4 Fr. Terry Walsh makes. 16 Christmas Creches at the

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1 Iside this issue 4 Fr. Terry Walsh makes pilgrimage to Bethlehem 16 Christmas Creches at the Kights of Columbus Museum Please visit us o: at Fairfield Couty Catholics at dobevets, dobyouth Latest ews: bridgeportdiocese.com Frak E. Metrusky, CFP Presidet ad Fiacial Advisor 945 Beaver Dam Road Stratford, CT Securities ad Advisory Services offered through Natioal Plaig Corporatio (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC, ad a Registered Ivestmet Advisor. Catholic Way ivestmets ad NPC are separate ad urelated compaies. Brig your dream. We ll make it possible. Completeyourbachelor sdegreeoyourscheduleatuiversitycollege: Day,Eveig,Weeked&OlieClasses MultipleTermstoChooseFrom FairfieldorStamfordCampus Sprigclassesbegi Jauary 14th. Fairfield: Stamford:

2 2 December 2012 Blessed Gifts 1. Visit to select gifts. 2. Dedicate a gift to a fried or loved oe. 3. The Diocese will sed a card to your gift recipiet or you may prit o your computer or sed a e-card. 4. The Diocese will direct your gift to the selected miistry. Questios: Simply complete the evelope that is iserted i the Fairfield Couty Catholic with your gift selectios. ON THE COVER ue is iss e th Isid es lsh mak 4 Fr.pilgTerrimryageWato Bethlehem hes at the as Crec Christm mbus Museum of Colu Kights 16 Please visit us o: ssible. e it po lege: l mak iversity Col. We l hedule at U dream your sc es your s degree o Brige your bachelor d & Olie Class ok.com/ cs holi w.facebo at ww Couty Cat Fairfield itter.com/ w.tw th at ww ts, dobyou dobeve Latest ews: Complet eke om g, We Choose Fr, Evei us Day le Terms toford Camp ltip r Stam Mu field o gi Fair ses be m ese.co rtdioc po bridge g clas 4959 Spri th ry 14 ford: Stam Jaua 7830 usky, CFP E. Metr Frak Presidet cial Advisor ad Fia Road er Dam Beav, CT 0661 Stratford (NPC), oratio ig Corp al Pla t Advisor. aies. gh Natio Ivestme lated comp d throu ces offere a Registered ad ure ory Servi C, ad are separate ad Advis FINRA/SIP NPC Securities Member tmets ad Way ives Catholic Fairfi idd 2012 SHU Sprig FCC eld: 203- UC.com 2 PM 012 5:09:5 12/3/2 Diocese of Bridgeport, 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, Coecticut CONTENTS ALLY S ANGEL CARD This colorful ativity scee of the Guardia Agel hoverig over Bethlehem was paited by Ally Fallo, who atteds St. Thomas Aquias School. Her joyful work wo a atiowide cotest sposored by the Holy Childhood Associatio. Ally desiged the picture as part of a class project to help poor childre i missio coutries throughout the world. Agels look after you ad show up whe you eed help, she says. (Above the mast) Agels ad Christmas lights abouded durig the recet Remembrace Tree lightig hosted by The Cathedral Parish i Bridgeport. Photo by Amy Mortese eart.sacredh www Blessed Gifts supports your faith i actio through miistries across the Diocese of Bridgeport. 5 CBS 60 MINUTES Highlights St. A School 6 PAX CHRISTI AWARD To Fairfield Prep Seior 23 ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL MURAL Is Talk of the Tow 25 YOUTH PAGE I Love Christmas 11 CHINESE STUDENTS 30 BITS AND PIECES Christmas Listigs 15 MATT HENNESSEY 31 CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL PARISH A Photo Tour At Triity High School Art of Delayed Gratificatio

3 December Local News Most vulerable slidig through safety et By BRIAN D. WALLACE A growig umber of people who have ever sought charitable support are showig up i soup kitches, food patries ad couselig programs provided by Catholic Charities across the Diocese of Bridgeport. The ligerig effects of the recessio ad uemploymet, the high cost of housig ad the ogoig state ad federal budget cuts have left people strugglig to stay afloat while there are fewer resources available to help them. May people have goe uder i the past year, says Catholic Charities Vice Presidet Sady Cole. Whe times got tough, may of them wet to their credit cards ad the borrowed from frieds ad family to get by. Alog the way, they ve lost their jobs, homes ad emotioal stability. Michelle Coderio, director of the Morig Glory feedig program ad Homeless Outreach Team i Dabury, says that she has see a 15% icrease i the umber of adults comig to the Morig Glory breakfast program at Dorothy Day House this year. We were kid of surprised because we thought most people were over the hurdle, says Coderio. These are people who ever eeded help before, do t kow how to ask ad are sometimes ashamed to come forward. After strugglig with job loss ad health care problems, may are simply tapped out ad have owhere else to tur. We are fidig a lot of people who timed out of uemploymet ad have burt out all other resources Coderio says. I the past, they would have bee caught by our prevetio programs before becomig homeless. The services just are t there aymore to keep them from fallig through the cracks. May of the ewly homeless are likely to be over 50 years old ad to have worked their etire lives. Now, whe they eed help, there is HOMELESS OUTREACH These are people who ever eeded help before, says Michelle Coderio, of the ewly poor ad homeless served by the Homeless Outreach Team ad Morig Glory feedig program. I the photo above Coderio, who serves as director of the programs, makes oatmeal for guests at Dorothy Day House i Dabury. The services just are t there aymore to keep them from fallig through the cracks. very little, Coderio says. They ever thought they would be i the positio to eed services, ad the state s services have t really bee targeted toward them. Coderio says that people misuderstad the ature of homelessess i Fairfield Couty. While may struggle with substace abuse ad chroic metal health problems, others simply ca t fid housig they ca afford. The perceptio is that people are t workig, but they are. They just do t make eough to sustai themselves i a apartmet ad pay for everythig else. You ca t fid a oe bedroom apartmet i Dabury for uder $900. I Bridgeport, Merto Ceter Director Mark Grasso says that he ad the staff have see a doublig of the umber of people visitig the food patry i the past year. That s bee kid of a shocker for us. Now we have over 500 people comig i for bags of food. We re just seeig a lot more people who simply ca t make eds meet, ad the bad ecoomy has fially hit them, he says. At New Coveat House of Hospitality i Stamford, Director Bria Jekis reports that his food patry has experieced a icrease of about 75 ew people a moth comig i for bags for groceries to brig home ad feed families. Most of them are workig people, may immigrat day laborers who we have t see before ad may ot see o a regular basis, says Jekis, who explais that may come i o moths whe their hours are cut ad they ca t make eds meet. We re doig our job if they come here to save moey o their food budget ad that prevets them from becomig homeless, says Jekis, who otes that NCH serves almost 750 meals a day betwee its breakfast, luch ad dier offerigs ad its afterschool program for local childre. Cole says the recet $63 millio budget cuts i metal health services aouced by the Malloy admiistratio will lead to a $57,000 decrease i Catholic Charities programs that directly serve the homeless ad those sufferig from chroic metal illess. She says the cutback i metal health services will be more expesive i the log ru, because may people sufferig from chroic illess who have fuctioed well with the proper medicatio are o loger receivig beefits ad will ultimately ed up i emergecy rooms ad cotiued o page 10 Blessed Gifts for Christmas ad all occasios BRIDGEPORT Blessed Gifts lauched a Gift of Givig Campaig for Christmas that eables doors to sed cards to frieds ad loved oes while makig gifts to support vital miistries ad programs of the diocese. You ca make a gift i hoor of or i memory of someoe, or simply let someoe kow you re thikig of them ad supportig good works i their ame, says Pam Rittma, who is coordiatig the effort for the diocesa developmet office. Rittma said that some of the most popular gifts cards this year are those that eable the diocese to feed the hugry. May doors purchased $50 cards that provide Christmas dier for two families at the Merto Ceter; $100 worth of groceries for families to take home from diocesa food patries; ad $250 to sposor a eveig meal for retired priests at the Catherie Deis Keefe Quee of Clergy Residece i Stamford. The respose has bee ethusiastic, Rittma says, because people are lookig for a way to make a meaigful ad memorable gift that reflects the values ad faith of those who are hoored by it. Patricia Thomas, a parishioer at St. Thomas Aquias Parish i Fairfield, recetly purchased a Blessed Gift i hoor of her father by purchasig grocery bags to serve hugry families who visit New Coveat House of Hospitality food patry i Stamford. Thomas says she likes Blessed Gifts because it gives her a way of persoalizig the givig by selectig to support a act of charity that is importat to her faith. She made her first Blessed Gift whe the program was lauched last Christmas ad was very pleased by the respose, so this year she looked forward to the ew givig opportuities. Christmas chages a lot as we get older ad it s ice to place the emphasis o givig rather tha receivig especially whe we have so much, says Thomas, who is vice presidet of the Ladies Guild, which made ad sold Advet ceter pieces this year to support parish programs. This is a great way to help those i eed by supportig miistries that reach out to them, she says. Doors simply visit the diocesa website, select a gift to put i their shoppig cart, ad they ca prit or a card to sed to a family member or fried to whom the gift is dedicated. If they prefer, the diocese will mail the card. Their gift is directed to the appropriate miistry. Doors ca also shop through the evelope icluded i this issue of Fairfield Couty Catholic. I additio to providig Christmas givig opportuities, Blessed Gifts offers givig opportuities for All Occasios throughout the year icludig birthdays, Mother s Day, Father s Day, aiversaries, sympathy cards, weddigs, First Commuio, ad Cofirmatio. (To shop o the Blessed Gifts website, go to

4 4 December 2012 Travel Bethlehem, City of Bread ad Kig of Kigs By FR. TERRY WALSH Ad you, O Bethlehem, i the lad of Judah, are by o meas least amog the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will gover Israel. Matthew 2:6 Last moth, the Bridgettie Sisters, whose covet is i Darie, arraged a pilgrimage to the Holy Lad i hoor of the 100th aiversary of the re-costitutio of the Order of St. Bridget of Swede, as well as the Year of Faith proouced by our Holy Father, Pope Beedict XVI. I was ivited to atted ad eagerly joied the group of 27 for what would be my first visit to Israel. We traversed the coutry for 10 days. From Jerusalem we visited Galilee, Nazareth, ad Caa i the orth, ad Jericho i the east. We joureyed from the depths of the Dead Sea to the mometous heights of Mout Tabor ad Mout Carmel. Truly, it was a uforgettable experiece. Our overight flight from New York to Tel Aviv laded o a Saturday afteroo ad we wet straight to Jerusalem. Upo eterig the City of David, the city lights lit up the domes ad the wall surroudig the Old City stretched aroud our view. Our bus tured up oe of the five hills surroudig the city ad we arrived at the Bridgettie Covet. Our pilgrimage bega ad eded with Holy Mass at the covet i the City of Peace. Ad yet, i these tumultuous times, peace i the Holy Lad seems so fragile. Barrier walls have bee costructed aroud the city, as well as i various other places aroud the coutry that serve to divide territory betwee Israelis ad Palestiias. The Israelis call it the Evelope of Jerusalem, protectig the city from harm, while the Palestiias refer to it as the Wall of Shame, dividig families. Eve i the Christia churches, there is divisio amog the Catholic, Orthodox, ad Armeia religios, dividig up territory withi the churches THE HOLIEST OF HOLY PLACES i Bethlehem, the spot where Jesus was bor. The star-shaped silver marker is surrouded by devotioal lamps ad icos. themselves. After Mass, we made our way to Bethlehem. We arrived at the checkpoit guarded by soldiers wieldig machie gus. As we crossed the threshold ito Palestiia territory, there was a otable declie i ecoomic prosperity. May have take flight from Bethlehem i recet years. I quietly wodered what sort of checkpoits our Blessed Mother ad St. Joseph might have had to edure as they made their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the cesus decreed by Caesar Augustus. Did they have eough food to sustai them throughout their log ad difficult jourey? Were they able to have adequate shelter? Were the people alog the way as cold-hearted as those they would later ecouter i Bethlehem? Ideed, after their log ad difficult jourey from Nazareth, Mary ad Joseph were greeted with the frosty Wall of Spiritual Poverty, closely guarded by ucarig people who were sufferig the effects of hard-heartedess. Although Mary was very ear her time to give birth, all they heard was, No room at the I! Little did the people of Bethlehem kow that the oe who came to coquer the hard heartedess of makid was i their midst. Little did they realize he would be bor ito the world right here i Bethlehem so that cold hearts could become warm, so that love ad kidess could, with the help of his grace, wash away fear ad despair ad thereby heal spiritual ifirmity. The same seems true today. Our Lord has come, he is i our midst, yet walls of spiritual poverty aboud. Bethlehem remids us that we eed to prepare a worthy place for Him i the i of our hearts ad humbly beg him to take up residece i our souls ad so heal us. Early the ext morig, we traveled a short distace alog the hillside dow ito a valley of fields where we arrived at a chapel costructed i the midst of several excavated caves, which had served as shelters for the humble shepherds ad their sheep durig the time of our Lord. It was here i these fields that ma first heard the joyful exaltatio, Gloria i excelsis Deo! St. Luke writes: Ad i that regio there were shepherds out i the field, keepig watch i the ight. Ad the agel of the Lord appeared to them ad the glory of the Lord shoe aroud them, ad they were filled with fear. Ad the agel said to them, Be ot afraid... for to you is bor this day i the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:8-11). Ad there we were, stadig i this holy place, seemigly THE ICON OF THE VIRGIN MARY of Bethlehem is said to be the oly ico i the world depictig the Blessed Mother with a smile. uchaged from 2,000 years ago, poderig the joy of the shepherds. Ideed, the Price of Peace had burst ito the world to give life. He teaches us that we must be poor i spirit ackowledgig our spiritual poverty i order to receive the healig graces that come to us most abudatly through sacrametal Cofessio ad the Eucharist. We gathered i the chapel i the Shepherd s Field for Mass ad sag the Hym of Praise, Gloria i excelsis Deo! i the very place where it was first proclaimed. We sag with the agels, as Jesus was about to become preset i the Eucharist upo the altar here i the fields of Bethlehem, The City of Bread! After Mass, we made our way up to the birthplace of our Lord, just as the shepherds had doe after they were greeted by the agels o that first Christmas ight. We met pilgrims from aroud the world who had, likewise, come to hoor our Lord. The Church of the Nativity, commissioed i 326 A.D. by St. Helea, mother of the Emperor Costatie, was built over the cave where Mary gave birth to Jesus. The Emperor Justiia replaced Costatie s church i 530 A.D., buildig the larger church which still stads today. Roma Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, ad the Armeias cotrol various parts of the Church of the Nativity. We etered the church through the Door of Humility, a small doorway that ca oly be etered o foot with oe s head bowed. It was a getle remider to bow oe s heart, too, i this holy place. We joied the log lie of pilgrims who patietly waited to eter the grotto ad veerate the very place where Jesus was bor. As the lie moved through the church, ichig its way closer to the steps that led ito the cave, we passed beautiful icos depictig the Nativity. The most uique ico, the Virgi Mary of Bethlehem, depicted Mary smilig as she held her ewbor So. It is said to be the oly ico i the world of Mary smilig. The guard stadig by the arrow etrace directed pilgrims ito the Grotto of the Nativity. There we kelt before the silver star-shaped marker i the floor ad prayed for a few momets, cotemplatig how the whole cotiued o page 19

5 December Local News St. A school o 60 Miutes It started i a sixth-grade classroom ad eded up o atiowide televisio. Studets from St. A School i Bridgeport were the ceterpiece of CBS s 60 Miutes segmet o a Free the Childre project to build a school i Keya. Viewers could t feel Africa s stupedous heat, smell the dust, or feel the ache i youg muscles after a day spet mixig cemet ad haulig cocrete blocks. What they could see, though, was the depth of commitmet the studets from St. A s brought to their project. That commitmet exteds to the etire school commuity, which fiaced the project through bake sales ad hadmade bracelets ad a bevy of fudraisig activities. The jourey from the Bridgeport classroom to Keya ad o to atiowide attetio bega whe social studies teacher Daw Pilotti showed her class Oprah Wifrey s Buildig a Dream documetary about the school she opeed for girls i South Africa. Our sixth-grade curriculum compares cultures, explais Pilotti. Oprah s respose to the situatio poor childre suffer i South Africa fit with what we teach about the Gospel values of compassio, justice ad service. The documetary hit home with Javell Watso, who had grow up i poverty i Jamaica. I started to cry because I could feel their pai, recalls Javell, ow 18 ad a studet at Bridgeport s Cetral Maget High School. St. A s has always aimed to ecourage iitiative i its studets. Eve so, Pilotti was surprised that, durig recess, several studets were back at her door. They came to me ad said, We have to do somethig. We have to build a school. The school featured o 60 Miutes is t St. A s first. The first oe was i the Africa coutry of Sierra Leoe. Followig that, the studets raised fuds for their couterparts i earthquakedevastated Haiti. Durig the school year, the ewest crop of leaders Gabriella Torres, ow a sophomore at Lauralto Hall i Milford, Cythia Rivera, a freshma at Kolbe-Cathedral High School i Bridgeport, ad seveth-graders Joey Hopkis ad Magdalea Dutkowska coected with Free the Childre. Whe Craig Kielburger, fouder of Free the Childre, spoke at the New Caaa Tee Ceter last November, he referred specifically to the extraordiary St. A s School of Bridgeport. He told his listeers It s studets like these that give me hope for the future. He told me, You re oe of the most active clubs i the Uited States! says Pilotti. This summer the studets fudraisig efforts paid off whe Gabby foud herself, boots o the groud i Keya, leadig the delegatio to help build their latest school. More tha heavy work, heat, dust ad the traditioal Masai gift of a goat the studets brought home some hard lessos. People eed to kow that poverty is a real thig, Joey told the televisio audiece. Kids starvig at four or five years old St. Pius X Dier Dace GALA EVENING (l-r) Dr. Robert ad Kathlee Russo, Grace ad Rube Rodriguez, ad Grace ad Eugee Fairfield were preseted St. Pius X Service Awards at the St. Pius X Faith Ceter Dier Dace Gala held at The Coutry Club of Fairfield. Parish Trustees Deis Sulliva ad Erest Pierso, alog with their spouses, served as hosts for the eveig. Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., seior vice presidet of Fairfield Uiversity was the featured speaker. The assistace that participats gave us by meas of the Gala is of critical importace to the completio of our ew Faith Ceter buildig, says Fr. Michael Dogali, pastor of St. Pius (ceter above). The ew, 14,000 square foot Faith Ceter icludes a small chapel, a library, choir room, parish offices, ad a large commuity room for various fuctios. The Faith Ceter is expected to be completed i Sprig is a real thig i the world. They eed to kow that ot everyoe ca just go dowstairs, tur o a tap, ad get a glass of water. Not everyoe has a proper educatio. You should really be thakful for Newspapers Publicatios Shoppers Catalogs Magazies Directories Coupo Books College Course Catalogs Busiess & Fiacial Periodicals Free Stadig Iserts Advertisig Supplemets A WIDE BAND OVER HER HEAD helps Magdalea Dutkowska distribute the heavy weight of water o her back. Youg wome i Keya carry water this way daily. Magdalea was part of a cotiget from St. A School who traveled to Keya to help build a school with Free the Childre. She is joied i the photo at left by some of the school s ew studets, who might otherwise ot gai the chace of a educatio. The St. A studets efforts were featured o the CBS televisio program 60 Miutes. the thigs you have. Most of all, Joey told the televisio audiece especially the youg They eed to kow that they ca be the chage i the world. We are the proud priters of the Fairfield Couty Catholic for the past 20 years. 205 Sprig Hill Road, Trumbull CT Call us for a free quote.

