Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT



If we examine our personal histories, we will find a story of relationships. In a real sense, we are the sum of our relationships. The human person was created, designed, to be in relationship with others. We cannot be truly ourselves by ourselves. I read somewhere that a thing that does not exist in relation to anything else cannot itself be said to exist. To really grow as a human being, we need other people. We only become who we are through the relationships that shape our lives. There is Martin Buber’s famous conclusion that “all real living is meeting.”

Lately I’ve been trying to think of all those whom I’ve met in my life in one way or another; those who went with me along the path of life. Not too many came in a way that I planned or contrived. Most relationships sort of found me. There’s a mystery to it. People come into our lives and go out of our lives, sometimes only for a few minutes. For example, I remember, from many years ago, an early Saturday morning on the DeKalb Avenue subway station. I was standing on the platform. She was wearing a black coat. She had jeans on and was drinking coffee. One strand of her hair blew across her cheek, touching the corners of her mouth. There was some eye contact, glances. We got on the same car. We both got off at Grand Central, and then I lost her. In retrospect I wish I had approached her.

There are all the people to whom I must by now be the merest memory.

When I think back over my own life, I recall the relationships that were formal and distant. My main emotion with some people was unease. There were relationships in which we took an immediate dislike to each other. Saint Seraphim of Sarov addressed each person who came to him as “my joy.” My response to too many people was, “You again?” There were the relationships that did not stand the test of time.

Writers and philosophers of our time speak of existential isolation. They take the view that no relationship can surmount loneliness; no one has access to the real depths of another.

Albert Schweitzer said we are each a secret to the other. Freud stated that every encounter, beautiful as it may seem, only dulls the incurable wound of loneliness. Flannery O’Connor wrote “I love a lot of people, understand none of them.” (Spiritual Writings, p.161). And W.H. Auden wrote:

“I’m beginning to lose patience
With my personal relations:
They are not deep,
And they are not cheap.” (Shorts)

I don’t think life is exclusively like this. A number of people became very dear to me. As Carson McCullers stated, they became “the we of me” (The Member of the Wedding, p. 137). I can’t imagine the world without them. They’ve got to be there just as naturally as trees or birds or clouds. Without them I would be incomplete; I would no longer be me. A dear friend like this moving out of your life is almost as much of a loss as a death.

I think all people’s lives involve such we-relationships. They are among the best things God handed us.

I can’t help thinking that I didn’t have a real biography until my wife entered my life. After a while, I often tire of being with other people. I could be with her for hours and hours and not be tired for an instant of her.

I die as often from thee I go,
Though it be but an hour ago. (John Donne, The Legacy)

Many happily married people feel this way.

The elderly often develop relationships in which the two of them complement each other wonderfully. There are the long years of affectionate understanding between them. Hurts and annoyances that might otherwise end a relationship no longer have the last word. They’ve grown very close, close to death and close to each other. They sort of fuse together in these last years.

All of us, as we age, tend to be able to discern more and more when to act, how to act, what to say, and often more importantly, what not to say. We learn not to strike the wrong note.

John of the Cross tells us we are like a stone that must be chiseled and fashioned before being set in the building. Our relationships are instruments which God uses to chisel us. They are part of God’s plan. By means of these chiseling interactions we become more the self God wants us to be. We should think of some of our relationships as artisans, present there in order to improve us.

Overall, I believe there are people God has given us. I wonder if there are any accidental meetings, or is grace and providence at work in all of them? Some people do come to us at crucial times. There are certain people who come to us like a gift from heaven. Most of our hurts come through relationships, so does our healing.

We develop an ever-deepening gratitude and wonder for all those who have loved us.

I have two particularly poignant memories. One is how I felt my throat tighten when I watched an elderly woman reach for her husband’s hand as they strolled down the sidewalk. The other is a memory of how my wife would make room for me beside her on a couch and spread a quilt across our laps and rest her head on my shoulder.


Avery wise man, or maybe it was a wise woman, or it could possibly have been Yoda, once taught me an important lesson: The only person you can change is yourself. And only then with extreme difficulty. Changing for the better is hard, but changing for the worse is pretty easy. Just look at the world around you.

