, jazz guitarist; Essiet Essiet o bass; ad Emmauel Harrold o drums. Cocert will be performed Su., Oct. 16, at 3 pm. Tickets: $20 geeral admissio; $15 for seiors ad studets. For more ifo, go to music.director@stcath.org. DIVORCED AND SEPARATED Catholics are ivited to joi Hearts Reewed, a support group for divorced or separated me ad wome. Meetigs are held i Fairfield o the first ad third Fri. of every moth (Oct. 21; Nov 4; Nov. 18) at 7:30 pm. For more ifo ad for directios, call Bette: or Peggy: S MORES AND STARS with Catholic Youg Adults of Greater Dabury (CYAD), ages Have fu aroud the fire ad ejoy some s mores while watchig the stars o Fri., Oct. 21, 7-10:30 pm at St. A Parish, 181 Clapboard Ridge Rd., Dabury. For more ifo, catholic.ya.dabury@gmail. com or joi us o Facebook at Catholic Youg Adults of Greater Dabury. STEPHEN MINISTRY, a oe-to-oe iterfaith lay carig miistry to help people who are hurtig, will be holdig a itroductory workshop at Jesse Lee Methodist Church i Ridgefield o Sat., Oct. 22, from 9 am-1 pm. For more ifo, call Jack Hughes, Stephe Miistry leader at St. Mary Parish, Ridgefield: or go to EVENING OF REFLECTION FOR MEN will be held Su., Oct. 30, at 6:15 pm at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Newtow, immediately followig the 5 pm Mass. Todd Igersoll, presidet ad CEO of Igersoll Automotive, will speak o God s Guidig Had Please joi us Walkig with Purpose Wome s Bible Study Fall Lucheo & Ispiratioal Talk i Busiess ad Life. For more ifo or to register, call the parish: CARDINAL SHEHAN CENTER S 8th Aual Stump the Schwab: Ca Howie Schwab, formerly of ESPN, stump your sports trivia kowledge? Register a team for the cotest, held Mo., Oct. 24. Checki ad dier at 5:30 pm; cotest begis at 6:30. Locatio: Cast Iro Chop House, 6540 Mai St., Trumbull. For more ifo or to register, call VENDORS WANTED for the Holiday Craft Fair ad Bazaar at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield. Fair will be held Sat., Nov. 12, from 10 am-4 pm. Vedor registratio deadlie: Fri., Oct. 28. To dowload a vedor applicatio, visit or call Pat Spitzfade: JOIN IN PRAYING the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary for Persecuted Christias the first Tues. of every moth (Nov. 1) at 7 pm with a coferece phoe umber. How? Before 7 pm, call ad type i the pi umber CELEBRITY BREAKFAST for Dabury Catholic Charities will feature speaker Susa Coroy, who worked with Mother Teresa i Calcutta, o Thurs., Nov. 3, at 7:30 am at Teardrops Service O Su., Nov. 13, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Dabury, will be hostig a Teardrops Service at the 11:30 am Mass. The prayer service focuses o former Catholics, i particular, o adult childre who have falle away from the faith. Parets are ivited to write their childre s ame o a card shaped like a teardrop. These are collected ad placed at the foot of the cross o the altar. Together all pray for those who have falle away. As people leave, they are ivited to take a card from the teardrop basket ad to pray for someoe else s itetio as well as their ow. For more ifo, call Ruth Dora: or Fr. Peter Towsley: the Amber Room Coloade, 1 Stacey Rd., Dabury. For reservatios or more ifo, go to evetbrite.com. RAKE BAKE 2016 is acceptig registratios for the Sat., Nov. 12, evet. Registratio closes at midight o Fri., Nov. 4. To register, go to org/rake--bake-2016-registratio. To voluteer as a food server, Radi Covertito: radicovertito@gmail.com. For more ifo or for large groups (12 or more), cotact Sheila Kuh: teachsmk@gmail.com or THE LITTLE MERMAID will be preseted by the studets of Sacred Heart Academy o Fri.