6 6 December 2012 Local News Pax Christi awarded to Prep seior By PAT HENNESSY David Maloof II, a seior at Fairfield Prep ad a member of St. Joh Parish i Darie, has bee awarded the Eilee Ega Peacemaker Award from Pax Christi. David received the prestigious award for his work i helpig to create a basketball facility at a Palestiia Christia refugee camp i Beirut, Lebao. Pax Christi (the words are Lati for the peace of Christ ) is a global Catholic peace movemet with braches i more tha fifty coutries. The Uited States brach has its headquarters i New York City. Natioallyreowed wiers of Pax Christi Peacemaker Awards have icluded actor Marti Shee, whose passio for social justice comes from his Catholic faith; the celebrated Jesuit priest author ad peace activist, Fr. Joh Dear, S.J., who has also bee omiated for the Nobel Peace Prize; ad Sr. Hele Prejea, America s leadig advocate for the abolitio of the death pealty. The award was based o David s efforts, over the past several years, to create a basketball court ad add a pig pog table to the refugee camp. Before that, the oly sports outlet for childre i the camp was a dirt soccer field. This past summer, at the request of camp leaders, he Nov. 15 Feb. 3 1 State Street, New Have kofcmuseum.org Free admissio & parkig retured with his father to ru a basketball cliic for childre at the camp. David s uderstadig of the importace of service is wove throughout his life. It bega i his early years at St. Aloysius School i New Caaa ad was fostered by the attitudes ad activities of his family, who have always bee active i parish ad commuity projects to help the less fortuate. That uderstadig has matured at Prep, where a focus o Igatia Spirituality aims to lead each studet to become a ma for others. We wat the guys to develop a mature theological approach to social justice, says Matt Tellis, who teaches theology to juiors ad seiors at Prep. We wat them to figure out what their values are ad how that impacts their lives. David s jourey to Lebao ad ultimately, to the Pax Christi award bega whe his father (also amed David) became iterested i tracig the family s roots. David s great-gradfather had come to America i a early wave of Lebaese immigratio, arrivig here i His father made cotact with some cousis still livig i Lebao ad arraged for a visit. At that time David was still i middle school. My dad felt that, with so may issues goig o i the coutry, goig just to the tourist part would t help us uderstad the coutry, he explais. So the elder Maloof cotacted the Catholic Near East Welfare Associatio, a papal agecy for humaitaria ad pastoral support. They put together a tour that icluded both the coutry s tourist attractios ad locatios that highlighted tesios i Lebao ad throughout the Middle East, icludig the Dbayeh camp for Christia refugees located just outside Beirut. The ijustice implicit i the camp s existece was a eyeopeer for a youg ma about to eter eighth grade. They re called refugees, but the Christia Palestiias have bee there for about 80 years, David explais. The Lebaese have ruled that they ca live i these camps, but they ca t become Lebaese citizes. They ca t build roofs o their houses, because uder Lebaese law a roof would make them permaet resideces. They ca have a piece of ti over the top to keep out the rai, but that s all. David poits out that he grew up i a geeratio that has see practically everythig, thaks to streamig video, the Iteret ad YouTube. Eve so, to meet people, to put myself i their positio, to reflect that this would be your etire life, with very few opportuities for aythig differet they ca t become doctors or lawyers. Eve registerig to create a busiess or get a drivers licese is very difficult for them. Igatia spirituality is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for decisio makers. David could t chage Middle East politics, but i coversatios with camp directors he leared that America basketball was becomig a iteratioal sport ad was gaiig a followig i Lebao. This was somethig he could work with. With the help of a Garage Sale at St. Joh s, ad two New Year s Day Polar Bear Swims i Newport, RI, (for oe, David ad his sister, Julia, did the swim as Power Ragers; this year he ad his ucle did it at Batma ad Robi), David raised eough fuds to build a basketball hoop at the camp ad supply the kids with basketballs, with moey left over for a pig pog table ad equipmet. David s cotributio sowballed. The Italia Embassy had voluteered to build a water tower for the camp. Whe they saw the kids playig basketball, they pitched i to fiish a etire basketball court. It looks like a full court i the U.S., David says. This year camp officials ivited David ad his dad back to ru a 10-day basketball cliic. Although his sport of choice at Prep is wrestlig, David had played basketball at St. Aloysius, ad plays at the YMCA i A STRIKING CONTRAST: coached by Fairfield Prep seior David Maloof, yougsters at Dbayeh refugee camp i Lebao eergetically practice their basketball skills. Behid the court lies a abadoed priso. David has bee amed a recipiet of the prestigious Pax Christi Peacemaker Award for his work to build the basketball court. Darie. We set up three teams, taught them defesive drills, had them practice free throws ad ru layup lies, he explais. Corey Deis, a theology teacher at Prep ad David s wrestlig coach, has kow him well over his years at the school ad is proud of his efforts to help the yougsters at the Dbayeh camp. Dave does t see this as service, he sees this as justice, he says. I the iterest of makig his cotributio more cosistet i the future, David will be cotactig uiversities i Beirut i the hope of gettig studet voluteers iterested i cotiuig the basketball cliics. The family hopes to retur to Lebao i David has t yet picked his college choice. He kows, though, that he would like to study iteratioal politics, with a eye to workig i the State Departmet or the U.N. Your whole life should be about helpig others it s ot somethig you do o weekeds, he says. It started with my family, ad Prep has really clarified this for me. David, alog with other wiers, will be preseted with the Pax Christi award at a formal ceremoy i the Sprig.

7 December Catholic Charities Breakfast with Fr. Alle NORWALK Sayig Mass every day ad i may places aroud the world has bee the greatest joy i his life, Fr. Charles Alle, S.J., said at the 21 st Aual Celebrity Breakfast of Catholic Charities. The evet, held at Shorehave Coutry Club i Norwalk, raised more tha $12,000 for the behavioral health programs ad Room to Grow Early Childhood Ceter sposored by Catholic Charities i Norwalk. Betty Huter of Norwalk, presidet of the Advisory Board, served as chair, while board member Ed Bagulo of Westport was the master of ceremoies for the evet. If I could t offer Mass, I would t wat to do aythig, Fr. Alle, who is special assistat to the presidet of Fairfield Uiversity, said. The experiece COMMUNITY LEADERS Betty Huter of Norwalk, presidet of the Catholic Charities Advisory Board, ad Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia get together at the Celebrity Breakfast held at Shorehave Coutry Club. of the Mass uites us i love, charity ad oeess with Christ. I a talk that was humorous ad reflective, Fr. Alle metioed that he ever gets upset whe people arrive late, because his father ad family arrived late for Suday Mass for years. Our church had a upstairs Mass ad a dowstairs Mass, he recalled, Ad my father waited outside to see who was preachig at each oe before he decided to go i. With his trademark humor, Fr. Alle said weddig Masses are amog his favorite to celebrate, but he ofte wars the bride to beware of the flower girls, who will upstage them every time. He described oe recet weddig, where flowers were strew beautifully dow the ceter aisle by two flower girls while the yougest iocetly followed behid pickig them all up. The cogregatio reacted with laughter. He discussed memorable Masses i his life, icludig oe last summer at a orphaage for severely disabled youg people i Nicaragua, ad oe i a remote Philippie village, where the people lived without ay moder techology or coveiece yet sag America Christmas carols as part of their recessioal hym. Fr. Alle said that while celebratig Mass for youg people i other coutries, he ofte fids himself thikig of the childre served by Room to Grow i Norwalk ad other diocesa programs that serve youg people i Fairfield Couty. Fr. Alle was itroduced by Michael Titrup, actig chief operatig officer of Catholic Charities, who oted that Kudlow is good compay Noted fiacial commetator, CNBC-TV host, ad ecoomist Larry Kudlow speaks at the recet Aual Catholic Charities of Dabury Celebrity Breakfast, while board member Attorey Fra Pearola looks o. Almost 200 commuity, busiess ad Church leaders tured out for the evet, which raised $32,000 for the metal health ad utritio programs of Catholic Charities. Durig his talk, he took time to praise the work of Catholic Charities for their efforts i empowerig people ad helpig families i crisis. Kudlow, a parishioer of St. Patrick Parish i Reddig, discussed his ow struggles with substace abuse as a youg ma ad how embracig the Catholic faith ad seekig professioal couselig helped him to take cotrol of his life. He also focused o the eed for ecoomic growth ad job creatio. I a iterestig questio ad aswer sessio, Kudlow talked about alterative eergy, the fiscal cliff ad fiacial challeges ahead. ENCORE! (Above) Fr. Charles Alle, special assistat to the presidet of Fairfield Uiversity, did the hoors oce agai at the 21st Aual Celebrity Breakfast of Catholic Charities of Norwalk. With his mix of humor ad thoughtful reflectio, Fr. Alle etertaied ad elighteed the gatherig of 160 frieds of Catholic Charities. WAITER! (left) Msgr. William Scheyd, pastor of St. Aloysius parish i New Caaa, wore the waiter s apro ad served breakfast to the me ad wome at his table. He the got to collect large tips to support the couselig ad child care programs of the agecy. Photos by Amy Mortese Catholic Charities sposors 33 social programs throughout the diocese. Titrup thaked the me ad wome who came to support the agecy s work i Norwalk. What s beig doe i our ame ad i Our Lord s ame every day leads to a restoratio of lives, he told them. I ve see the healig that takes place. We are grateful for your cotiued support for those who are margialized i this society. Catholic Charities of Norwalk provides couselig, ceter-based childcare adoptio, ad metal health services to Norwalk, New Caaa, Wilto ad Westport. The couselig ad family service office is located at Oe Park St., Norwalk. Room to Grow Childcare Ceter is located at 208 East Ave., Norwalk. (For more iformatio o Catholic Charities services i Norwalk, call or jgauthier@ ccfc-ct.org.) Beefit Plaig Services, LLC Isurace Made Simple For you, your family, your busiess 2 Great Isurace Brokers i 1 coveiet locatio James P. Murphy & Associates Auto & Home, Busiess, Cotractors Professioal Liability Isurace 3 Belde Aveue, Norwalk, Coecticut (203) or

8 8 December 2012 World ad Natioal News Cocetrate o Jesus, ot ed-of-the-world prophecies VATICAN CITY Christias should ot cocer themselves with predictios of the ed of the world, Pope Beedict XVI told his midday audiece o November 18. The Pope s commets focused o the day s Gospel readig from Mark, chapter 13, particularly verse 32: But of that day or hour, o oe kows, either the agels i heave, or the So, but oly the Father. The Pope said that Jesus, i speakig about the ed times, wishes to esure that his disciples i every age remai umoved by dates ad predictios. The essetial thig for Christias, the Pope observed, is uio with Christ. I speakig about the ed of the world, Jesus uses Old Testamet imagery to describe a future that exceeds our ow categories of comprehesio, the Pope said. Most importat, Jesus remids his disciples that their focus should be o a ew ceter: Himself, the mystery of his perso, his death ad resurrectio. I Biblical laguage, the Pope cotiued, the Word of God is the origi of creatio. With the Icaratio, the Word of God takes o flesh ad Jesus becomes the true firmamet that guides ma s thoughts ad actios o earth. Pope Beedict ow tweets VATICAN CITY O December 3, the Vatica aouced that Pope Beedict XVI will begi tweetig uder the a term for the pope that meas bridge builder i Lati. Withi hours of the aoucemet, he had more tha 250,000 followers, ad the umber icreases every time ARSILLIOS M Televisio Appliaces Sub-Zero Wolf Vikig Thermador Audio Video Custom Home Theater Best Service ad Prices Family owed ad operated sice Black Rock Turpike Fairfield, CT FAX Trips to Scotlad, Frace, Irelad, Shries of Europe ad much more.. ragig from $3,599 $4,699 for Prices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/airfare from aywhere i the cotietal USA Italy Wide/Switzerlad: Apr. 6-18, Apr Italy Regular: Apr. 6-14, Apr , Apr Holy Lad: Apr. 1-11, Apr. 8-18, Apr Holy Lad/Italy: Apr. 1-14, Apr. 8-21, Apr Italy South: Apr. 27-May 9, May 4-16, May athoy@proximotravel.com Pope Beedict XVI started tweetig i six laguages from his ow persoal o December Carmela A. Dupuis Executive Director the scree is refreshed. The Pope lauched his Twitter accout o Wedesday, December 12, i his geeral audiece. He had bee takig questios i advace o matters of faith via the hashtag #askpotifex. May of those may be touched o i those first tweets. The Pope s presece o Twitter is the latest iitiative aimed to reach the Church s 1.2 billio followers, especially youg people. The Pope s presece o Twitter ca be see as the tip of the iceberg that is the Church s presece i the world of ew media, the Vatica said i a statemet. Rector of largest U.S. Episcopal church became Catholic HOUSTON, TX Rev. Larry Gipso, who was oce rector of St. Marti s church i Housto where his parishioers icluded former U.S. Presidet George H. W. Bush has etered the Persoal Ordiariate of St. Peter, set up to welcome Aglicas i the Uited States who seek to eter the Catholic Church. I m thakful to the Episcopal Church, he said. I spet my life there. All my frieds ad people I love are i it. I do ot i ay way wish to deigrate it. I m ot agry. I was seekig somethig that I ve bee logig for, for a log time. Rev. Gipso, who has bee attedig Mass regularly at the church of Our Lady of Walsigham i Housto, has bee studyig for ordiatio ito the Catholic priesthood. This year, the ordiariate has already ordaied 24 priests, with 69 i preparatio. I was a Episcopal priest for 42 years, Rev. Gipso said. I ca t imagie ot beig a priest. I m axious to get back to priestly work. Access to eeds, ot dollars, is stadard for defiig poverty VATICAN CITY Poverty must be uderstood ot oly i terms of a shortage of moey, but also i terms of a lack of access to educatio, health care, ad other assets, Peter Cardial Turkso, the presidet of the Potifical Coucil for Justice ad Peace, told Vatica Radio. He spoke to Vatica Radio ahead of the Why Poverty iitiative that took place November 29. Cardial Turkso observed that i the past, someoe livig o $1 a day was defied as poor. But the problem might be better defied i terms of access to educatio, health care, ad fair wages. Oe may be able to make $1 a day ad still have o access to these thigs, he said, addig, Lately we have begu to iclude the right to eergy ad clea water. Basically, we re ivited to wide this cocept to what makes for healthy livig, as it s ot just what you have i your pocket. He called Catholic Social Teachig oe of the most powerful tools for huma developmet. It provides, he says, the basic sese of huma digity which geerates various forms of huma rights. Risig umber of Catholics i U.S. Cogress WASHINGTON, DC Followig the 2012 electio, the umber of Catholics i Cogress will rise from 156 (29%) to 161 (30%). 56% of members of the ew Cogress are Protestats: 14% are Baptists, 9% are Methodists, ad 8% are Presbyterias. I additio, 6% of members of the ew Cogress are Jews, ad 3% are Mormos. I the 113th Cogress, 54% of Catholics i the House of Represetatives, ad 67% of Catholics i the Seate, will be Democrats. Swiss Guards release Christmas CD VATICAN CITY The Swiss Guards, i cojuctio with harpist Daiela Lorez, have SWISS GUARDS form i processio i St. Peter Square, Vatica City. released a CD, Weihachte mit der Schweizergarde (Christmas with the Swiss Guard). Most of them are Germa Christmas sogs, so they are well kow i the Germa part of Europe, but they are just istrumetals, without sigig, without lyrics, said oe of the five Swiss Guards who joied