If you’re not working at spiritual improvement and trying to become holier (such a stodgy, politically incorrect word!) by trudging up that steep, narrow path, you’ll find yourself with the multitudes on the wide and heavily trafficked highway that leads to darkness. There’s no standing still in the spiritual life.

Not too many of us say, “My goal in life is to be holier.” That doesn’t sound as enticing as “My goal in life is to be richer… or more popular…or wittier… or prettier.” But eventually God has a way of bringing us closer to him through a tragedy, an illness or a loss, and we discover very quickly that holiness is what life is all about.

Countless people are looking to improve, and they believe they have the key through self-help and self-transformation. It makes me wonder: If self-improvement is such a popular pastime in modern society, then why is society so messed up?

If you walk into a bookstore, while there are still some left, and go to the “Personal Transformation” section, you’ll see hundreds of titles like “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” “Awaken the Giant Within,” “Think and Grow Rich,” “Design Your Life: Build a Life That Works for You.” “Best Self: Be You, Only Better.” Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

However, when it comes to spiritual growth, there’s a fundamental truth: You can’t truly change yourself by yourself. It requires that mystical gift called “grace,” the power of God that changes everything for the better. It sanctifies us, it strengthens us, it revives us, it inspires us to virtue. And if you want it, all you have to do is ask.

Father Lawrence Carew, in his book “Six Simple Steps Into Healing Prayer,” cites the example of St. Therese of Lisieux, one of the most beloved of saints, a Carmelite nun who died at 24. Like all of us, she was burdened with human imperfection.

“While she firmly desired to become increasingly Christ-like, Therese quickly came to realize that high ideals wedded to willpower just couldn’t bring it about,” he wrote. “But by regularly surrendering things, like her imperfections and inabilities to love or forgive, into the Lord’s mercy towards her and love for her, these weaknesses would be transformed into currents of grace carrying her into a better place.”

The formula for success is simple: I can’t. God can. So get out of the way and let him do what he has to do. And if you ask, and keep on asking, he’ll make the necessary changes in his own time, just as he did for the Little Flower.

Your appeal doesn’t have to be grandiose or dramatic. A simple request will do, like “God, please help me with these character defects.” Then, almost magically, the people, places and things in your life will direct you toward spiritual growth. The real purpose of our lives is to become holier. Not richer, not prettier, not wittier.

One last point. You’ll never change if you don’t examine your day at the end of every day. What did you do well? What did you fail to do? Where was God in all this? This regular practice of examining your day wasn’t created by Eckhart Tolle or the Dalai Lama. It came from St. Ignatius Loyola and is called The Examen.

Put yourself in God’s presence and look at your day through his eyes and in gratitude. Review what happened and acknowledge your shortcomings. Look forward with hope to the day to come.

It takes work to move forward in virtue, but you don’t need a library of self-help books. All that’s necessary is a willingness to grow holier and asking Jesus, your “life coach,” for help. He’ll move you forward even when you don’t even realize it.

Coming home from a long night, I was very much looking forward to a good night’s sleep. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and all I wanted was my bed. Imagine my dismay when I opened my bedroom door to find a huge spider staring at me from across the room.

Let me give you some background. Along with airplanes and heights, spiders are my biggest irrational fear. The kind of fear that sends chills up my whole body. So, after an already difficult night, I called my mom in tears unsure of what to do.

I give her credit for being able to understand what I was saying between breathless sobs of, “I hate it. I just want it to go away.” “You want what to go away? The spider?” she said. As I look back now, it’s funny. But, let me tell you, it was not funny in the moment. And this was before I noticed the hundreds of baby spiders sprawled out on the ceiling…

I may have blacked out in a moment of sheer terror because I don’t remember my reaction to that. But I do remember my mom assuring me she was on her way. To my mom, currently reading this: you came over at 1 am to help me kill hundreds of baby spiders…yes, you can be featured in my column now.

Moms just have a way of being able to make everything better. I don’t exactly know when this transition to womanhood happens, when suddenly you know how to cook the best lasagna ever made and can handle killing spiders in the middle of the night, but moms just know.