-Sat., Nov. 4, at 8 pm, Nov. 5, at 2 ad 8 pm at the Shubert Theatre i New Have. Tickets: $27.50 for orchestra; $22.50 mezzaie; ad $12.50 balcoy. For tickets ad more ifo, call or visit VETERANS MASS ad blessig will be held at St. Margaret Shrie, Bridgeport, o Sat., Nov. 5, at 12:15 pm. For more ifo, call TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS is celebrated at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield, the first Su. of each moth (Nov. 6) at 4 pm. For more ifo, call the parish: MASS OF HEALING AND HOPE will be celebrated at Christ the Kig Parish, Trumbull, with Fr. Larry Carew o Mo., Nov. 7, at 7:30 pm. For more ifo, call the Charismatic Reewal Office: GOSPEL OF LIFE SOCIETY meets at St. Mary Parish, Norwalk, the secod Sat. of each moth (Nov. 12) from 10 am-12 oo, after the 9 am prolife Mass. For more ifo, cotact Eilee Biachii: or stmarygols@aol.com. CHRISTMAS FAIR at Our Lady of Good Cousel Chapel, Brave ad Beloved: Overcomig Fear by Lisa Breikmeyer Fouder, Walkig with Purpose Wedesday, November 16th, 11:30 AM Italia Ceter of Stamford 1620 Newfield Aveue, Stamford, CT Register olie to secure your seat today! Sice its arrival i the Diocese of Bridgeport, Walkig with Purpose has deepeed the faith of thousads of wome who have atteded its courses. Through its authetic catechesis ad by its commitmet to accompay wome i their daily lives, Walkig with Purpose has helped its participats to deepe their persoal relatioship with the Lord ad their commitmet to the Church ad has also brought ew eergy ad hope throughout the Diocese. -- Most Revered Frak Caggiao, Bishop of Bridgeport, CT Fid out more about WWP, curretly offered at 14 parishes i the Diocese of Bridgeport, or about brigig WWP to your parish!

31 October Bits ad Pieces Bridgeport, will be held Sat., Nov. 12, from 9 am-4 pm. Vedor tables available for $25 each. For more ifo or to reserve a table, call Johaa: WOMEN S CONFERENCE will be held Sat., Nov. 12, at the St. Catherie of Siea Family Ceter, Trumbull. Check-i 9:30 am; Mass 5:30 pm. The coferece will feature keyote speakers, Mass ad opportuities for the Sacramet of Recociliatio ad private Eucharistic Adoratio. Cost: $45 icludes breakfast, luch, sack ad hospitality bag. Fiacial assistace is available. For scholarship iformatio, cotact Mauree Ciardiello: mciardiello@diobpt. org or For more ifo, visit HARVEST TABLE to beefit New Coveat Ceter will take place Su., Nov. 13, from 11 am-2:20 pm at the Italia Ceter of Stamford, 1620 Newfield Ave., Stamford. Harvest luch, food demostratios ad guest speaker Joh Barricelli, ower of The SoNoBakig Compay. Admissio: $75, plus oe o-perishable food item. For tickets, go to com/harvesttable. VENDOR APPLICATIONS are ow beig accepted for St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield, Holiday Craft Fair & Bazaar, held Sat., Nov. 12, from 10 am-4 pm. To dowload a applicatio, visit For more ifo, call Pat Spitzfade: CATHOLIC UNDERGROUND will meet the secod Sat. of every moth (Nov. 12), from 7:30-10 pm at St. A Parish i the Black Rock sectio of Bridgeport. It s a eveig of Adoratio, Recociliatio, prayer, music, ad fellowship. For more ifo, go to CONNected Catholics: WOMEN S GROUP at Christ the Kig Parish, Trumbull, will meet o Mo., Nov. 14, at 10 am. Arthur Gottlieb will speak o The Golde Age of Hollywood Stars. All are ivited. For more ifo, call INSPIRATIONAL TALK with Catholic