9 December World ad Natioal News i recordig the CD, which was recorded at the studios of Vatica Radio. It features five Swiss Guards ad Paraguaya harpist Daiela Lorez performig well kow favorites such as Little Drummer Boy, Silet Night ad Adeste Fideles as well as a umber of other Germa ad Italia carols. The CD is available at itues ad at several Europea olie vedors. Church urges circle of protectio for poor i budget debate WASHINGTON, DC Catholic social teachig s cocer for huma life ad digity stood frot ad ceter as the role of the federal spedig was debated by political leaders ad assessed by the electorate i a presidetial electio year. Throughout the debate, the chairme of two committees of the U.S. Coferece of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reewed their call for a circle of protectio aroud federally fuded programs beefittig poor ad vulerable people. Our ogoig cocers remai cetered o the care for the poor ad most vulerable i society, said Bishop Stephe E. Blaire of Stockto, CA, chairma of the bishops Committee o Domestic Justice ad Huma Developmet. We caot eglect them as we seek to stabilize our political ecoomy. While it is certaily a good to be accomplished i terms of creatig a more stable ecoomy with a balaced budget, it would ot be beeficial to have such efforts result i a wider gap betwee those who are rich ad those who are poor. The commo good requires that the people who are hurtig the most will ot be hurtig eve more as a result of efforts that are beig take to improve the ecoomy, he said. Meawhile, Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moies, Iowa, chairma of the bishops Committee o Iteratioal Justice ad Peace, called for cotiued fudig of poverty-focused iteratioal assistace, which ecompasses programs such as HIV/ AIDS treatmet, disaster aid, refugee services, health care, support for small farmers ad aid to orphaed childre. Such spedig totalig $20.2 billio i fiscal year 2012, comprisig about 0.6 percet of the federal budget helps promote huma developmet ad builds peace amog atios, he said. At the same time, Fr. Larry Syder, presidet of Catholic Charities USA, focused his agecy s message to Cogress durig the budget egotiatios o prevetig drastic cuts i fudig for social service programs as well as protectig the charitable tax deductio that has existed sice Our cocer is that they do t try to take the easy way out, which is see as cuttig the services to the poor, Fr. Syder told Catholic News Service. That s too easy, ad too ofte the poor become the folks o whose backs the budget gets balaced. Ma hurls pait cas at Polad s Black Madoa WARSAW, Polad O December 9, a ma hurled cas of pait at Polad s most sacred ico i a attack that failed to damage the Black Madoa of Jasa Gora but shocked may i the stauchly Catholic coutry. The 58-year-old attacker was detaied by guards at the moastery holdig the revered depictio of Mary ad the baby Jesus i the souther city of Czestochowa, police said. The ico is shielded by a protective plate of glass ad was uharmed. The moastery became a symbol of atioal pride after Poles successfully defeded it agaist ivadig Swedish troops i the 17th cetury. Accordig to leged, the sacred image was paited by St. Luke ad helped repel the foreig soldiers. Solidarity leader Lech Walesa kept his 1983 Nobel Peace Prize medal at the moastery for safekeepig beyod the reach of the coutry s the commuist rulers, who regarded the award as part of a Wester plot. Thousads of Poles make pilgrimages to the moastery every year to see the ico. Catholic School i Quebec loses religious freedom case MONTREAL, Caada A appeals court i the provice of Quebec has ruled that a Catholic school is legally obliged to offer a state-sposored ethics course that coflicts with the teachigs of the Church. The school, a Jesuit istitutio located i Motreal, had take its case to court after the educatio miister refused to allow the school to substitute its ow ethics course, taught from a Catholic perspective, for the govermet s curriculum. Loyola High School first took legal actio i 2008, whe a educatio miister refused to grat equivalecy to the school s Morals ad World Religios course. The miister argued that Loyola s course is taught from a Catholic viewpoit, whereas the state course requires religios to be taught from a secular ad religiously eutral perspective. Marie Bourque, vice-presidet of the Catholic Parets Associatio of Quebec, said the decisio ifriges o the rights of parets to choose a educatio for their childre i lie with their faith ad values. Both the Catholic Church ad the UN Declaratio of Huma Rights state that paretal rights i educatio are essetial ad must be upheld. Loyola High School is ow weighig a appeal to the Caadia Supreme Court. Chia puishes faithful Catholic bishop SHANGHAI, Chia Chia s govermet-cotrolled Catholic bishops coferece has revoked its recogitio for Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqi as a auxiliary of the Shaghai diocese i the latest i a series of puishmets for the bishop after he resiged from the Catholic Patriotic Associatio. Bishop Ma has bee uder house arrest sice his ordiatio i July. At that ceremoy he aouced that he was leavig the Patriotic Associatio, ad he cospicuously declied to share Commuio with other bishops who were ordaied without the Vatica s approval. Bishop Ma had origially bee ordaied with the approval of both Rome ad Beijig. Chiese authorities quickly revoked their approval, however, after his highly public rebuke of the Patriotic Associatio. Both the Patriotic Associatio ad the bishops coferece, established by the govermet, have bee deouced by Pope Beedict XVI as clear efforts to exert political cotrol over the Church. Catholics ad Muslim cooperate i promotig justice ROME, Italy Catholic ad Muslim Cooperatio i promotig justice i the cotemporary world was the theme of the eighth colloquium of the Potifical Coucil for Iterreligious Dialogue ad the Cetre for Iter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture ad Relatios Orgaisatio (ICRO). The meetig was held i Rome from November Both sides expressed their awareess of ad cocer for curret challeges, icludig the ecoomic crisis, the evirometal issue, the weakeig of the family as a basic istitutio of society ad threats to world peace. The participats, recogizig both areas of commoality ad differece, focused o commo groud ad shared values, icludig the belief i oe God. The ext colloquium will take place i Tehra, Ira, i two years.

10 10 December 2012 Local News St. Emery celebrates 80th aiversary O November 11, St. Emery Parish i Fairfield held its 80th aiversary celebratio, a occasio which also observed their patro sait s Feast Day, November 5. The celebratio icluded a Suday Mass eriched by a hoor guard from the Kights of Columbus. A lucheo followed i the parish hall. I hoor of the parish s Hugaria heritage, a typical stuffed cabbage dier was served, icludig bread ad butter, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa ad mashed potatoes, ad edig with hoey cookies, tea ad coffee. Fr. Steve Balit, pastor of St. Ladislaus Parish i South Norwalk, the other parish i the Diocese of Bridgeport boastig of Hugaria heritage, said the grace i Hugaria. The history of St. Emery s is the tale of Hugaria immigrats who settled i this area determied to build a church, a parish, ad a commuity of their beloved Catholic faith. Uder the guidace of the Fracisca Friars ad foudig pastor, Fr. Beedict Biro, O.F.M., the parish was formed i 1932 ad placed uder the patroage of Sait Emeric (Emery) of Hugary. St. Emery s Church was dedicated o November 5 of that year. While St. Emery s cotiues to treasure its Hugaria roots, over the years it has welcomed ew parishioers of every ethic heritage. Its associatio with the Fracisca Order eded i 2011, ad St. Emery s became a parish commuity uder the Diocese of Bridgeport, i close associatio with the Church of Holy Family i Fairfield. Fr. Guido Motaaro, pastor of Holy Family, is St. Emery s parish admiistrator. Now, because... you ad your loved oes make the decisios, ot others. Now, because... you are uder ormal emotioal circumstaces. Now, because... you ca purchase memorial property out of curret icome. Now, because... cemeteries are ot exempt from escalatig costs. Now, because... at a time of eed, cemetery property must be paid for i full before it may be used. 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Dabury, CT (203) DARIEN St. Joh Cemetery 25 Camp Aveue Darie, CT (203) GREENWICH St. Mary - Putam Cemetery 399 North Street Greewich, CT (203) (203) NEWTOWN Resurrectio Cemetery c/o Gate of Heave Cemetery 1056 Daiels Farm Road Trumbull, CT (203) NORWALK St. Mary - St. Joh Cemetery 223 Richards Aveue Norwalk, CT (203) STAMFORD Quee of Peace Cemetery c/o St. Joh Cemetery 25 Camp Aveue Darie, CT (203) TRUMBULL Gate of Heave Cemetery 1056 Daiels Farm Road Trumbull, CT (203) WESTPORT Assumptio, Grees Farms Assumptio, Kigs Highway c/o St. Joh Cemetery 223 Richards Aveue Norwalk, CT (203) Vulerable from page 3 state hospitals. It s devastatig. This is the largest hit I ve see i my 23 years here, Cole says. She s cocered that may people are t aware of the impact that the cuts will have o the most vulerable i our society. Mark Grasso says the cuts to the Food Stamp program will put a additioal strai o o-profits that do most of the heavy liftig whe it comes to feedig the poor i our state. Take a look aroud at who s feedig the poor. It s the churches ad o-profit groups that are doig the work eve as demad icreases. The federal govermet has ever really bee i the emergecy food busiess, says Grasso, who otes that places like Merto Ceter ad its voluteers have really bee challeged by the growig demad ad the eed to improve the quality of food provided. Coderio says the ewly impoverished group of people who are over 50 ofte ed up livig i their cars ad are at risk for serious problems. Evetually they may wader ito Morig Glory for breakfast or ito a shelter as they become icreasigly desperate. Oe thig that all agree o is that at a time of budget cuttig o the state ad atioal level, o-profits that receive state grats to care for the homeless ad metally ill are a bargai for tax payers. Coderio says that as a taxpayer as well as a outreach worker, she is ifuriated by waste ad committed to results. I like to remid people that o-profits are the best at beig efficiet ad effective. Every dime is put ito cliet use ad lookig at log-term solutios. People should kow we use best practices ad ivest the moey i thigs that work. We have a 90% housed rate o discharge for our homeless cliets. We re movig them forward. Cole says Catholic Charities agrees that Catholic Charities programs metal health programs ot oly help people i crisis but, As a o-profit, we ca provide commuity-based services at a fractio of the cost of the state, which is itrisically more bureaucratic ad has so may levels. But with the proposed cuts, we will have cliets comig our way ad o real way to serve them.

11 December Local News Chiese studets add ew perspective to Triity By PAT HENNESSY It s hard to be away from home at such a youg age, says Athoy Pavia, pricipal of Triity Catholic High School i Stamford, speakig of the Chiese exchage studets at Triity. You have to admire their courage ad their determiatio. Eleve Chiese studets arrived at Triity this semester through a program sposored by Edubosto, which specializes i providig educatioal opportuities i the U. S. for middle ad high school age studets from all over the world. Begu i Massachusetts, the compay has expaded to Coecticut for the first time this school year. This semester, Edubosto has placed studets ot oly at Triity but at Notre Dame Catholic High School i Fairfield ad St. Joseph High School i Trumbull. There are curretly 15 Chiese studets studyig i diocesa high schools through the program, with more to joi them i the upcomig semester. America is the most powerful coutry i the world, says Wega Zheg, who is a seior at Triity this year, explaiig why he made the sacrifice to study here. I wat to lear how the America people thik ad brig that back to Chia. The two elemets that have struck him most forcefully are the idepedece of America studets ad the emphasis our culture puts o relatioships. You sit dow at the table at dier ad talk as a family, he observes. Outside of the family, you lear how to commuicate with others to make a relatioship better. Wega ad the other exchage studets at Triity also wat to go o to higher educatio here. Uiversities i the Uited States are the best, he says. It s easier ot oly to get ito a America uiversity but to succeed there with a few years i high school behid them. As little kids i Chia we leared Eglish but it was differet from America Eglish, ad it was t useful, explais freshma Gabby Cui. We leared grammar, ad there was a lot of readig. She adds with a laugh, Sometimes, i class, we kow the grammar better tha the America kids. Gabby s dream is to atted Colombia Uiversity i New York. Beyod that, her ambitio will come as a surprise to those who suppose all Chiese studets to be iterested i math ad sciece. I love all thigs about fashio, she says. My mom wats me to be a desiger. Other Triity classmates are still fidig their footig, learig to fit i with the ecouragemet of their host families. I have a good family, says Tom Deg. They wat to lear about Chia ad Chiese traditio. I was surprised about that. Tom ad classmate Calvi Shi ejoy the additioal beefit of friedships they ve made as members of Triity s football team. I ve made may frieds because of the team, says Calvi. Some of them have the same classes I do ad the same homeroom. Oe of my frieds lives ear our house. Sometimes his father will pick me up ad brig me over there. Home Care o Call PROFESSIONAL CARE IN THE COMFORTS OF HOME Compassioate I-Home Care Persoal Care Trasportatio Medical Remiders Meal Preparatio for Shoppig & Errads Light Housekeepig No-Medical Private Pay Log-Term Care Isurace Accepted Licesed Boded Isured Co-ower Laura Icerto is a member of St. Athoy Parish i Fairfield. I may ways it s easier for the boys, observes Pavia. They re less ihibited. You see them with their teammates, givig high fives ad slappig each other o the back. Socially, it s a little harder o the girls. I thik that, over time, their academic success will help their social cofidece. The studets ad their host families get strog support from Edubosto. We try to see that they re bledig i socially ad academically, says Rose Naista, a member of St. Matthew Parish i Norwalk, who is i charge of the Coecticut exchage program. A support group for studets SAMPLING THE CAKE, (Above) Chiese exchage studet Gabby Cui ejoys a America birthday party with sisters (l-r) Gemma ad Kirsty at Kirsty s 15th birthday. Welcomig host families are key to makig the studets experiece successful. THEY RE ALL WINNERS! (Left) Rick Che flashes a high five at a impromptu Go Kart outig for Chiese exchage studets at Triity Catholic ad their host family. ad their host families provides outigs that ca focus o cultural erichmet or somethig fu like a afteroo racig Go Karts. Studets ad their families may go to New York City durig the holidays or visit Washigto, DC. Upcomig evets might iclude a Christmas Party. All of it is ew to them, says Naista, whose family is hostig two studets i additio to their ow teeage daughters. Pavia believes that the exchage studets are ot the oly oes who beefit from the exchage program. They brig a differet perspective to the classroom. Just by beig here, they make all our studets more ope to differet cultures. They make Triity a classroom of life, a classroom of the world. (Edubosto is lookig for host families who ca give a iteratioal studet a warm family atmosphere for the upcomig semester. Iterested families ca call Naista: ) homecareocall@gmail.com 1720 Post Road East Westport, Coecticut Home Care o Call is a diviso of ASearch, LLC, Co. DCP Reg.HCA

12 12 December 2012 Local News Vaccaro iducted ito Vets Hall of Fame Carmie Vaccaro, a member of Holy Spirit Parish i Stamford ad a 4th degree Kight i the Kights of Columbus, was oe of a doze me iducted ito the Coecticut Veteras Hall of Fame o November 12. Vaccaro served as a U.S. Navy hospital corpsma durig the Korea War. State leaders headed by Gov. Dael P. Malloy ad Lt. Goveror Nacy Wyma paid tribute to the veteras durig the iductio ceremoy, which was atteded by Departmet of Veteras Affairs Commissioer Lida Schwartz ad state Seator Carlo Leoe of Stamford, the co-chairma of the legislature s veteras committee. The Coecticut Veteras Hall of Fame was established to icrease the awareess of the lifetime cotributios of veteras after completio of their military service. It is ot a military hall of fame, the Commissioer s Office emphasizes. Those selected for the hoor of iductio are veteras who hoorably served their coutry through military service ad who cotiue to serve ad ispire their fellow ma, their omiatio form states. They all have made sigificat impacts o the lives of others ad their commuities. Vaccaro graduated from New Have State Teachers College, ad eared three separate master s degrees: from New Have State, Fordham Uiversity ad Fairfield Uiversity. He served as a teacher i the Stamford Public School system for 36 years, teachig sciece ad physical educatio. His love of sports he had played football i college led to him to work as a referee, officiatig games for high school football, soccer, wrestlig, volleyball, basketball, baseball ad softball. At 82 years youg, he still works as the official timekeeper for sports at Darie High School. Much as he loves sports, Vaccaro s first love is his Catholic Quality health plas & beefits Healthier livig Fiacial well-beig Itelliget solutios Live healthier. Live happier. Aeta is proud to support the Diocese of Bridgeport ad Catholic Charities of Fairfield Couty. We wish the readers of the Fairfield Couty Catholic very healthy holidays! 2012 Aeta Ic

13 December Local News faith ad his home parish, Holy Spirit. Livig the Gospel message, he ot oly voluteers at Holy Spirit but with the Kights of Columbus, America Legio, Food Bak, New Coveat House of Hospitality, Toys for Tots ad other charitable orgaizatios. He told The Stamford Times that oe of his biggest joys is the time he speds at Smith House Nursig ad Rehabilitatio Ceter workig as a Eucharistic miister, holdig prayer services ad doig the readigs at Mass. Wheever they eed some kid of religious help, I offer my services, he told the Times. Recogitio of veteras through the Coecticut Veteras Hall of Fame bega i The first group o iductees that year icluded the 41st Presidet of the Uited States, George Herbert Walker Bush. To date, sixty-oe veteras of Coecticut have bee hoored. I was willig to serve, ad if I had to serve agai, I would, Vaccaro told the Times. I wat to be remembered as oe who gave back ad was uselfish. My commuity gave me so much that I wat to give back to my commuity. I wat to be kow as oe who did ot take, but who gave. CARMINE VACCARO IS CONGRATULATED by Lt. Goveror Nacy Wyma at the iductio ceremoy for the Coecticut Veteras Hall of Fame, established to recogize the lifetime cotributios of veteras to their commuity. Proud Priters of Fairfield Couty Catholic Kow-how is supportig the commuities where we live ad work. H a y Holidays! We are proud to support the Fairfield Couty Catholic. Wishig you ad your families a joyful ad peaceful holiday. 205 Sprig Hill Road Trumbull CT Ivestmet Products ad Asset held i a fiduciary accout are ot deposits, or other obligatio, are ot guarateed by People s Uited Bak, are ot isured by the FDIC, by ay other govermet agecy, or by People s Uited Bak, or ay of its affiliates, ad may lose value People s Uited Bak Formerly kow as Beardsley, Brow ad Bassett 850 Mai Street, Bridgeport, CT