I’ve never really had a close relationship with Mary. There was always something about her that seemed unattainable to me as a woman. I think my thought process was I know I will never be that perfect, so it just kind of makes me feel bad about myself when I think about her perfection.

But, still, when I can’t fall asleep or when I’m nervous, there’s something about repeating the Hail Mary over and over that settles me. It’s that peace and comfort that comes from a mother, I think. Like calling your mom in the middle of the night.

I’d like to imagine that Jesus used to call on Mary when he needed help or was afraid. Maybe he needed help killing spiders in the middle of the night, I don’t know, stranger things have happened in Nazareth. I wish we had more of those in-between years, to see those tender moments between mother and son. It helps to think about Mary as a young mother, trying to do everything she could to care for her family. Maybe she’s not so unattainable after all? I’m working on it.

If she’s anything like the moms I know, who would do anything for their kids and their families, even kill hundreds of spiders in the middle of the night, then she’s alright by me.

BRIDGEPORT—Foundations in Education, a non-profit organization established to support Catholic education in Fairfield County, was forced to cancel its 2020 gala due to the COVID pandemic and the potential risk. The Board of Trustees with the Development Committee’s urging determined it best to forgo the event in order to ensure the safety of honorees, committee, staff, volunteers and guests.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined 2020 as a year like no other,” said Foundations in Education Executive Director Holly Doherty-Lemoine. “Life’s experience has taught us to buckle down, take the necessary action, and do what needs to be done to survive the challenge before us.”

The challenge before Foundations now is to secure additional funds that were budgeted to be raised at the gala. The annual gala is Foundations in Education’s premier fundraising event.

Last year the gala raised over $1 million, which allowed Bishop’s Scholarship Fund to award 1,456 students tuition assistance so they may experience a transformational education based on Christian values and character formation at Catholic elementary schools throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport. Foundations also funded grants to educators for innovative and leadership initiatives within Diocesan Catholic schools which foster creative instruction and support faculty and administrative leadership.

This year, in light of the pandemic, several donors and sponsors who had already committed their support to the gala converted their gifts to straight contributions. Many more stepped forward to “raise the paddle” from home and gave to our Leaders of Tomorrow campaign, where gifts support a scholarship for a student at a full, half, or quarter tuition. Additional support to help fill the gap is welcome. Please contact Foundations in Education by phone at 203.416.1671 or make a donation online at www.foundationsineducation.org.

Foundations will return to the annual gala on Thursday, May 6, 2021, honoring Lynn and Francis X. Mara of the New York Football Giants, Inc. and Dr. Julia M. McNamara, President Emerita Albertus Magnus College.

Please save the date and join us May 6, 2021 for the Foundations in Education Gala as we celebrate a night of academic excellence, faith formation and enrollment in Catholic Schools.

For more information on the gala, or to make a contribution today, please contact Megan Quinn at 203.416.1671 or mquinn@foundationsineducation.org.

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano is asking Catholics throughout the diocese for help in closing the $1.5 million gap between current Annual Catholic Appeal  (ACA) resources and the increasing needs of people as a result of the pandemic.

The bishop said in time of  unprecedented crisis and much uncertainty going forward, the need for basic services and other outreach provided by the diocese has doubled and in some case tripled.

In a new letter and video the bishop urged those who have not yet given to the appeal to join in the effort to help the diocesan family, and he expressed his appreciation for all those who have already given.

“Over last six months we have seen so much need and suffering in our midst. Through your generosity the Church has been able to respond generously and in many ways, even heroically,” he said, adding that he expects more difficult months ahead and is working to ensure the diocese will be able to respond.

“We had hoped that by the Fall this would be behind us, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” he said.

“Love never fails” is the theme of the appeal. It is drawn from the words of St. Paul’s in Chapter 13 of his first letter to Corinthians, “So, these remain: faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of them is love.”

The bishop said pandemic has affected every aspect of life in the Church and the larger community and that the ongoing impact of the pandemic is affecting many people around the diocese—many who have need help for the first time in their lives.