Youg Adults of Greater Dabury (CYAD), ages Why is There Evil i the World? give by Fr. Joh Iserra, Tues., Nov. 15, 7:30-9:30 pm at the Newma Ceter, 7 8th Ave., Dabury. For more ifo, catholic.ya.dabury@gmail.com or joi us o Facebook at Catholic Youg Adults of Greater Dabury. MOMs+DADs prayer/support group for those with Dow Sydrome, their family ad frieds, meets the third Thurs. of every moth (Nov. 17), at 7:30 pm at St. Mary Parish, Norwalk, parish ceter. For more ifo, cotact strapostolate@optimum.et. COME AND SEE if you are beig called to a vocatio i the Secular Fracisca Order at St. Emery Church, Fairfield, o Sat., Nov. 19, at 9:30 am. For more ifo, call Pat Heile, OFS: or pheile5713@aol.com. MAROON AND GOLD GALA for St. Joseph High School will be held o Sat., Nov. 19, at The Waterview, 218 Roosevelt Drive, Moroe. Proceeds beefit the SJ scholarship edowmet. For more ifo ad for tickets, cotact Daw Hadwerker, special evets coordiator: dhadwerker@sjcadets. org or , ext ENCOURAGE apostolate for frieds ad family of loved oes with same sex attractios or geder ID issues, meets the third Sat. of the moth (Nov. 19) at 10:30 am ad is strictly cofidetial. For more ifo cotact the Norwalk Chapter: ECourageNorwalk@gmail.com. CAR RAFFLE: St. Mary Parish, Bethel, is rafflig off a 2016 Buick Ecore AND a 2016 GMC Cayo pickup truck from Igersoll Auto of Dabury. Tickets: $100 each; oe ticket wis both cars. Drawig will take place Sat., Nov. 26, at 6:45 pm. For more ifo, call the parish: SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE: Joi Fr. Marcel Sait Jea o a spiritual jourey to Mexico ad Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mo., Nov. 28, through Sat., Dec. 3. Cost: $1,695/perso. For more ifo ad for reservatios, cotact Fr. Marcel: , or marcelsjea@gmail.com. VENDORS/CRAFTERS wated for the Holly Fair sposored by the Wome s Group of St. Margaret Mary Church, Shelto. The fair will be held o Sat., Dec. 3, from 9 am-4 pm. Table retal is $30. For more ifo, call Sharo: or smwspicer@gmail.com. We are the proud priters of the Fairfield Couty Catholic for the past 20 years. Newspapers Publicatios Shoppers Catalogs Magazies Directories Coupo Books College Course Catalogs Busiess & Fiacial Periodicals Free Stadig Iserts Advertisig Supplemets 205 Sprig Hill Road, Trumbull CT Call us for a free quote PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY! Diocesa Office for the Potifical Missio Society The Catholic Ceter 238 Jewett Aveue Bridgeport, CT Please use the evelope eclosed i this issue! Thak You!

32 A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Ask your doctor about total hip replacemet at the Orthopaedic Surgery Ceter at St. Vicet s. The choice is yours. You do t have to live with pai ad limited activity aymore. The sooer you choose to go through with your hip replacemet surgery the sooer you ll be back o your feet ad ejoyig life like you used to pai free. Ad by choosig the Orthopaedic Ceter at St. Vicet s, you gai access to: More surgical optios, icludig aterior hip replacemet Better pre-op services, icludig classes ad literature Premium post-op support, icludig a post-surgery PT camp Improved recovery time Reduced risk of complicatios or re-ijury The choice is yours, ad where you choose to have your surgery matters. You re about to take a big step i the right directio. Lear more at StVicets.org. Talk to a Orthopaedic coordiator about your surgery at St. Vicet s, (203) stvicets.org /Hip

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