14 14 EDITORIAL Tough Choices Advet was days away ad Christmas lights were already ledig cheer to dark streets whe the State of Coecticut aouced a budget that would cut food stamps, aid to eedy families, ad metal health programs. (See the story o page 3.) Large deficits have left the state to face difficult choices, ad the cutbacks challege Catholics ad all people of goodwill as we prepare to celebrate this most joyous seaso. We decorate our homes at Christmas, defyig the darkest time of year. We visit ad exchage gifts, sharig warmth ad love. I every church at every Mass aroud the etire world, Catholics will pray for the poor ad afflicted, ad most importatly we will celebrate the birth of the Kig of Kigs, who humbled himself to be bor a little baby: homeless, cold, ad vulerable. There are other babies out there. If Christmas meas aythig, it meas we ca t igore them ot-yet-bor babies carried i their mothers womb, little oes still eedig baby food, kids i troubled families that eed a little couselig to keep thigs together. Christmas carries a challege this year. The Babe of Bethlehem calls Catholics to read the ews, plow through the statistics, become ivolved i the budget process, make our voices heard. It s ot fu, it s ot tisel. It is a part of the real work of Christmas as we celebrate the light of Christ i the world. Christmas Blessigs The diocese comes to life i a very special way at Christmas each year. People are busy makig preparatios; parishes are hostig advet prayer services ad cocerts; social cocers committees are ready to reach out by feedig the hugry ad deliverig presets to the poor; ad our priests are i full swig with the myriad of parish activities that make our lives more fulfillig ad joyful. Blessigs aboud i our diocese, ad we have so may gifts to put uder our tree: vibrat parishes, remarkable schools, compassioate social services, devoted priests, deacos, sisters ad religious, ad the shared expressio of our deep ad abidig faith together all the makigs of a great Christmas. Perhaps Christmas has eve more meaig because it is urtured by the geerous ad faithful givig by so may throughout the year. O behalf of the diocese, we thak you for your support, ad wish our readers ad their families a very happy ad holy Christmas. Silet Night/ Eveig News I the cotiuous loop of Christmas stadards o the radio, the 1966 versio of Silet Night by Simo ad Garfukel is seldom played, perhaps i part because its message dims the Christmas spirit. The reditio begis with their sweet ifusio of harmoies over a whisperig of the eveig ews. As the carol builds, their voices grow faiter, almost spectral, while the ews report gets louder, just short of stridet. The effect is disturbig, because it jolts us out of a warm Christmas feelig to face the reality of the harsh ad ugly ews we live by. As adults we kow the world does ot chage from oe Christmas to the ext, ad that peace o earth remais elusive. But the child i us wats to believe otherwise, ad as people of faith, we must. I his stories, Charles Dickes gave us Christmas as a chage of heart, opeig of the spirit, ad a reewed sese of geerosity, but the Church gives us eve greater expectatios: that we ca share i the light of Christ ad fulfill our deepest logig for uio with God. Perhaps it s time we tur dow the volume of the ightly ews ad fid peace i the true gift of Christmas. Office of Commuicatios Diocese of Bridgeport 238 Jewett Aveue Bridgeport, Coecticut telephoe fax fcc@diobpt.org web Couty Catholics USPS o.: Periodical postage paid at Bridgeport, CT 06601, ad additioal mailig offices. Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, JCD Publisher Bria D. Wallace Executive Editor bwallace@ccfc-ct.org Pat Heessy Maagig Editor pheessy@diobpt.org Reée Stamatis Art Director rstamatis@diobpt.org Ralph Lazzaro Advertisig Maager rlazzaro@diobpt.org Bria A. Wallace Graphic Desiger bwallace@diobpt.org Jill Moroe Office Maager/Admi jmoroe@diobpt.org Soia Burs Spaish Editor* soiarburs@yahoo.com Madelie Ghilardi Copy Editor* * Cosultats December 2012 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Christmas i the Year of Faith I the sixth moth, the Agel Gabriel was set from God to a tow of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgi betrothed to a ma amed Joseph... (Luke 1:26-27) Have you oticed that may of the symbols that we have associated with Christmas over the years are ow called by secular ames? Christmas trees are called Holiday trees, Christmas greetigs ad cards are Holidays greetig, ad most public displays are ow just lights ad Satas. Nativity scees outside homes have bee replaced by coutless holiday lights ad blowup Satas with o hit of a symbol related to the birth of Christ. We adapted may symbols from paga cultures a log time ago ad made them holy. Now it seems like we are givig i to the ew paga cultures of political correctess ad secularizatio. The symbols we associated with the birth of Christ, like ay symbols, helped us express the true meaig of Christmas beyod words. They helped brig us to a reality far deeper ad cosiderably more meaigful tha words ca express. Not ulike ay master paiter or sculptor, we could ever truly capture with our Christmas symbols that which we all hope for with great aticipatio, the birth of our Lord. Nevertheless those iadequate symbols ad their specific associatio with Christmas brought us great joy. Iroically the so-called politically correct secularized ames of the symbols today feel empty. This should be of o surprise. A symbol that is o loger associated with our Lord ad is ow meat to stad aloe will be othig more tha a fleetig pleasure, a geeric object. As with all pleasures, they are temporary, come to a ed, ad i may cases make us feel empty ad desirig more. The secularizatio of our Christmas symbols easily leads to a devaluig of the Feast of the Nativity. This is clearly demostrated by the fact that we ow refer to Advet as the Christma Seaso ad we completely abado ay observatio of the real Christmas Seaso, celebrated i our Liturgy through the Epiphay to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. How may Christmas trees go up o the weeked after Thaksgivig ad come dow o December 26? We are ow askig each other, did you fiish your Christmas shoppig? rather tha askig, What are you doig this Advet to prepare for Christmas? The aswer to the first questio is icosequetial. The aswer to the secod questio gives meaig to our life i Christ. Durig this Year of Faith we are beig called to revisit our Catholic faith by studyig it, embracig it ad livig it. This will lead us to take up our jourey of faith with the Lord all over agai. For may of us the secular world has groud us dow ad we ve forgotte the sustaiig joy of Christmas. May I suggest that, based i prayer, we tell the real story of Christmas because it is the greatest story ever told. May you have a Blessed ad Merry Christmas ad joyous New Year. Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, Diocesa Admiistrator Circulatio Every registered Catholic household i Fairfield Couty is etitled to a subscriptio. To add or chage a address, call , or fcc@diobpt.org Aual Subscriptio Price $20 (withi diocese) $50 (outside diocese) Postmaster sed address chages to: Fairfield Couty Catholic, 238 Jewett Aveue, Bridgeport, Coecticut Copyright 2012, Diocese of Bridgeport

15 December Editorial Every year, a week before the comig birth of the Christ Child, I begi my celebratio of the O Atiphos. Ad just about every year, whe I metio this to someoe, I get asked, What are they? Ad I aswer: The O Atiphos are verses that lik the Old Testamet prophesies of the Messiah with the fulfillmet of these i the birth of Christ ad they are meat to be read, oe each day, durig the last week of Advet. I have to admit that I was ufamiliar with the O Atiphos despite my may years of Catholic educatio util some 20 years ago, whe My so Paddy tells me he wats Sata to brig him a Shrek costume. Paddy is four. A costume is really a Hallowee kid of thig, do t you thik? I say. Well, yes, but, I really wat dat for Chrissmas, he says, eyes wide, brows raised. Paddy s dictio is ot always so good. He sometimes souds like Dea Marti after a late set at the Sads. You kow that Sata does t brig us everythig we ask for, right? I raise my ow eyebrows. But I m a really, really good boy Advet symbols lik the Old ad New Testamets A Woma s View By Atoiette Bosco Atoiette Bosco is a member of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish i Brookfield. A Dad s View By Matthew Heessey Matthew Heessey ad his family are parishioers of St. Aloysius i New Caaa. dis time, he says. I kow you are. Eve so, he does t brig us everythig we ask for. Yeah, I kow dat, he says, eyes suddely arrow. The fig is, I really wat a Shrek costume. Puttig aside why ayoe would wat to dress up like a giat gree ogre for Christmas, I thought this little exchage a fie opportuity to itroduce my boy to the cocept of delayed gratificatio. Learig to delay gratificatio is the key to happiess, they say. The earlier you master this, the better. I thik we should shoot for I was visitig Mother Placid, a u fried at the Abbey of Regia Laudis i Bethlehem, CT, sadly recetly deceased. She ad her eice, Mother Praxedes Baxter, both acclaimed artists, were makig some eye-catchig staied-glass pieces i their blacksmith shop. Whe I asked her what these were, she smiled ad told me they were O Atipho symbols. I admitted I had ever heard of these. So, Mother Praxedes explaied to me that they were prayers directly liked to the Hebrew scriptures prophesyig the comig of a Messiah. Ad she wet o, explaiig that each verse begis with a exclamatio that is idetified with Jesus: O Wisdom, O Adoai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David O Radiat Daw, Risig Su, O Kig of Natios O Emmauel ad thus, they are called the O Atiphos, It s the O that touched me, like a cry of woder that a child might express, this u artist said, revealig she was moved to traslate these titles for the Christ-to-come ito a art form. These symbols themselves, like the star, the risig su, eve the key, are archtypes images that come through time, preparig us for who Christ is. They re very rich i that sese of preparig us for Christ who is comig. Goig o, Mother Praxedes told me the O Atiphos had Beedictie roots. The prayers were probably writte i the fourth cetury, compiled from Hebrew scriptures. But it was Pope Gregory the Great, who had bee a Beedictie mok, who itroduced these prayers as O Atiphos ito the Roma brieviary (priests prayer book) i the sixth cetury. That s how aciet these prayers are! Hallowee o this oe buddy. You ca wait that log for somethig you really wat, right? No kid wats to hear this. Not at Christmas time. I cofess to ot beig very good at delayig gratificatio myself. Most of us are pretty bad at waitig for the thigs we wat. This is true whether we wat a big promotio, true love, or a Shrek costume. It s just tough to wait. I feel for Paddy, though, because I remember what it was like. As a kid, you wat what you wat whe you wat it. You eed what you eed whe you eed it. Waitig is hard. For Catholics, Advet is all about waitig. It s a hopeful waitig, but boy is it hard. It takes real effort. As Sait Paul said, we must trai ourselves to live temperately, justly, ad devoutly i this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearace of the glory of the great God ad of our savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). I do t kow about you, but I d cout myself lucky to live the Aother dear fried, the late Brother Aelred Seto, was equally helpful to me i learig more about the origis of the Advet/Christmas seaso. I the first three ceturies, the feast of Christmas was t celebrated at all. It was aroud the fourth cetury that the feast of Christmas came ito beig. This was prompted by the Ayra heresy which deied the humaity of Christ. It the became logical to celebrate a feast that brought Christ s humaity to the fore. Iterestigly, the Emperor Aurelia had established a paga feast, Solis Ivictus, the feast of the ucoquered so, o December 25 i their caledar, which tied ito the witer solstice, the shortest day of the year. Sice it made sese for the Church to capitalize o Christiaizig existig paga feasts, the Church itroduced the feast of the Nativity o that day. The first referece to Advet occurs i Spai i about 380 A.D. Christias were told that from December 17 to the Epiphay (Jauary 6), they should t miss church, Brother The fie art of delayed gratificatio ideals of either temperace or justice or devotio, ever mid all three. If I could do this eve for a sigle day I d dace a jig. Successfully pullig off the hat trick over the course of a lifetime seems a tall order for all but the holiest amog us. I recetly heard a busy ad popular writer describe his daily despair at havig to respod to a ibox full of s. Every day, he said, feels like puttig a caoe ito a stream. The water s curret immediately begis carryig you backward. You paddle all day agaist the curret ad, if you re lucky, you ed up back where you started. The cultural curret durig Advet is strog. It pulls us all toward istat gratificatio ad the empty trappigs of what so may simply refer to as the holiday seaso. Black Friday. Wish lists. A great picture of the kids to put o a card. It s so easy to get swept away by the curret. Do t get me wrog. Trimmig the tree ad watchig the kids ope presets is part of what makes life Aelred told me. By the sixth cetury, whe Pope Gregory assembled the O Atiphos, these were, i a way, a patchwork quilt of refereces from Hebrew scriptures. They are draw from Exodus, Isaiah, Geesis, Habakuk, Wisdom ad others. I the Middle ages, churches i Germay ad Paris sometimes added two or four more O Atiphos, like O Virgi of Virgis O Gabriel, Messeger of Heave O Jerusalem O Kig ad Peacemaker O Lady of the World, Brother Aelred said, addig his ow belief that the O Atiphos are woderful because they derive their imagery from both our Jewish ad Christia heritage. Truly they are as we ca read: December 17: O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, stretchig from border to border, arragig all thigs firmly ad pleasigly, come to teach us the way of prudece. December 18: O Adoai, ad leader of the House of Israel, who cotiued o page 17 worth livig. But it s ot the mai thig. Not eve close. Fr. George Rutler, who is the pastor of the Church of Our Savior o Park Aveue i New York City, recetly wrote that Advet is awkward because its mysteries of Death, Judgmet, Heave, ad Hell are ot the sort of thigs couter-teors dressed as elves sig about. Takig our faith seriously i a world of istat gratificatio is awkward for sure. Focusig o God while everyoe else is focusig o tablets ad smartphoes is boud to set us apart. But followig Christ is o day at the mall. We edure the sufferig ad pai, the setbacks ad turarouds, because we kow that our reward lies ot i this world but i the ext. It s a hard paddle upstream. Especially durig Advet. If we re lucky, we ll ed up back were we started. Ad if Paddy s lucky, he ll eat Christmas dier dressed as a giat gree ogre.

16 16 December 2012 Advet/Christmas Kights of Columbus Caadia Crèche Exhibit By JOSEPH PRONECHEN Advet ad Christmastide i Coecticut this year brigs the eighth aual Christmas Crèche exhibit at the Kights of Columbus Museum i New Have. This time the museum is presetig over 80 examples of crèches from our eighbor to the orth i a show called Joyeux Noel Christmas i Caada. As ever, the crèches brig a sese of joy, woder, ad i some cases, awe. Some brig uexpected smiles for a umber of reasos, such as the simple scee with figures made from potato paste. It s oe of the most uusual examples; may other crèches or represetatios of the Holy Family are made of much more stadard materials, such as wood, cloth ad ceramics, ot to metio resi that appears to be stoe, porcelai, paited plaster ad eve a stable made of moose hors. The crèches come i differet sizes. Some ca easily fit a space the size of a dier plate, while the largest spas a etire wall of over 15 feet i oe of the four gallery rooms filled with the crèches. It s o surprise there are quite a few examples of crèche figures carved from wood. Caadia woodcarvers represeted i this show are masterful artists, workig mostly i their preferred pie. But do t evisio the typical kotty pie here. The kid of pie they use gives the Holy Family ad all the accompayig figures a hoey toe ad a icredible smoothess. A few idividual examples eve resemble ivory. Amog these sets are oes from Atoio Caruso. Italiabor ad ow a residet of Caada, Caruso is oe of Caada s fiest professioal artists. It s o woder whe you see his exquisite ad itricately carved figures that look as if they re ready to move about. Oe of Caruso s prime examples is the scee with shepherds ad sheep i awe of baby Jesus ad presetig gifts of fruit to the The Apostolate of Africa Americas is hostig a day to celebrate our Cultural Diversity ad Gifts Saturday, December 29 startig at 3:00pm Blessed Sacramet Church 275 Uio Aveue, Bridgeport The day will feature: Kwazaa Celebratio Africa Drummers Celebratio of our elders MAAFA21 A talk about Our Lady of Kibeho ad may fu activities for the kids We will ed the day with a light traditioal meal. To joi us i the celebratio please R.S.V.P. to Fr. Reggie pastor@blessedsacrametbpt.org (Reservatio is required so that eough food ca be prepared) Kwazaa celebrates seve core pricipals (Nguzo Saba): Uity, Self-determiatio, collective work ad resposibility, cooperative ecoomics, purpose, creativity ad faith. Holy Family. Jesus, Mary ad Joseph appear to be carved from a sigle piece of the wood. His eve more elaborate 25-figure scee is carved meticulously i every detail ad set i ad aroud a cave of driftwood. Yet aother artist s Shepherd Boy Visits the Holy Family is as masterful a carvig i pie as you ca fid. The simple woder of the shepherd boy ad joy of the occasio is captured without lots of itricate details. A few quite large sculptures of the Holy Family they stad three or more feet high come from aother of Caada s top artists, Timothy Schmalz. His stylistic Holy Family groupigs show the closeess, the ubreakable bod of the Holy Family i the way Joseph puts his arms aroud Mary who ecircles or holds the baby Jesus i her arms. Such a circular groupig radiates protectio ad the feelig of sereity ad the peace of Christmas. Most of his sculptures form what appears to be a circle suggestig the eteral bod of the Holy Family. That idea comes through whether the sculpture pictures them sittig or stadig. Some of the crèches are a true surprise to us south of the Caadia border but are likely familiar to those i the orther climes of Caada. Amog the most promiet are the Iuit Nativity scees. Naturally, the Holy Family are Eskimos, the stable becomes a igloo, Jesus is o a sled, ad the sheep tur ito seals ad a polar bear. Similarly, there are America Idia crèches, too. Everyoe is dressed as Native Americas, icludig a agel that flies over the tepee i adoratio of the Christ Child. Other surprises come from the umber of Nativity scees set iside cutout ceramic jugs or eggs. These cotaiers are colorful ad decorative, almost like a Fabergé egg. Gradmaster wood carver Joh Scherger traces his family carvig roots back to the 18th cetury, ad the three dioramas by him i this exhibit are detailed scees placig the Nativity o a Caadia farm. The Holy Family is comfortable i a bar, aimals feed i the witry yard, oe farmer goes about his chores while aother approaches the babe i the mager. The scee is like a Caadia Currier ad Ives set i the 1940s. The largest display is the paorama of Christmas i a Caadia Village that stretches the etire wall of oe exhibit room. All the towspeople, small ceramic figures kow as satos, seem to be celebratig the birth of Christ at Christmas. They represet all kid of people ad occupatios i the village. This diorama is oe of may o loa from Riviere-Ererite s crèche museum i Norther Quebec. The tow is kow as Caada s Bethlehem. Aother major portio of the crèches is o loa from the Oratory o St. Joseph s o Mot Royal i Motreal. (A fie show for the Christmas seaso, Joyeux Noel Christmas i Caada rus through February 3, Bous exhibits iclude the 12th aual Christmas Tree Festival featurig Christmas Trees decorated by school childre. For details, call the Kights of Columbus Museum: )