“Suffering has taken its face in those around us,” said the bishop. “Many have lost family members, found themselves without jobs, are suffering ill health and unable to return to work or unable to meet their family’s basic needs. This human suffering will not end anytime soon. In many respects, it continues to grow,” he said.

The bishop has consistently urged the faithful to pray for all those who have passed away or who are suffering from the COVID-19 virus and to be mindful of all those whose lives are struggling.

“Countless people are relying on you and me that we do not fail—that we come to them to help feed, clothe and accompany them in fear; that we each out to the young people in our schools, and to all those suffering from the isolation. We can help them find hope.”

The bishop said that diocesan ministries funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal continue to provide “truly lifesaving” service that accompany all spiritually during the difficult journey of the pandemic.

Catholic Charities has served over 500,000 meals from March through August—two to three times the number regularly served. Counseling services have increased as families and individuals have needed to address their acute anxiety and depression along with concerns for the future. Likewise Catholic schools have increased scholarship assistance and transitioned  to distance learning concerns over the future; and our school students successfully transitioned to continue their education on-line.

The bishop said that the ACA works in big and small ways to support so many good works and services throughout the diocese including faith formation, charity and education—the programs and services people rely on when they have nowhere else to turn.

While there are many challenges ahead the bishop said he remains optimistic because he witness the great generosity of the people of the diocese—their sacrificial giving, volunteering and personal charitable acts, and the depth of their prayers during the crisis.

“Given the extraordinary circumstances and the hardships that many people are experiencing, the response to the appeal has been gratifying,” said Bishop Caggiano. “The diocese has pulled together as a family and have shown a generosity that has inspired me and made me proud.”

“What I’m asking is that if you haven’t given and you have the ability to make a gift, please step forward now to help us reach goal. When we look back on the pandemic, it will be a legacy and witness to the level of caring and compassion in our diocese,” he said.

(Please use the enclosed envelope to donate to this year’s appeal as generously as your means allow. If you prefer, you may make your gift online at www.2020ACABridgeport.com or text the word APPEAL to 475.241.7849.  Our generous donors are the hands of God reaching out to those in need; all donations of whatever amount will help us to help them.)

By Brian D. Wallace


 

LITCHFIELD—On Saturday, October 3, 2020, Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center at 229 East Litchfield Road in Litchfield will present a program on Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Presented by Robert Ellsberg, the revered author of “The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day” and “All The Way to Heaven: The Selected Letters of Dorothy Day”, and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost of the program is $60 which will include lunch.

Program presenter Robert Ellsberg, editor in chief and publisher of Orbis Books, the publishing arm of Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. In addition to his books on Dorothy Day, he is the prolific author of numerous books on Catholic Faith, including “Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses”; “Blessed Among All Women: Women Saints, Prophets and Witnesses”; “The Franciscan Saints”; and “All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses”.

Co-sponsored by Fairfield University’s Center for Catholic Studies, the October 3rdprogram will offer insights into the ambitions, accomplishments and devotions of Dorothy Day (1897-1980), one of the nation’s most influential nonviolent speakers for the rights of workers.

Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, and anarchist who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic Christian without abandoning her social and anarchist activism. She described the process of her conversion in her autobiography, “The Long Loneliness”. Today she is perhaps the best-known political radical in the American Catholic Church, and is currently under consideration for sainthood.

An active journalist, Day described her social activism in her writings. In 1917 she was imprisoned as a member of suffragist Alice Paul’s nonviolent Silent Sentinels.  In the 1930s, she worked closely with fellow activist Peter Maurin to establish the Catholic Worker Movement, a pacifist movement that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action on their behalf. She practiced civil disobedience, which led to additional arrests in 1955, 1957, and in 1973 at the age of seventy-five.

As part of the Catholic Worker Movement, Day co-founded the “Catholic Worker” newspaper in 1933, and served as its editor from 1933 until her death in 1980. In this newspaper, she advocated the Catholic economic theory of distributism, which she considered a third way between capitalism and socialism. Pope Benedict XVI used her conversion story as an example of how to “journey towards faith… in a secularized environment.” Pope Francis included her in a list of four exemplary Americans who “built a better future”, yet for much of her life Day was considered a fairly marginal figure, if not viewed with outright suspicion.