17 December Advet/Christmas Ally s Agel card reaches the Pope By PAT HENNESSY Whe Pope Beedict opes his Christmas cards this year, he ll see oe that was desiged by Ally Fallo, ow a sevethgrader at St. Thomas Aquias Catholic School i Fairfield. Ally s desig of the guardia agel hoverig over the stable i Bethlehem wo a atiowide cotest sposored by the Holy Childhood Associatio, part of the Potifical Missio Society. I like agels because they re pretty ad, like powerful, says Ally, explaiig her choice of subject. They look after you ad show up whe you eed help. This is a huge hoor, says Fr. Frederick Saviao, diocesa director of the Propagatio of the Faith, aother brach of the Missio Society. There is t a first, secod ad third place. There s oly oe ad it s the oe the atioal director of the Potifical Missio Societies, Fr. Adrew Small, OMI, is usig as his persoal Christmas card, icludig the oe he seds to the Pope. Although Ally (the oldest of triplets) is iterested i art, drawig was ot the cetral focus of the project. The heart of her sixthgrade service program was cocer for poor childre worldwide. Her class cooperated throughout the year with The Holy Childhood Associatio to lear about ad THE FALLON FAMILY, icludig prize wier Ally (ceter) atteded a special celebratio i Washigto, DC. help childre i missio coutries throughout the world. The associatio recetly chaged its ame to the Missioary Childhood Associatio. The chage emphasizes its care for the childhood i missio areas with stress give to those areas of greatest poverty. The associatio has developed activities to teach yougsters i the Uited States about the eeds of the world s poorest childre ad ivites them to pray ad to offer fiacial help. I this way, studets i the U.S. as well as childre i the missios lear that they are all part of the oe Body of Christ. We had little boxes to put moey i, Ally explais. It would go to the missios for milk or pecils. A dollar could buy, maybe, 75 pecils i coutries that are really poor. A year spet thikig about poor childre made Ally look at her ow life through ew eyes. I do t really like milk that much, she admits. My mom puts it o the table every ight at dier, ad I force myself to drik it. I kow she puts it there because you eed milk; it s utritioal. I some coutries, kids have oly dirty water to drik. Just as Ally s prize-wiig card did ot happe i isolatio, her awareess of the plight of other childre comes as part of a plaed developmet that begis very youg. At St. Thomas, service begis i kidergarte, says Pricipal Patricia Brady. Our kids uderstad that service is ot merely a program, it s a call from our baptism. Kidergarters lear the value of the elderly, startig with their ow gradparets. First-graders grow i compassio by correspodig with elderly parishioers. By the secod grade, they are creatig decoratios for the residets at local ursig homes, ad visitig them for a social. Through the years the awareess of St. Thomas studets expads, takig i retired priests ad religious, sick childre, ad the poor i their commuity. By eighth grade, they will uderstad their baptismal call to respod to the eeds of the world through social justice activities, icludig makig a dier for earby Project Hope soup kitche ad helpig at the local YMCA. I the seveth grade this year, Ally ad her classmates lear about the work of Catholic Charities from Richard Madwid, director of behavioral health i the Bridgeport office (ad a St. Thomas alum), ad orgaize a mitte ad hat drive for the families served by Sr. Theresa Tremblay i Bridgeport. Meatime, this holiday seaso has bee a extraordiary oe for Ally ad her family. The etire family, icludig her sisters Kelly ad Molly, was ivited by the Potifical Missio Societies to a Advet Symbols from page 15 appeared to Moses i the fiery flame of the burig bush, ad gave him the Law o Siai: Come to redeem us with outstretched arm. December 19: O Root of Jesse, who stads as a sig of the people, i whose presece the kigs of the earth will remai silet, whom the peoples shall etreat: Come to free us, ow do ot tarry. December 20: O Key of David, ad staff of the House of Israel, who opes ad o ma closes; who closes ad o ma opes; Come ad brig forth from the priso house the oe who is boud i darkess ad i special celebratio held December 8 at the Shrie of the Immaculate Coceptio i Washigto, DC. Ally s card was promietly displayed i the Shrie. Through this Christmas ad beyod, Ally s guardia agel will be a visible presece whe she goes to bed each ight. I keep a picture of my drawig i my room, ad I look at it before I go to sleep. It gives me comfort, kowig that my agel is watchig over me. the shadow of death. December 21: O Radiat Daw/ Risig Su, brilliace of Eteral light ad su of justice: Come, ad elighte those who sit i darkess ad the shadow of death. December 22: O Kig of Natios, ad their desired oe ad corerstoe, who makes both oe: Come, ad save ma whom you formed from slime. December 23: O Emmauel, kig ad lawgiver, desire of the atios, Savior of all people, come ad set us free, Lord our God. Joyful Christmas to all!

18 18 December 2012 Feature The youg Sister ad the icoic Chiese Cardial By FRANK DeROSA The thirty-somethig Chiese Sister, wearig a modified habit, was eager to chat as my wife ad I settled ito our seats behid hers i the Vatica s Pope VI Audiece Hall about a half-hour before Pope Beedict XVI s weekly audiece. Attracted by our speakig Eglish i the midst of a multi-ligual sea, she quickly struck up a coversatio. Her ow Eglish was impeccable as she explaied that she was i Rome e route to her homelad for miistry i a parish after studyig theology i the Uited States for a couple of years. A egagig ad cheerful model of a happy woma religious, she occasioally iterrupted our back-ad-forth, while we awaited the Holy Father s etry, by stadig up to aim her digital camera ad click off images of the stage decoratios ad the faces of pilgrims to show her folks back home. Our exchages triggered thoughts i my mid of how the faith is practiced i Chia, what with six millio Catholics tor almost fifty-fifty betwee those who tolerate the Commuist govermet-approved Chiese Catholic Patriotic Associatio ad those who defy it as members of the illegal udergroud Church. Where, I wodered, did the Sister fit? I ve had a log curiosity about the Church i Chia, from the brilliat ad prophetic way the 16th-cetury Italia Jesuit missioary Fr. Matteo Ricci laid the foudatio for Catholicism there ad whose cause for caoizatio bega i 1984, to the pioeerig Marykoll missioers like Brookly-bor Bishop Fracis X. Ford, who preached the faith there for three decades before dyig i a Chiese Commuist priso i 1952 ad whose caoizatio cause has also begu. Likewise, I ve bee fasciated by the rivetig story of the courageous Cardial Igatius Kug Pi-Mei, the Bishop of Shaghai, who was arrested i 1955 ad spet three decades i priso for refusig Commuist demads to reouce the pope, sever ties with Rome ad give allegiace to the Catholic Patriotic Associatio. Before he was seteced to life imprisomet i 1960, he defiatly told the chief prosecutor: I am a Roma Catholic bishop. If I deouce the Holy Father, ot oly would I ot be a bishop, I would ot eve be a Catholic. You ca cut off my head, but you ca ever take away my duties. After his release from a ordeal that icluded stretches of time i isolatio, he was freed i 1988 to come to the U.S. for medical reasos, with the help of the late Bishop Walter Curtis. He lived his decliig years i Stamford, dyig there i 2000 at age 98. I thought about Cardial Kug as we talked with the Chiese Sister about her work. Did she miister withi the Patriotic Associatio or the outlawed udergroud Church? I thik I kew, but I did t wat to make her ucomfortable with a poited questio. So I asked geerally about the two strais i Chia s Catholicism. Diplomatically, she replied, We all pray to the same God. I asked oe more questio: Have you ever heard of Cardial Kug? After a pause, she said o. I left it at that. I repeated the exchage for Joseph Kug, the Cardial s ephew, who maitais cotact with the Catholics who practice udercover i Chia ad i whose Stamford home his ucle lived util his death. I m disappoited, he said, but I m ot surprised. But the persecutio the Cardial edured uder the Commuists is t forgotte amog those who practice surreptitiously, says Msgr. Nicholas Grieco, the retired pastor of St. Fracis of Assisi Parish i Westo ad foudig editor of Fairfield Couty Catholic. There, he s a ico. Efforts have bee made so that the memory of the deceased prelate would t fade. Joseph Kug formed the Cardial Kug Foudatio several years ago to provide spiritual ad fiacial support for udergroud priests, semiarias ad religious. Msgr. Grieco is a board member. Remarkably, it curretly assists materially almost 100 semiarias who are studyig for advaced degrees at uiversities i Rome, Spai ad Frace. Ad his ame is beig kept POPE JOHN PAUL II embraces Cardial Kug at his cosistory i Rome. alive spiritually. Archbishop William E. Lori, ow i Baltimore, whe he was still Bishop of Bridgeport asked Msgr. Stephe DiGiovai, pastor of Sait Theresa ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH The Mother Church of Trumbull Rev. Bria P. Gao, S.T.D., Pastor Rev. Michael Fly, Parochial Vicar Rev. Karol Ksiazek, Parochial Vicar Deaco Salvatore M. Clarizio Dr. Carolia Flores, Director of Music St. Joh the Evagelist Basilica i Stamford, to take iitial steps toward begiig the cause for Cardial Kug s caoizatio. It bega this year with three days 5301 Mai Street Trumbull, Coecticut of prayer, o October The hope is that the ext diocesa bishop will officially ope the cause, Msgr. DiGiovai says. There s a further coectio betwee Cardial Kug ad St. Joh s. It was there that his fueral Mass was celebrated March 18, At the ed of the days of prayer i October, the parish was cosecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as the Cardial had doe for the Diocese of Shaghai. While the Chiese Sister i Rome claimed ot to recogize Cardial Kug s ame, we foud her devotio to her vocatio clear ad impressive. What a challege it must be to work i a eviromet so hostile ad restrictive that would attempt to extiguish the memory of a brave ma of faith. CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE Sacramet of Peace Saturday, December 15 3:00-4:15pm Friday, December 21 4:00-5:15pm; 7:00-8:00pm Saturday, December 22 11:00am-12:00 oo; 3:00-4:15pm Moday, December 24 10:30am-12:00 oo Masses Christmas Vigil Moday, December 24 4:00pm, 6:00pm ad 12:00 midight Christmas Carols precede the Midight Mass Christmas Day Tuesday, December 25 7:30am, 10:00am ad 12:00 oo New Years Day Feast of Mary, The Mother of God Moday, December 31 Vigil Mass at 5:30pm Tuesday, Jauary 1 7:30am, 9:00am, ad 12:00 oo

19 December Travel Bethlehem from page 4 world chaged the momet Jesus was bor i this sacred place. There was a smaller iche adjacet to the spot where the mager was kept. Imagie the Blessed Virgi Mary keelig there, adorig her so! Ad she gave birth to her first-bor so ad wrapped him i swaddlig cloths ad laid him i a mager because there was o place for them i the i (Luke 2:7). Jesus has come to feed the world if oly ma would receive him. From there, we visited the Grotto of the Lady Mary or Milk Grotto, where it is believed the Holy Family stayed o their flight ito Egypt durig the slaughter of the Iocets. While Mary was ursig Jesus, a drop of milk fell to the groud. A white powder the covered the cave. Sice the, may ifertile couples have come to cosume the powder ad have goe o to have childre. Others have bee cured of various diseases. Ideed, through the itercessio of Our Lady of the Milk, there have bee more tha 2,000 testimoies of miracles i recet years. A church was built over the cave i 385 A.D. As twilight approached, we visited the Bridgettie Covet i Bethlehem, ad from its rooftop gazed upo the city, woderig whe the walls of divisio would fially be coquered. (Fr. Walsh is parochial vicar ad DRE at the Basilica of Sait Joh the Evagelist i Stamford. His pilgrimage memoir cotiues i THE EAGLE, the mothly joural of the Basilica. Read it olie at www. stjohsstamford.com/the-eagle.) STEPS LEAD DOWN to the Grotto, the cave where Jesus was bor. ALL VISITORS to the Church of the Nativity i Bethlehem must eter through the Door of Humility, bowig their heads. Sait Thomas Aquias Church 1719 Post Road Fairfield, Coecticut Rev. Victor T Marti, Pastor Christmas 2012 Schedule Advet Peace Service Tuesday, December 18 7:30 pm Daily Mass o Moday, December 24, 7:00 am ONLY Christmas Eve Masses Moday, December 24 4 pm - Childre s Mass; 6 pm - Childre s Mass 8:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass; Adult Choir Cocert 11:30 pm; ad 12:00 am - Midight Mass Christmas Day Masses Tuesday, December 25 7 am, 10:30 am, ad 12 oo No 7 am Mass o Wedesday - December 26th Feast of Mary, Mother of God New Year s Eve - December 31 5 pm Mass New Year s Day Masses Tuesday - Jauary 1, am, 10:30 am, ad 12 oo

20 20 December 2012 Advet/Christmas Feed My people MONROE Just over two years ago my buddy was workig part time at Stop & Shop, recalls Hak Baville, a member of St. Jude Parish. He told me that they had to throw away a lot of food every day if the bakery items did t sell from the day-old shelf. Baville checked with the maager, ad foud that his fried s accout was ideed accurate. The maager was happy to let Baville have the baked goods to brig to soup kitches. At first, Baville started doig it by himself about three times a week, goig to The Thomas Merto Ceter ad Bridgeport Rescue Missio amog others. Talkig it up which I ca do, the gregarious Baville says, I was able to get several guys from St. Jude s to help out. Now we have eough me to cover the whole week! Oe of them comes i from Milford, i gratitude for beig able to receive a kidey trasplat from his wife who just happes to be visitig my wife dowstairs with the other girls. The me s favorite stop is a visit to Homes for the Brave o lower Park Aveue. The orgaizatio provides housig, Sait Pius X Parish A Roma Catholic Commuity i Fairfield 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield, Coecticut Tel. (203) Fax (203) Web Site Pastor: Revered Michael Dogali I Residece: Revered Mosigor Erest Esposito Childre s Christmas Pageat & Dier Theater Saturday, December 15 6:30 pm Religious Educatio Ceter Childre s Christmas Pageat & Blessig of the Crèche Suday, December 16 4:00 pm Religious Educatio Ceter All Christmas Masses will be celebrated i the church Christmas Eve Masses - 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm & 11:00 pm Christmas Day Masses - 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm Solemity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Moday, December 31 Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm Tuesday, Jauary 1 Holy Day Masses: 8:30 am ad 11:00 am The Epiphay of the Lord Saturday ad Suday, Jauary 5 ad 6 Receive a blessig for your home at all Weeked Masses. Baptism of the Lord Suday, Jauary 13 Childre baptized i 2012 will receive a special blessig durig the 9:00 am Mass. St. James Church 2110 Mai Street, Stratford, Coecticut Rev. Thomas F. Lych, Pastor COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICE Wedesday, December 19 7:30pm Church Idividual cofessios will be offered at the ed of the service. BLESSING OF EXPECTANT PARENTS Saturday ad Suday Masses, December 15 ad 16 A blessig will be give to those awaitig the gift of a child. CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE Moday, December 24 Vigil Masses: 4:00pm ad 6:00pm A Mass i celebratio of the Lord s birth at 11:00pm Tuesday, December 25 7:30am, 9:30am, ad 11:30am THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH Saturday ad Suday Masses December 29 & 30 Families will have the opportuity to write their ame o votive cadles as a way of thakig God for His presece i their family i 2012 ad askig for a greater opeess to Him i SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD Moday, December 31, Vigil Mass: 4:30pm Holy Day Masses Tuesday, Jauary 1, 2013, 7:30am, 9:15am, ad 11:00am SAINT JAMES NEW YEAR S DAY OF PRAYER Suday, Jauary 1, :00pm-3:00pm Eucharistic Adoratio i Parish Ceter Chapel REMEMBERANCE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE DIED Saturday, Jauary 5 8:00am Mass A special cadle will be lit i remembrace of the childre who have goe before us i faith. All parets who have lost a child are ecouraged to atted. FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY God s Word is amog us - A celebratio of our commitmet to ope our hearts to God s word by readig, studyig, ad prayig Sacred Scripture daily Saturday, Jauary 5, 2013 Vigil Mass: 4:30pm Suday, Jauary 6, :30am, 9:15am, 11:00am, 12:45pm, ad 6:00pm

21 December Advet/Christmas vocatioal traiig ad job placemet ad others services to help veteras, leave homelessess behid. The vets especially ejoy the pastries, Baville reports. The me have also doated bakery items to eight churches of differet deomiatios, icludig the Church of the Blessed Sacramet, St. Charles Borromeo ad St. George, all of which have eedy families amog their parishioers. The me call their program Feed My People. All the guys get great satisfactio doig it, Baville says. Whe he bags the bread ad pastries at Stop ad Shop, Baville explais to shoppers that these items would be throw away if the me were t pickig them up. The I tell them about Sr. Theresa Tremblay at the day care ceter as she saw two large sheet cakes that I brought her, he goes o. She said, Oh, that s woderful! We re havig a birthday party for oe of the childre tomorrow. Ad the family is too poor to afford a birthday cake! May of the shoppers choke up o that, as do I. The Cathedral Parish 170 Thompso Street, Bridgeport, Coecticut ad Parish Offices Rectory ad Fax Sait Augustie Cathedral Church 359 Washigto Aveue Rev. Peter F. Leox, Admiistrator Rev. Peter Ha Dih-Dag, Rev. Sea R. Kulacz, Rev. Joh Pius Mwago Parochial Vicars Rev. Gustavo A. Falla, Rev. Jea-Ridly Julie, Rev. F. Joh Rigley, I Residece Rev. Mr. Alix Africot, Rev. Mr. William J. Bissede, Rev. Mr. Satos Garcia, ad Rev. Mr. William A. Koiers, Deacos David F. McCaffrey, Director of Music Sait Patrick Church 851 North Aveue Regular Suday Mass Schedule Vigil Masses: 4:00pm Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 4:00pm Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Lower Church Suday Masses: 7:00am Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 8:30am Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 9:00am Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 10:00am Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 12:10pm Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 12:15pm Spaish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 2:30pm Vietamese Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 5:30pm Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church Christmas Seaso Mass Schedule Vigil Masses of Christmas Moday, December 24th 4:00pm Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 5:30pm Eglish Mass with Orga ad Strig Quartet/Mass with the Livig Gospel portrayed by the childre of the Parish: St. Patrick Upper Church 7:00pm Vietamese Christmas Pageat: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 8:00pm Vietamese Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 9:00pm Christmas Carols ad Orga works: St. Patrick Upper Church 9:30pm Eglish Mass with Orga ad Choir: St. Patrick Upper Church 11:15pm Christmas Carols ad Orga works: St. Augustie Cathedral Church Solemity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Tuesday, December 25th: 12:00am Solem Midight Mass with Orga ad Choir: Rev. Msgr. Jerald Doyle, celebrat. St. Augustie Cathedral Church This Mass will be broadcast by radio o WSHU 91.1FM ad o WICC 600AM 9:00am Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 10:00am Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 12:10pm Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 12:15pm Spaish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church Vigil Masses of the Solemity of Mary, Mother of God Moday, December 31st: 8:00pm Vietamese Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 10:00pm to 11:00pm Expositio of the Blessed Sacramet: St. Patrick Upper Church 11:00pm Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church Solemity of Mary, Mother of God Tuesday, Jauary 1st: 9:00am Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 10:00am Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 12:10pm Eglish Mass: St. Patrick Upper Church 12:15pm Spaish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church 5:30pm Eglish Mass: St. Augustie Cathedral Church Merry Christmas to oe ad all!

22 22 December 2012 Advet/Christmas Joyful healig BRIDGEPORT Tuesdays are days of joy ad healig for the residets of Bridgeport Maor, says Cristie Fracoeur, the director of the recreatio departmet of the ursig home. Every Tuesday, residets eagerly await the celebratio of the 9:30 am Mass with music, sogs, ad readigs. It gives them a sese of life, comfort, hope ad above all closeess to the Lord. The Mass is celebrated by Fr. Joh Puakuel, who resides at Christ the Kig Parish i Trumbull. A retired priest, Fr. Joh is always o the go. You will fid him visitig the sick i hospitals, i ursig homes, hearig cofessio, with the youth, ad above all at the celebratio of the Mass. Fr. Joh holds close to his heart the words Blessed Pope Joh Paul II (the Cardial Wojty) wrote to the poor, the sick, ad the sufferig at the close of Vatica II: Kow that you are ot aloe, separated, abadoed or useless. You have bee called by Christ ad are his livig ad trasparet image. At Bridgeport Maor, Fr. Joh is assisted by the dedicatio of voluteers, icludig (at left i photo) Robert Jorda of St. Theresa Parish i Trumbull, Robert Rouse of St. A Parish i the Black Rock sectio of Bridgeport (at right), ad Sisters of the Missioaries of Charity, whose covet is i St. Peter Parish i Bridgeport. Together they, ad all who care for the sick ad elderly, embody the words of the familiar sayig: Those who give love gather love. Sait Mary s Church The Mother Church of Norwalk 669 West Aveue, Norwalk Est Pastor: Fr. Greg J. Markey Parochial Vicar: Fr. Richard G. Cipolla I Residece: Fr. Paul N. Check, Director of Courage Deaco Stepha Geovese Choirmaster: David J. Hughes Music for the 9:30am Suday Solem High Lati Mass December 16: Third Suday of Advet - Messe de Toulouse (aoymous, XIV C.); Beatus Joaes (Guerrero); Alma Redemptoris Mater (Ockeghem); orga works of Bach December 23: Fourth Suday of Advet - Missa O Virgo simul et Mater (Palestria); Ecce Virgo cocipiet (Byrd); Vei Domie et oli tardare (Guerrero) The Midight Mass of Christmas - Missa Nasce la gioja mia (Palestria); Psallite uigeito (Praetorius); Hodie Christus atus est (Poulec); Verbum caro factum est (Lassus); O magum mysterium (Victoria) The Mass of Christmas Day - Missa Dies sactificatus (Palestria); Viderut omes (Péroti); Puer atus est (Byrd); Iam ubes / Iam ovum (aoymous, XIV C.); Dies sactificatus (Palestria); orga works of Bach ad Widor December 30: Suday i the Octave of Christmas - Missa O magum mysterium (Victoria); Pastores loquebatur (Clemes o Papa); Et veerut festiates (Clemes); orga works of Touremire ad Messiae Tuesday, Jauary 1, 5:30pm - The Octave Day of Christmas - Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus (Morales); Mirabile mysterium (Willaert); Noe, oe psallite (Mouto); orga music of Grigy THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 9:30am Solem Potifical Mass at the Throe celebrated by His Excellecy Athaasius Scheider Auxiliary Bishop of Astaa, Kazakhsta Ecce sacerdos magus (Hassler); Mass for Five Voices (Byrd); The Gregoria Mass of the Epiphay: Ecce adveit; Videtes stellam (Lassus); Cum atus esset Jesus (Morales) Sait Mary s Bookstore Offerig a wide selectio of books, crucifixes, rosaries, sacrametals from Italy ad the Holy Lad, First Commuio ad Cofirmatio gifts, ad more. HOURS: Saturday 10am-4pm Suday 9-9:30am, 11am-2pm Moday, Wedesday ad Friday 12:45-2pm Tuesday 11-11:30am ad 12:45-2pm Thursday 12:45-2pm ad 3:30-5:30pm Located i Parish Ceter buildig behid Sait Mary Church VISA/MC ACCEPTED Christmas Schedule Special Evets: Posadas, December 15-23, 7:00pm Christmas Lessos ad Carols, December 14, 7:00pm Sacramet of Cofessio: Moday-Friday, December 17-21: 11:30am-12:00 Noo Wedesday, December 19: 6:30-6:50pm Saturday, December 22: 3:00-4:30pm Moday, December 24: 2:00-4:00pm Christmas Eve Masses: Moday, December 24: 8:00am, 4:00pm ad 7:00pm (Spaish) 11:00pm Rosary by the Creche 11:30pm Christmas Carols 12:00 Midight Mass i the Extraordiary Form Christmas Day Masses: Tuesday, December 25: 8:00am, 9:30am (Lati), 11:30am, ad 1:15pm (Spaish) Holy Family ad New Year s Eve Masses: Moday, December 31-8:00am ad 12:10 Noo, 7:00-12:00 Midight, Adoratio of the Blessed Sacramet Beedictio at Midight Receptio Solemity of Mary/ New Year s Day masses: Tuesday, Jauary 1: 8:00am, 12:10pm, 5:30pm (Lati), ad 7:30pm (Spaish)

23 December 2012 Advet/Christmas Lobby mural brigs out school spirit By BRIAN D. WALLACE Regecy Limousie Ic. Door to Door 24 Hours a day All Airports, Piers, ad Theatres New York City - Corporate Accouts Weddig & Special Occasios White Limousie, Chauffeured Licol Limousies & Regecy Tow Car Sedas Aytime, Aywhere Licesed by CT D.O.T. Who would have thought that a ew lobby mural could eergize a etire school ad leave people feelig eve better about their faith ad about Catholic educatio! That s what happeed recetly at St. Joseph School i Shelto whe Shelto artist Armado Palumbo uveiled his paitig, Jesus ad the Little Childre, based o the passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Let the childre come to me ad do ot hider them, for the Kigdom of heave belogs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). Msgr. Chris Walsh, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, is delighted by the gift from Palumbo ad the excitemet it has caused i the school commuity. It was really a gift out of owhere, Msgr. Walsh says. We always say it s hard for a 80-year-old school to compete with the flashy ew buildigs of public schools, but whe you walk i ow ad look at the paitig, it sums up Catholic educatio with our Lord at the ceter of the lives of the childre. The life-size mural, measurig 70 by 80 iches, was completed usig tempera ad pastels o plaster. Jesus ad the childre are pictured i a beautiful field of wild flowers, birds ad ripe apples tumblig off a tree symbolizig the fruits of kowledge. Msgr. Walsh says that the diverse group of childre pictured i the mural reflects the multicultural heritage of the school. Palumbo also worked two of his gradchildre ito the mural. St. Joseph Pricipal Victoria Rossi said the mural moved her to tears whe she first saw it because it spoke to her of everythig that is good about the school. It really stads for what we re all about: Christ ad the childre. Ad everybody s icluded i the paitig just as the childre are all icluded i Christ s love. Our school is a big family with childre from Columbia, Chia, Africa ad so may places, she says of the early 200 studets i Pre-K through grade eight. Pricipal Rossi said that the childre were so excited about the picture after it was uveiled that she could hear them askig their parets to come ito school ad look at it with them. Agela Matero, erollmet coordiator for St. Joseph School ad the mother of two St. Joseph studets, said she ejoys seeig the studets gatherig i frot of the mural ad socializig before ad after school. It just chages the whole feelig of the school. We had bee talkig for some time about brighteig the lobby, ot kowig exactly what we wated to do, ad the Mr. Palumbo came forward. What he did was amazig. She says his colorful mural replaced a dusty old trophy case that people stopped oticig log ago. Now we have a frot hallway that is more welcomig ad joyful ad shows off what the school is all about family, learig ad love for Jesus. Palumbo said he offered to pait the mural as a form of thaks for his wife of 50 years, Rose, whom he first met at the parish. Rose is a graduate of St. Joseph School, as are the couple s two grow sos. Palumbo, who worked professioally as a commercial artist, Sprig 2013 SHARE for the Diocese of Bridgeport courses Sacramets of Healig: With this course, we will study the theology ad history of the Sacramets of Recociliatio ad Aoitig of the Sick. 4-week course: Wedesdays, Jauary 9, 16, 30, February 6 (iclemet weather makeup date: February 20) Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm Locatio: Sacred Heart Uiversity, 5151 Park Aveue, Fairfield Istructor: Msgr. Christopher Walsh, PhD. $140 The Book of Revelatio: The Book of Revelatio stads at the ed of Bible. SCULPTOR Armado Palumo doated his paitig of Jesus ad the Little Childre to St. Joseph School. was bor i Troia, Italy, ad is the descedat of artists. As youg boy, he ad his brother would go out ito the fields ad fashio fresh farm clay ito figures for the presepio, the traditioal Italia ativity scee. His gradfather paited a mural of Joseph the Carpeter i the Troia Cathedral, ad Palumbo himself had log It ca be a perplexig book, ad is oe of the most misiterpreted books of the Bible. Most Catholics are uacquaited with this last book of the Bible. However, this most eglected book of the Bible is a magificet literary creatio. At first the book may appear somewhat bewilderig ad forbiddig, but it is worthwhile to wrestle with it util it opes its riches to oe. The course will help oe to uderstad the bafflig but also beautiful symbolism i which the book abouds. It will uravel the geeral messages of the book, e.g., the cosmic battle betwee good ad evil, the fial victory of good, how we coquer through sufferig, the victims become the victors, self-sacrificig love is the ultimate power i the world, etc. The Book of Revelatio is made up of 22 relatively brief chapters. As oe gets ito the book, oe usually fids it absorbig. Visit us o the web for more iformatio 23 thought about creatig a mural with childre for St. Joseph s, where he has bee a log-time parishioer. The 72-year-old artist is pleased by the receptio his mural has received but says his first love is sculpture, preferably workig i wrought iro. Visitors to St. Margaret s Shrie i Bridgeport are familiar with his 20-foot Gateway to Heave cross sculpture, amog other works he has completed. The mural took six moths to complete, ad i additio to Palumbo s geerosity, other parishioers stepped forward to help with the framig, lightig ad istallatio. His work has eared much praise, but he says the thak you that has meat most to him has come from the childre themselves. The greatest gift ever has come from the kids. Each oe from first to eighth grade set me a thak you card, which they made with crayos. To me they are little masterpieces. I put them all together ad will cherish them the rest of my life. SHARE (Sacred Heart Adult Religious Educatio) for the Diocese of Bridgeport is a four-year certificate program created through a partership betwee Sacred Heart Uiversity ad the Diocese of Bridgeport. This theology program for adults will help Catholics uderstad their faith ad empower them to put it ito actio. SHARE has a o-test format. Studets ca take oe or more classes, or complete the etire four-year certificate program from SHU ad the Diocese. It is a work that demads ad repays study. It makes a distict cotributio to oe s uderstadig of Jesus ad the Christia life. Use this course as a Lete spiritual opportuity. 8-week course: Saturdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23 (iclemet weather makeup date: April 6) Time: 10am to 12oo Locatio: Sacred Heart Uiversity, 5151 Park Aveue, Fairfield Istructor: Dr. Thomas Hicks $280 To register: For more iformatio, cotact Gia Doarummo, Director of Adult Formatio: / SHARE@diobpt.org.

24 24 December 2012 Sports Triity Catholic starts aew By DON HARRISON It s all a matter of perspective. A 19-7 wo-lost record ad a secod-place fiish i the coferece would be reaso to rejoice for the majority of the state s high school basketball teams. Not so for Triity Catholic ad Coach Mike Walsh, who had wo the CIAC Class M state title the previous witer. No, they deemed the seaso a mior disappoitmet. We were very taleted, but we did t seem to have chemis- try, Walsh recalls. We had ew kids comig i but The words ed, but the meaig was clear. Triity Catholic did t quite jell ad fiished behid St. Joseph the ultimate Class LL state champio i the FCIAC Easter Divisio. At least we kept it i the diocese, the coach says with a chuckle. For Walsh, whose credetials across 32 seasos ecompass 542 victories, six state titles, a multitude of All-State players (icludig three-time picks Rashamel Joes ad Dave McClure) ad the prestigious Gold Key Award from the Coecticut Sports Writers Alliace last Jauary, the ew seaso presets challeges as well. Four importat faces from last seaso have departed but two were uexpected. Jaso Boswell, the 6-foot-5 juior who averaged 17 poits per game ad was a All-FCIAC selectio, moved to Greesboro, NC. Seve-oe Paschal Chukwu, a sophomore who was begiig to refie his court skills, trasferred to Perhaps the greatest joy i retirig is kowig you ca live life to its fullest. Maitaiig your idepedece ad helpig you ejoy life is our oly goal at Carmel Ridge ad Teresia Towers. Located o the grouds of St. Joseph s Maor, our uique retiremet commuity provides the support ad security you may eed to live life to its fullest, icludig 24-hour medical ad security services, ursig staff, shoppig trasportatio, ad optioal meal pla. Day-to-day livig is ehaced by a o-site chapel, library, recreatio hall, crafts room, swimmig pool, ad earby golfig. We would like to help you make the ext years the fiest of your life. To receive more iformatio or to schedule a visit, call i Coecticut or from out of state. Uits from $58,000. Iquire about our Retal Program startig from $995 per moth. Teresia Towers/Carmel Ridge Estates 6454 Mai Street Trumbull, Coecticut A o-deomiatioal facility owed by the Diocese of Bridgeport. Professioally maaged by Wi Residetial. SENIOR CO-CAPTAIN SHADRAC CASMIR, a fleet 5-10 guard, was a secod-team All-Stater as a sophomore. He, with classmate ad co-captai Tremai Frazier, coupled with Brado Wheeler s abilities at forward, preset a solid foudatio for Triity s Crusaders. Fairfield Prep. We lost four of our top seve players, says Walsh, who also said goodbye to captai Kevi Epp, the 2012 class salutatoria who etered Notre Dame Uiversity, ad guard Kevi Leumee, ow at Easter Coecticut State. At least we developed him for somebody else, he says of Chuckwu. The proverbial cupboard is t bare, though. The backcourt of Shadrac Casmir ad Tremai Frazier, coupled with 6-4 Brado Wheeler s abilities at forward, preset a solid foudatio o which to build. Shadrac ad Tremai, who were amed co-captais, are seiors ad threeyear starters. Casmir was a secod-team All-Stater as a sophomore. He s very quick with the ball ad led us i assists; he also shoots the three, Walsh says. Frazier is a shootig guard who had a lot of playig time last year ad got better as the seaso progressed. The squad has bee bolstered by the arrival of four members of Triity Catholic s Class S state quarterfial football team the Crusaders first state playoff appearace i 19 years. Their ames are Da O Leary, Sea Brow ad Pat Kieally, all seiors, ad juior Neo Merritt. The 6-2, 230-poud Sea Brow rushed for 242 yards ad four touchdows i the loss to North Braford i the quarterfial game at Guilford. We re hopig their success i football will carry over to basketball, Walsh says. They re good athletes, but they ll eed some time to get ito basketball shape. Walsh, ow 65, cosiders himself a lucky ma. A basketball aficioado for as log as he ca remember, he played the game at the-stamford Catholic ad o the freshma squad at Ioa College, before fiacial eeds forced him to leave the team ad take a part-time job. He spet a few seasos at his alma mater as assistat coach to Gary Liberatore before takig the reis i It took a while for his Crusaders to wi their first state title (1996), but they ve sice come i rapid successio (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2011). Triity Catholic is ow oe of Coecticut s domiat programs. I ve got a lovig wife (Lisa) of 37 years, five kids ad three gradchildre. I love what I do, Walsh says. I m really blessed.