The October 3rd program will be offered in four sessions. The morning sessions will introduce Dorothy Day and her accomplishments and the story of her conversion. These sessions will include a showing of the documentary, “Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story”, which features an interview with Robert Ellsberg. The afternoon sessions will explore the social program of The Catholic Worker Movement: Works of Mercy, Social Justice, and Peace and focus on Day’s spirituality and reflections on the question of sainthood.

Wisdom House Executive Director Deborah Kelly commented, “We are honored to co-present this program because Dorothy Day is being widely publicly heralded and celebrated for the enormity of her offerings to the rights of social justice for Catholic workers in the past that is still a need today. She was an exemplary ‘true force of reason’ in unreasonable circumstances.”

Face masks, social distancing protocols, and registration for this event will be required. To register, call Wisdom House at 860.567.3163, or visit www.wisdomhouse.org.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you have a family? Where did you go to school?

I grew up in Fairfield CT and I currently live in Litchfield County with my husband Philip and daughter, Maeve. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Xavier University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Southern CT State University with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health and Substance Abuse. I am a licensed clinical social worker in the State of CT.

How long have you been a VAC? What drew you to this work?

I was hired by Bishop William E. Lori in 2003 as the founding director of the Safe Environment program and in 2008, I began serving in the capacity as Victim Assistance Coordinator in addition to the Director position. Prior to working with the Diocese, I worked in various counseling positions with adults and children who were diagnosed with cognitive and psychiatric disabilities. I was employed as a social worker with St. Christopher Ottilie in Sea Cliff, N.Y., and assisted children who had disabilities and were removed from their homes and placed in this care facility due to sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect by a family member. I was deeply impacted by the children’s incredible stories of trauma and survival. It became clear to me that there were not enough social workers trained in the field of child sexual abuse prevention and victim advocacy.

Have you seen any changes of attitudes in the Church towards abuse survivors during your time working as a VAC?

Yes, absolutely in both the Safe Environment Program and in our Victim Assistance Ministry. In 2003 we implemented VIRTUS awareness training on child sexual abuse prevention and people were angry and did not understand why it would take years for a victim to come forward. There was little awareness about the lifelong impact that abuse has on a person. There has been great progress since 2003 and over 130,000 adults and children have taken these trainings in our diocese. The most common feedback now is deep gratitude and a desire to get this training to programs everywhere.

In 2013, our victim assistance ministry was renewed under Bishop Frank J. Caggiano’s leadership. He began meeting with survivors as soon as he arrived in Bridgeport and we organized a listening session for survivors and one for family members. Bishop Caggiano also held open meetings for anyone in our diocese who would like to discuss the sexual abuse crisis and our diocesan response. We met with survivors individually and in groups on a regular basis and a special group formed called the Committee for Healing. It includes Survivors of Sexual Abuse as Minors by Priests, Bishop Caggiano and I, Michael Tintrup, L.C.S.W., Victim Assistance Counselor with Catholic Charities and two family members of victims. We have had priests on our committee who have been survivors and a survivor who entered the seminary. We plan opportunities for outreach and healing and we speak at various groups within our diocese including the Presbyterate, School Principals, the Deaconate, Directors of Religious Education and survivors speak at VIRTUS training. The survivors and their families play a critical role in everything we do in our Safe Environment office, including helping us to update our policies and procedures.

Our group participates in radio talk shows, newspaper and TV interviews, and videos which are available on our diocesan website. We planned a prayer service at Fairfield University and three annual Masses for Survivors together with Bishop Caggiano. One survivor from our group participated in the Human Library experience at Fairfield University where students could reserve a time to speak with her as part of their learning experience. Members from our group are open to speaking with anyone if they believe it will help bring awareness and healing, or if it will help someone personally. We meet quarterly with the Bishop at the Catholic Center or his residence and now by zoom during Covid 19 as we plan for a January 20, 2021 Virtual Prayer Service.