25 December Youth I absolutely love Christmas! By ANDRE ESCALEIRA Black Friday, Cyber Moday, Holiday Doorbuster Deals. This is the ew Christmas, or so we re told. But Christmas is so much more tha just the time to get a good deal at a departmet store. Christmas is the celebratio of the birth of our Lord ad Savior, Jesus Christ, who came ito the world to be like us ad to save us. It s the most woderful time of the year! Christmas is my absolute favorite seaso of the year. It s great! Not oly is there o school for a week (which is great i ad of itself), but everyoe s so happy, ad ot with a meaigless, fleetig happiess, but a seemigly iexplicable joy that radiates from withi. Plus, there s time to sped with family that you might ot see for the rest of the year, ot to metio that Jesus is bor! Hoestly, I absolutely love Christmas. Everyoe is so joyful, people come together i the Christmas spirit to help those i eed, kids are excited for Sata; it s just awesome. Durig Christmas time, everyoe radiates joy, a joy that seems iexplicable, but that actually comes from kowig that your savior is goig to come ito the world! You get to celebrate this awesome day with your family too! I kow that there are family members that I might ot get to see all year, except for Christmas time; my Tia is a perfect example. She s my great aut ad I very rarely get to see her. She s a typical, lovable, eighty-seve year old Portuguese avó. Whe she gets to see all of us, like at Christmas time, she lights up, happy to see all of us. Her joy at seeig us makes us happy, too. Beig able to see family, like Tia, makes the day so much better. I love Christmas! Ufortuately, though, may people do t seem to uderstad the true meaig of Christmas; people do t experiece the profoud joy of Christmas. Year after year, stores ope earlier o Thaksgivig ad stay ope later o Black Friday to accommodate Christmas shoppers; compaies ecourage millios to sped coutless hours olie shoppig; the mall decorates before Hallowee ad Sata comes soo after; a average perso will sped about forty-two hours preparig for Christmas (that s Reality check at St. Joe s High School TRUMBULL Chris Herre, former college ad NBA stadout, spoke to St. Joseph High School studets ad the greater St. Joe s commuity i November about the difficulties of drug ad alcohol addictio ad how much more difficult those troubles are whe begu i the teeage years. I kow you do t wat to be here, he bega. I sat where you are whe I was 18. What am I goig to liste to, aother drug addictio story? Herre said, he too, give his privileged begiigs, thought he was always above the wasted lives he d see ad heard i those studet assemblies. He was t. It took him 14 years to fially walk away from the addictio that bega at age 18, took away his scholarship to Bosto College, ruied his career i the NBA, ad left him sleepig betwee dumpsters behid the 7-Eleve. Sober sice 2008, author of Basketball Jukie (memoirs), ad fouder of The Herre Project as well as Hoop Dreams, Herre today travels across the atio to share his story with high schools, youth groups, professioal ad athletic orgaizatios. almost two full days!). Istead of Christmas beig the religious, family-orieted celebratio that it used to be, it has chaged, ESPN featured his jourey i the film Uguarded. It was after first seeig this film that St. Joseph s athletic director, Jim Olayos, was prompted to make cotact. Chris is a real life testamet to the addictio ad recovery process ad proof that ayoe ca fall prey to these challeges. If he s able to help oe idividual just oe family the he is makig a positive chage, says Olayos. Echoig the setimet, Dr. William Fitzgerald, presidet of St. Joseph High School, says, I remember watchig Chris play at B.M.C. Durfee High School i Fall River. He was a wizard with a basketball. However, what he is doig with his life today is far more meaigful tha his best day ever o the court. He s paid a high price, but what he gets from savig so may kids from his mistakes must be very satisfyig. It was a both a compellig ad heart-redig few hours Chris Herre spet with the commuity. The studets may moved to tears by his blut hoesty ad cador erupted ito a stadig ovatio at the ed of his speech. Herre s partig advice to them: Coquer you before you coquer aythig. Be a pro at beig yourself. becomig yet aother ordiary day, except that it has lots ad lots of gifts. Everyoe gets excited for these gifts, ad ot for the right oe: the gift of a savior! As a tee, I see this cosumerized midset a lot, ot oly i peers but i adults, too. Christmas seems to be becomig less about CHRIST ad more about where to get the best gifts, how much you sped, ad where to shop. This cosumerizatio brigs us Happy Holidays, too. Sice Christmas is o loger about Christ ad is istead about moey, gifts, ad materialism, there s o sigificace behid the holiday, ad it becomes just that, aother holiday. It s frustratig to see it happeig. To see people misuderstad the great digity ad eormity of Christmas, to see them miss the importace of such a moumetal day is saddeig. Jesus Christ came ito the world o Christmas! Just thikig about it makes me gri from ear to ear! To see people miss the real meaig behid Christmas is sad, especially i my peers. Combatig this cosumerized midset is tough ad it s a defiite challege that we tees have to face. If we do t stad up for the true meaig of Christmas, it ll just disappear, because we are the future! This Christmas, let s place the emphasis o Christ, ot o gifts, because Jesus is the reaso for the seaso! Merry Christmas everyoe! (Adre Escaleira, a member of St. Adrew Parish i Bridgeport, is a seior at Kolbe-Cathedral High School.) MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER Chris Herre takes time to speak iformally with St. Joseph seiors. Studets, parets ad area residets filled St. Joe s gym to hear Herre s talk o drug ad alcohol addictio. Followig the talk, studets lied up for forty-five miutes to thak Chris persoally. He stayed ad chatted with every oe of them. (l-r) Be Carapezzi, DJ Joes, Herre ad Troy Deerig.

26 26 December 2012 Obituaries Deaco Barto, 92 STRATFORD Deaco Joh Barto, age 92, a former deaco of St. James Parish, died o November 27 at his home. He graduated from Cetral High School ad was a World War II U.S. Army vetera, servig as a medic i the Europea Theater. Ijuries sustaied durig his military service led to three years of hospitalizatio at the Newigto Vetera s Hospital. Deaco Barto, who worked for Avco-Lycomig i Stratford for 32 years, was a member of the Disabled America Veteras ad the Raymod Goldbach VFW Post 9460, ad a 4th degree member of the Kights of Columbus. He was i the first diacoate program of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Ordaied i 1978, he was assiged to St. James Parish, where he established their Copig bereavemet program. He also served as a member of Hospice through the VNA of Stratford. NEIL F. HARDING Director/Ower Hardig FUNERAL HOME Deaco Barto took his experiece i life beig sick for years as a youg adult ad losig his so at a youg age ad, with God s power, trasformed these wouds ito a gift of healig for the sick ad those who have lost a loved oe, says Fr. Thomas Lych, pastor of St. James. This became his miistry ad his passio i life. Deaco Barto is survived by his wife, Dorothy Surkowski Barto ad daughter Deborah A Barto. He was predeceased by his so, Joh. Deaco Barto was received ito St. James Church at 4 pm o November 30 for a parish wake. A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for him the followig morig, December 1. Msgr. Jerald Doyle, diocesa admiistrator, was the pricipal celebrat. Fr. Lych delivered the homily. He was itered with full military hoors at Gate of Heave Cemetery i Trumbull. FUNERAL GUIDE Collis Fueral Home 92 East Aveue Norwalk William A. Skidd William R. Kelley William G. Lahey, Jr. William P. Skidd Adrew D. Skidd Family owed for four geeratios Sr. Sara Mooey, OSU, 91 East Patchogue, NY Sr. Sara Mooey died October 12 at Brookhave Hospital, NY. Bor i 1921 i Couty Moagha, Irelad, she etered the Cogregatio of the Ursulie Sisters of Tildok i Blue Poit o Log Islad i 1940 ad professed her fial vows five years later. She received a bachelor of arts degree i educatio from Mahatta College ad her master s from St. Rose College i Albay, NY. Sr. Sara miistered for may years as a teacher i New York, pricipally i Quees ad Log Islad ad i Coecticut. She taught at the former St. Maurice School i Stamford from Followig her years of teachig, she miistered for several years from as a home healthcare aide. I 1998, after may years of active service, Sr. Sara retired to the St. Ursula Ceter i Blue Poit, where she cotiued i a miistry of prayer. A Mass of Christia Burial was celebrated for Sr. Sara o October 15 at the St. Ursula Ceter Chapel i Blue Poit, followed by itermet at the cemetery of the Ursulie Sisters there. Sr. Marie Julie Codo, 83 WILTON Sr. Marie Julie Codo died of cardiac arrest o November 3 at Lourdes Health Care Ceter i Wilto. She was 83 years old. Gerardie Marie Codo was bor i 1929, i Bosto, MA. Upo graduatio from high school i 1946, she etered the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was give the religious ame Marie Julie. She professed her fial vows i She eared her bachelor s degree i educatio from Villaova Uiversity i Sr. Marie Julie taught i Philadelphia ad New York before comig to the former St. Joh School i Darie where she taught from Whe her years of teachig cocluded i 1976, Sr. Marie moved to Wilto to serve the Sisters livig at Lourdes Health Care Ceter ad the Motherhouse. I 1982, after earig a master s degree i couselig from the Uiversity of Bridgeport with a focus o geriatrics ad gerotology, Sr. Marie Julie focused her miistry o pastoral couselig. I 1986, she retured to the Wilto motherhouse to assist the elderly sisters. She served there before retirig i A Mass of Christia burial was celebrated for Sr. Marie Julie o November 6 i the Chapel at Villa Notre Dame. Burial followed at St. Mary Cemetery i Bethel. Pre-eed Fueral Plaig Matthew K. Murphy, Fueral Director 267 Greewich Aveue Greewich, CT / FAX 203/ POST ROAD EAST WESTPORT, CT Hour Service Available Family Owed & Operated Sice 1920 Sympathy Arragemets Our Specialty Post Road Fairfield Quiet Digity Without Extravagace Affordable Direct Crematio Title XIX Welcome Z Family owed for three geeratios Z Call for free iformative brochure Z or Z Hadlig every detail Z I home arragemets Z Memorial service facility

27 December Nuestra Voz La Verdadera Navidad Por qué la avidad o tiee ese impacto espiritual que debiera teer? Si duda algua la avidad se ha covertido e ua de las épocas más esperadas y especiales para la mayoría de osotros, especialmete porque es ua época aimada por festividades, alegrías, regalos, vacacioes y bueos recuerdos tal y como lo fue desde sus orígees e cotextos pagaos. Para osotros los cristiaos, la avidad tiee u sigificado aú más importate porque esta época del año os recuerda el eveto del acimieto de uestro Salvador Jesucristo. Por muchos siglos y años los cristiaos ha dado sigificado y setido a la avidad a través de Columista Ivitado Por El Diácoo Jua Acosta Quevedo expresioes de fe y devocioes tales como el rezo de la ovea de aguialdos, las posadas, villacicos y peregriacioes, y co esto, celebramos que Cristo se hizo hombre para salvaros; Él es el precio de uestra alegría y libertad. Si embargo, co el pasar de los días, el verdadero setido cristiao de la avidad se ha ido deteriorado para muchos hombres y mujeres quiees experimeta e su diario vivir las secuelas de ua sociedad cada vez más secularizada y alejada de los plaes de Dios. Si pregutáramos cuál es la primera image o sigificado que viee a la mete cuado escuchamos la palabra avidad, de seguro habría variedad de respu- Deceased Clergy of the Diocese of Bridgeport December 16 Jauary 12 November year 28 Deaco Waye E. Malloy December 3 Msgr. Joh E. Gilmarti Rev. Kiera T. Ahear Rev. Philip Morrissey Rev. Vicet P. Cleary Rev. Igatius Baraiak, O.F.M. Cov Msgr. James H. Grady Rev. M. Joseph McCarthy Jauary 1 Rev. Michael J. Fly, C.S.Sa Rev. Robert J. McDermott Msgr. Pierre A. Botto Msgr. William J. Fox Rev. Walter E. Bozek Rev. Mr. Edward R. Kovacs Rev. Joseph P. Biodio Rev. Gerald T. Devore Rev. Mr. Hugh Sweeey Rev. Robert Nemeth, O.F.M. Cov Rev. Daiel J. Deeha Msgr. Joseph A. Sulliva El Diácoo Acosta, colombiao, u diacoo trasitorio de la Diócesis de Bridgeport, está acabado sus estudios teológicos e Mout St. Mary Semiary, Emmitsburg, MD, e preparació para su ordeació al sacerdocio el año que viee. estas. Para alguos avidad se ha covertido e época de adoros por doquier, culiaria, regalos para complacer a los seres que apreciamos y queremos, icluso, emoció por la llegada de Sata Claus. Para otros, avidad es sióimo de tráfico y largas filas, edeudamieto, fiestas, borracheras, resacas, accidetes, quemados, vacío iterior, tristeza, y claro está, compras, compras y más compras. No pretedo juzgar uestros pesamietos o la sociedad a la que os estamos acostumbrado a vivir, i tampoco se trata de juzgar uestras creecias, pero este es u espacio oportuo para hacer u alto e el camio y pregutaros a osotros mismos por qué la avidad o tiee ese impacto espiritual que debiera teer e uestros tiempos actuales. El propósito es rescatar las eseñazas de uestros abuelos y o dejar e el olvido lo que ellos mismos os trasmitiero co tata devoció y dedicació, porque e su secillez y simplicidad os diero ejemplo de ua fe fudada e los pricipios morales y cristiaos; e su secillez os eseñaro que la úica y verdadera avidad es la que recuerda y celebra el acimieto de Jesús etre los hombres. Durate estos domigos de Advieto, tiempo de preparació para la avidad, la Palabra de Dios os ha propuesto ua serie de reflexioes e toro al mesaje profético sobre la esperada veida del Mesías; a través de sigos sobre la proximidad de los últimos tiempos, de la llamada a la coversió y de la figura del mesajero, somos ivitados a prepararos para recibir a Cristo, quie está a la puesta esperado ua respuesta por parte del hombre. Dios o os pide que abadoemos uestra vida ordiaria, pero sí os pide u cambio radical e uestro iterior, u cambio que exige e sí mismo apertura a su palabra y a su mesaje. Por eso, e medio de uestras fragilidades y de ua fe quizás imadura es lógico pesar que aú podemos reuiros e familia e toro a la mesa, al árbol, al pesebre y a los regalos para celebrar la avidad co gozo y alegría recoociedo que e uestro iterior Dios mismo es quie ace para haceros libres. Desde el puto de vista etimológico, la palabra avidad sigifica acimieto y para adie es u secreto que acimieto es sióimo de uevos tiempos, de algo que ha salido a la luz y empieza a existir. Etoces es mometo que Dios mismo sea la luz que deba acer e uestro iterior, la ueva esperaza que os lleve más allá de uestros apegos humaos y rescate el verdadero valor de uestra vida. Feliz Navidad I the ativity scee o display at St. Mary Parish i Bridgeport, Mary ad Joseph adore their ewbor baby while the village life of Bethlehem swirls i aimatio aroud them. Visitors see a steam risig getly from the pot o the fire, while a ma oisily chops more wood ad others go about their daily tasks. The display draws crowds of admirers every year. Porque Cristo al hacerse hombre rescató uestra digidad humaa. Dios siedo Dios aceptó hacerse hombre para compartir uestros sufrimietos y eseñaros que para Dios todos somos iguales, para liberaros de uestras esclavitudes y heredaros el Reio que se os fue prometido desde atiguo. Este es el misterio más grade que celebramos e la avidad y por el cual cada gesto, sigo o palabra debiera rescatar el cetro de uestra fe y esperaza, Jesucristo. Quizás esta o sea la ivitació que os hace las propagadas de televisió durate la avidad i la motivació que os lleve a celebrar esta época de gra valor para los cristiaos, pero sí el leguaje por el cual compartimos la agustia que os toca vivir, plagadas de sufrimietos, gemidos, dolores y desesperazas, especialmete para aquellos quiees su fe es mucho más frágil y por los cuales muchas veces os aleja de Dios y de la verdadera razó de ser de la avidad. Pero e medio de esta realidad de uestra propia humaidad somos ivitados a meditar sobre la libertad prometida: levate la cabeza porque está cerca su liberació (Lc 21,28b). Co estas palabras el evagelista Lucas poe e boca de Jesús el llamado a la esperaza, la cual es posible si iterpretamos los sigos de los tiempos que vivimos recoociedo e ellos la presecia y el paso de Dios porque esto es avidad, la úica y verdadera fiesta que recuerda la presecia de Dios hecho Hombre etre los hombres.