What personal quality do you think helps you to be a good VAC?

I consider it a privilege and a ministry and I listen for as long as a person needs. Every person’s journey towards healing is unique and everyone’s time frame is different. Survivors often share that they felt no one would believe them or they blame themselves. It is important for every VAC to assure the person calling from the very beginning that they are doing the right thing by coming forward. I recognize that it may have taken years for that person years to make the call and they have placed so much trust in me at that very moment. I take this very seriously.

How do you take care of your own mental health while doing this work? Where do you find support?

My faith in God, the support of my family, our Bishop, the survivors from our group and my amazing co-workers at the Catholic Center are all supports in my life. I don’t know how any person could do this work without each one of these in place, I also love animals and live on a small farm with hens, turkeys, sheep, goats and rabbits. I spin the wool that we shear from our sheep although I am not a great knitter. My husband grew up on a dairy farm in Ireland and so I often rely on his expertise on animal care, mending fences and barns. It is something that we do together as a family.

What is a question that you wish people would ask you about your work, or about the work of the Church to help survivors today?

I wish more people would ask how they can become involved in the education and prevention work of the diocese. We can all take steps to help our Church heal by taking a class and helping out with child safety in a school or parish. There are so many positive initiatives that are happening in every diocese. I know in my heart that the Catholic Church is becoming one the safest places in our community for children and while we still have work to do, there is so much good news to share.

By The Catholic Project

Fraternal Benefits Webinar: The Ruffo and Starr Agencies are sponsoring a special webinar event from award-winning author, speaker and economist Tom Hegna. He is an industry leader and is considered by many as the “Retirement Income Expert.” Join this great informative event on Tuesday, October 13 at 7 pm as Tom walks us through how to retire happy!

Click here to register for this completely FREE Webinar.

The Center for Catholic Studies at Fairfield University has invited Class of 2009 valedictorian Sister Colleen Gibson, SSJ, to lecture on the theme of “Showing Up: The Radical Work of Commitment in Uncertain Times.”

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (September 28, 2020)— On Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 5 p.m. the 20th Annual Anne Drummey O’Callaghan Lecture on Women in the Church will be delivered as a Zoom webinar by Fairfield University alumna Sr. Colleen Gibson ’09, SSJ. This virtual event is free and open to the public via registration at fairfield.edu/cs.

A Sister of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia, Sr. Gibson currently serves as coordinator of services at the Sisters of Saint Joseph (SSJ) Neighborhood Center in Camden, New Jersey. Her lecture, “Showing Up: The Radical Work of Commitment in Uncertain Times” marks the 20th in an annual series that honors the legacy of Anne Drummey O’Callaghan, a catechist, youth minister, advocate for the intellectually disabled, and director of religious education for the Diocese of Bridgeport.

In her presentation, Sr. Gibson will share her ideas on how, in an age of instability and uncertainty, the call to commitment rings out as a radical invitation to witness to the Gospel call of discipleship. Exploring the purpose and promise of commitment, she will consider the hard work of showing up, the lived reality of women in the church, and the transformative power that “being present” can have on our lives, our world, and our church.

Author of the blog Wandering in Wonder, Sr. Gibson has been published in Commonweal and America, and is a regular contributor to Give Us This Day, National Catholic Reporter, and the Global Sisters Report website. Her firm belief that each person’s story has the ability to reveal God’s presence in the world directs her efforts to bring people into dialogue with their own personal experiences, the stories of others, and the grace of God at work in the world. Sr. Gibson’s gifts as a speaker and retreat director invite participants to explore issues of call, spirituality, and culture from a distinctly Ignatian perspective.

Prior to her work at the SSJ Neighborhood Center, Sr. Colleen served as a campus minister at Chestnut Hill College. She has also worked in community development, social services, and pastoral ministry, and she is a proud Fairfield Class of 2009 alumna who majored in American studies and religious studies. In addition to being her class’s valedictorian, Sr. Gibson was also captain of the Stags women’s rugby team.