28 28 December 2012 Colum If you were like me, you leared your prayers at a early age. We leared by memorizig the words. We did t ecessarily uderstad the meaig behid the words ad quickly fell ito the habit of sayig the words ot prayig the words. Recetly, I had a experiece that demostrated to me how powerful prayers are ad how resposive Jesus ad Our Blessed Lady ca be. I am a 67-year-old ma, assistat to the superitedet of Catholic schools i the Diocese of Bridgeport. I am married to a extraordiary woma ad together we have four married childre, whose spouses have fit perfectly ito our family ad have give us 11 gradchildre. The Power of Prayer Guest Columist By Marti Tristie Marti Tristie is assistat to the superitedet of diocesa Catholic schools. I was reasoably healthy, took pretty good care of myself, although I could have exercised more. I ever had a heart problem. O April 23, Holy Saturday that year, I was shreddig some old documets. I was at it for two hours, whe I bega to experiece heaviess i my chest ad dizziess. I stopped the shreddig ad rested for the afteroo. The symptoms wet away ad stayed away Easter Suday ad Moday. O Tuesday I wet to work ad agai experieced heaviess ad dizziess, but i typical male fashio I igored the symptoms ad wet about my busiess through the whole day. That ight the heaviess became more severe as did the dizziess. It got to the poit where I became a little fearful, but of course I did t call 911, covicig myself that this would pass. Eve so, it became somewhat cocerig, so I prayed to Jesus ad Our Lady ad immediately felt totally at peace eve though the symptoms cotiued. The ext day I wet to my so, a physicia, who examied me ad immediately set me to a cardiologist. A heart biopsy cofirmed sarcodosis of the heart. Sarcodosis of the heart is a extremely rare disease that has affected very few me. It is so rare that the treatmet protocol is still trial ad error. I my case it did t work. A week later I was take to St. Vicet Medical emergecy room, barely able to breathe or walk. Tests determied that my heart was barely fuctioig. I was put ito ICU ad arragemets were made to trasport me to Westchester Medical Ceter the ext day. I overheard a urse discussig my coditio ad statig I could die that ight. Whe I asked the staff doctor to cofirm that, he did. Agai, I started to pray ad, agai, I felt complete ad total peace, o fear, almost joy. The ext morig I was take by ambulace to Westchester Medical Ceter where I met Dr. Ala Gass, head of the trasplat uit. He explaied the trasplat process to me, icludig the eed to be approved by the trasplat committee to be put o the trasplat list. I was told that because of my blood type, I might have to wait as log as two moths. The ext day, my yougest so s wife brought with her pictures of my family ad a beautiful poster of Our Lady of Guadelupe. Our family has had a special devotio to Our Lady sice my oldest gradso was diagosed with leukemia at the age of two ad a half. My wife had acquired a beautiful framed poster of Our Lady which we hug i my gradso s room. Over several years he was cured. So Our Lady secured a special place i our hearts. Dr. Gass came i that day ad asked who the poster represeted. I explaied the story of Our Lady. As may of the floor urses came ito my room to ask about the poster, I explaied the story may more times. Dr. Gass asked me to pray for a 17-year-old trasplat patiet who was ot doig well ad asked me to put him o the prayer lies I was o. Oe of my sos, a attorey, had a cotact i Mexico City ad he ed him ad asked him to arrage for a Mass to be said for me ad Dr. Gass s patiet at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadelupe. The Mass was said o a Moday, ad whe I asked Dr. Gass how his patiet was doig, he told me he started to improve that same day. After I arrived at Westchester, I had to remai flat o my back ad could ot move my right leg. Because the poster of Our Lady was always i my visio, I was peaceful ad eve joyful. I felt the lack of mobility was a privilege ad the time passed quickly. A few weeks later, o Jue 8, Dr. Gass was i my room ext to my bed watchig the moitors as we talked. Suddely, I early passed out ad received a powerful blow i the back. I had just suffered a vetricular fibrillatio ad Dr. Gass told me the blow was from the defibrillator, which started my heart agai. Dr. Gass had still bee a little ucertai about givig me a trasplat up util the, but the episode coviced him I eeded a heart. The ext day, the trasplat coordiator called to tell me they Do you kow that CROSBY COMMONS is a award wiig ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY located i your backyard? By Make ew frieds. Fid a ew leisure iterest. Crosby Commos at Ejoy fie diig. 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29 December Colum Alive to happiess it be, life is good. (Goethe) Howso er A ucle oce told me that we are boats i a storm. You just ride it out ad hope that the boat holds together. Shakespeare put it his way whe, i Kig Lear, he wrote of how we bide the peltig of the pitiless storm. Surely, there is too much pai ad weariess i life, too much loss, too much fear. We all meet our difficulties, disappoitmets, tragedies all the ills that flesh is heir to. I see the Cross everywhere. However, despite everythig, there is the delight i beig a huma beig. What life gives us is ofte beautiful. There is the ordiary huma happiess we fid, e.g., i times of completio, the last stroke as you complete paitig a room or a fece, the fial setece o a term paper, attachig the last shelf of a bookcase you have built. There is the joyful momet Potpourri By Thomas H. Hicks Thomas Hicks is a member of St. Theresa Parish i Trumbull. that accompaies the coquest of a skill: masterig ridig a bicycle, beig able to completely play a piece of music, etc. Exercisig a skill easily ad well is oe of the great joys i life. There is the sesatio of happiess that accompaies some eared success. The lives of all of us cotai these types of momets of exhilaratio, istats of the joy of life. There are some momets i my life that I would have froze if I could. They ecapsulate beig alive to happiess. There was a certai surise, a experiece of the magical first light of day. Oe sprig morig I was up before surise ad stepped out oto my deck. The stars were just begiig to dim as first streaks of light were i the sky. The world seemed hushed ad waitig. The a robi called, a tetative call as though askig who else was awake. How fresh it all was, how pure. The came the roseate hues of daw. The clouds were edged with crimso just before the su rose. I sesed the sheer woder of creatio, felt thaksgivig for existece. The world appeared like a precious gift. I felt so glad for life. I had a exquisite momet at a family Thaksgivig gatherig. After the meal, the family had gathered i a circle, ad such a sweet sociability prevailed. There was such a depth of harmoy. Coversatio was easy ad atural, makig a kid of music out of the differet voices. A fire was cracklig i the backgroud. There was such a sese of belogig ad peace, a feelig of calm ad safety; a strog sese of belogig with my ow people, i my ow space. I had such a simple sese of happiess, ideed, a sese of beig at home i the world. Aother momet was the twilight of a lovely mid-summer day. The su was settig, traquil ad sated. I was with a fried i a car SAINTLYLIVES outside the Swirl ice-cream shop i Reddig. We watched a family eter the shop; a mother, father, ad two youg daughters. The mother was stuigly beautiful. The father had a tall, athletic figure. His face registered patiece ad tolerace. His clea, tieless white shirt ope at the collar ad expesive-lookig tailored black pats gave the impressio of a prosperous busiess ma recetly retured from work. From the daughters oe heard excited squeals ad girlish gigglig. Emergig with their icecream, the family sat at a picic table. I the lovely blue twilight they clustered together. The daughters debated a bit who was squishig whom. Silhouetted agaist a opal sky, the family seemed as though they had achieved some maximum family compressio. Just for a time ow they were all together; they seemed so happy. Evetually, they would disperse. The daughters would grow up, leave home. But o a teder July afteroo, i the lovely blue of the soft dyig day, they were still molded, it might seem, forever together. It all seemed to me BY ED WALDRON like oe of the lumious thigs i life. I her Story of a Soul, Therese of Lisieux oted that life is ofte burdesome. What bitteress, but also what sweetess. To be huma is to take o the weight of sufferig, separatios, failures. We ca feel we get ibbled to death by the world. But to be huma is also to rejoice ad live i woder. The world has sweet flavors to offer. It ca give so much bouty. Psalm 90 says: Give us joy to balace our afflictio. Ad possibly God does. There is a ebb ad flow. I like somethig St. Gregory the Great wrote: The preset life is but a road by which we advace to our homelad. We are subject to frequet disturbaces so that we do ot have more love for the jourey tha for the destiatio. We ca be so charmed by the beauty of the jourey that our steps are slowed. It is for this reaso that the Lord makes the path through the world difficult. Otherwise, we might wat to stop by the roadside for a picic ad a sleep i the su. Guest Columist from page 28 had a heart which looked to be a good match. It was 20 days after I had bee put o the trasplat list. Dr. Gas said they had ever had a heart for my blood type become available so fast. Whe I thaked him for all he had doe, my Jewish doctor tured to the poster of Our Lady of Guadeloupe ad said It was her, ot me. I had the trasplat o the eveig of Jue 9. The recovery ad rehab wet so well that I was released o Father s Day Jue 19, just te days after the trasplat. I am back at work, lovig my family ad appreciatig life more tha ever. Whe I pray, I do t just say the words I pray them. I have persoally experieced the love of Jesus ad our Blessed Mother.

30 30 Bits & Pieces Televised Mass December 2012 HURRICANE SANDY TOY DRIVE sposored by Al s Agels is takig place ow through Thurs., Dec. 20. Drop off ew, uwrapped toys at 1175 Post Rd., Westport, 2d floor, rear etrace parkig. Toys go to NY tri-state areas hit hardest by the hurricae. To make a fiacial doatio, go to For more iformatio cotact Al DiGuido: TONY MELENDEZ CONCERT to beefit St. Beedict/Our Lady of Motserrat Parish will be held at West Hill High School, Stamford, o Sat., Dec. 15, at 7 pm. Tickets: $20. For more iformatio, call the parish: or pobado@optimum.et or sharomarcia@optmum.et. SHOP ST. MARY S BOOKSTORE for the fiest Catholic gifts for Christmas: books for all ages ad a wide rage of rosaries, crucifixes, artwork, ad more. Ope daily after the 12:10 Mass util 2 pm; Sat pm ad Su pm. Located at 669 West Ave. Norwalk, behid St. Mary s Church. For more iformatio, call the parish: RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY DRAIN CLEANING MUNICIPAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE LICENSED & INSURED CATCH BASIN CLEANING HIGH VELOCITY WATER JETTING LARGE DIAMETER POWER RODDING Sice or Office: 534 Surf Aveue Stratford WE CARE PERINATAL GRIEF support group meets the third Wed. of each moth (Dec. 19; Ja. 16) from 7-8:15 pm. The group is for those grievig the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregacy, stillbor, or ewbor death. No charge; o registratio required. For more iformatio, call Sr. Arthur Marie: , or Marily Faber: YEAR OF FAITH: St. Philip Parish, Norwalk, is holdig a Vatica II discussio group the third Thurs. of each moth (Dec. 20; Ja. 17) from ow through Jue, from 7:30-9 pm. The Dec. topic will be Lume Getium (O the Church). For more iformatio, call the parish: CONNECTIONS, a ew spiritual ad social opportuity for sigles 35 ad over, will lauch o Sat., Ja. 5, at Holy Family Parish, Fairfield, followig the 4:30 pm Mass. Its missio is to brig together sigles 35 ad older for friedship, social get-togethers, spiritual talks, ad commuity outreach. Coectios will offer a variety of evets throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport. For more iformatio, cotact Fr. Norm Guilbert at Holy Family: or frorm@gmail. com. (Facebook page comig CATHOLIC PROFESSIONAL NETWORK TV PIPE INSPECTION AIR TESTING JET RODDING VACTOR SERVICE We ll Make Your CARPETS, RUGS, Draperies & UPHOLSTERY Look Like New! Norwalk (203) Stamford (203) Stratford (203) soo.) CURSILLO ULTREYAS are held at locatios aroud the diocese: Mo., Ja. 7, at St. James Parish, Stratford at 7 pm; ad Thurs., Ja. 17, at St. Mary Parish, Bethel, at 7:30 pm. For more iformatio, cotact Jeaette: jkovacs@set.et. FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP is offered at St. Vicet s Medical Ceter, Bridgeport, first Tues. of each moth (Tues., Ja. 8,) from 4-5:30 pm for adult patiets, family members ad frieds who are copig with a diagose of: leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, ad Hodgki s disease. No reservatio required. For more iformatio, call or tmclaugh@stvicet.org. THE JOURNEY FOR CONTROL, a iteractive mothly diabetes educatio workshop will be held at at St. Vicet s Medical Ceter, Bridgeport, the secod Thurs. of the moth (Ja. 10) from 6-7:30 pm. Space is limited. To register, call Diae Sheeha, APRN: GOSPEL OF LIFE SOCIETY meets the secod Sat. of the moth (Ja. 12) at St. Mary Parish, Norwalk, at 10 am after the 9 am Pro-Life Mass. Mauree Ciardiello, DEACON DON S DRIVING SERVICE Tow Car/Vas/Your Car Home & Fax Cell Deacodo3@aol.com Home PC & Mac Help Computer Systems, Networks, , Iteret, Traiig & Tutorig MENTION THIS AD TO RECEIVE THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY CATHOLIC DISCOUNT! CHRISTMAS MASS will be televised o WWOR, chael 9, at 8 am o Christmas morig. The Mass will also air o WLNY, chael 10/55, at 9 am. Throughout the year, Suday Mass is televised o the followig statios: WNYW, Chael 5, at 5:30 am; ABC Family, 6 am; ad WLNY, Chael 10/55, 9 am. I additio, THE NET Vigil Mass (formerly The Prayer Chael) Time Warer, Chael 97; Cablevisio, Chael 30, has a televised Mass at 6 pm o Saturdays. director of the diocesa Respect Life Miistry, will be the guest speaker. For more iformatio, cotact Eilee Biachii: or stmarygols@ aol.com. OPLATEK (CHRISTMAS WAFER) DINNER will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Stamford o Su., Ja. 20, at 1 pm. Cost $25/perso. A traditioal Polish meal, together with etertaimet. For more iformatio ad for reservatios, call the parish: DON FOUST OWNER Airports / N.Y.C. Proms / Casios Persoal / Medical MASSES OF HEALING AND HOPE sposored by the Charismatic Reewal Office will be offered Mo., Ja. 21, at St. Lawrece Parish, Shelto, with Fr. Ed Nadoly; ad Mo., Ja. 28, at 7:30 pm at Christ the Kig Parish, Trumbull, with Fr. Larry Carew. For more iformatio, call JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME a 15-day pilgrimage to the Holy Lad, Cairo ad Rome will be hosted by St. Mary ad St. Beedict-Our Lady of Motserrat parishes i Stamford with Fr. Rolado Torres startig Sat., Feb. 11, Cost: $4,023 icludes trasportatio ad hotels, guides, a boat ride o the Sea of Galilee, breakfast ad dier, ad tips. For more iformatio, cotact Fr. Torres: or roladomalak@gmail.com. SPRING VACATION CRUISE to beefit the Playgroud Improvemet Fud at St. Lawrece School, Shelto, will take place o Apr , o the RCCL Oasis of the Seas. For more iformatio, call ITALY AND MEDJUGORJE, a pilgrimage tour with Fr. Marcel St. Jea, will take place Jue 23-July 5, Visit the historic cities of Veice, Padua, Siea ad Assisi before travelig to Medjugorje. Retur to Rome i time to atted the Wedesday Audiece with the Holy Father. Price: $3,899 icludes airfare, hotels, sightseeig, breakfast ad dier. For more iformatio, or to make reservatios, call Fr. Marcel Sait- Jea:

31 December Merry Christmas Cathedral Parish lights the Remembrace Tree There was much to remember ad be thakful for as early 200 parishioers of The Cathedral Parish braved the chill ad persistet rai for a prayerful ad joyous Remembrace Tree lightig o December 7 at St. Patrick s Church i Bridgeport. For the first time, the aual tree lightig ceremoy icluded members of the combied parish that brought together parishioers from St. Augustie ad St. Patrick parishes. The grouds of St. Patrick s Church o North Ave. were graced with a beautiful ativity, agels, ad a Remembrace Tree to celebrate the birth of Christ. The large, livig spruce tree o the frot law was surrouded by four decorated dogwood trees ad agels. A beautiful ativity, which was built by the parishioers, was proudly displayed. The lights o the tree represet parishioers ad frieds of the parish, both livig ad deceased. Idividual ad family ames are displayed o a baer i the church prited i a Remembrace Book ad commemorated i a bright light o the tree. The Christmas Tree lightig was held after the 5:30 pm Mass celebrated by Fr. Peter Leox, admiistrator of The Cathedral Parish. The Kights of Columbus served as hoor guards for the ceremoy, held o the aiversary of the attacks o Pearl Harbor i 1941.

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