Sr. Colleen Gibson’s lecture, “Showing Up: The Radical Work of Commitment in Uncertain Times” is free and open to the public. It will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. via Zoom webinar. To register to attend, please visit the Center for Catholic Studies webpage at fairfield.edu/cs.

Vol. 52 #16

Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.

BRIDGEPORT—Digging deeper into the roots of our own sinfulness can be the beginning of transforming our lives, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said in the homily for his online Mass on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Bishop reflected on the gospel account (Matthew 21:28-32) of the two sons who resist their father’s request that they work in the vineyard. One son initially refuses but later changes his mind and does as he is asked. The other son quickly says “Yes Sir,” but does not go.

The passage concludes with Jesus saying, “When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

The bishop said at its deepest level the gospel challenges us to “work toward a conversion of heart and mind” that begins with coming to terms with our sinful behavior.

“We are called to literally change our minds or to turn our face–those are ways to describe the challenge of conversion in our life. The Lord asks us to lay aside our sinfulness so we can walk in his commands and do his work in service,” the bishop said.

Bishop Caggiano said one area of trepidation he felt as a young priest was the responsibility of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He prayed that he would be equal to the task of bringing God’s mercy to those who were deeply troubled and burdened by their sins.

He overcame his concerns when he “came to realize that it’s not really me who is essential here. It’s the Lord’s mercy. Every priest is a channel of that mercy and the Holy Spirit gives us the words we need to help with the healing.”

He also realized as a young priest that most of us confess the same sins over and over—usually not big sins, but issues we struggle with that harm others and interfere with our ability to experience the fulness of God’s love.

“How do we take the challenge seriously and turn our mind and heart away from sins that seemingly always crop up?” he asked.

Using the image of the garden, the bishop said that when we walk by a garden and admire the flowers, we don’t think about its underground roots that give them life. We may also become exasperated by the weeds in our own garden.

“Sometimes to see the flower, you have to dig the weeds, and if you don’t get the weeds up by the roots, they will continue to grow,” he said, noting that the lesson nature can provide us is obvious.

“If you find yourself seeking forgiveness for the same sins, it’s time to look for the roots and at what is manifestly our sin that prevents us from turning our face and mind more and more to Jesus.”

Staying on the surface of our motivations is not good enough, said the bishop who added that it is important to spend time in deep reflection and honest examination of conscience with a spiritual guide who can help us.

By digging deeper and with the grace of God, we can understand “the root that powers sin in our lives” and become more aware of the reasons for our negative behavior.

“You and I need to spend time in the garden of our life and get our hands dirty and dig, and examine our own thoughts– your heart and mine– and seek to understand the desires that motivate us to act the way we do,” he said.

“We will have a life not filled with weeds, but with beautiful flowers—flowers that give glory to God and allow us to love our neighbor and grant us joy and peace in this life, and in life everlasting,” he said.

In brief remarks before the final blessing, the bishop invited all to watch the two-minute 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) video and thanked those who contributed online after last week’s Mass. He asked all in our diocese to give as generously as possible help to meet human need so those affected by the pandemic.

To donate to this year’s ACA, visit: https://www.givecentral.org/appeals-form-registration

BRIDGEPORT—Foundations in Education is pleased to announce that applications to the Innovation and Leadership Grants Program opened September 15, 2020.

The grants program promotes excellence in Catholic education by supporting teachers’ creative projects and professional development. Grants funded through this program are for transformative initiatives that may benefit multiple grade levels and have a long-term impact on student learning.

Now in its 4th year, this competitive program was the first of its kind in the diocese to offer innovation and leadership grants to teachers and administrators.

To date, Foundations in Education has funded 71 transformative grants totaling $367,500.

Educators within the Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools are encouraged to submit grant proposals from September 15-October 31, 2020.

A grants committee carefully reviews each proposal and submits recommendations to Foundations’ Board of Trustees for approval. The committee is led by Dr. Julie McNamara, President Emerita of Albertus Magnus College and Foundations’ Board member.

“It was heartening to see the unintended, but very positive consequences of several of our grants this past year was aiding students and teachers in the transition to remote learning,” shared Foundations in Education Executive Director Holly Doherty-Lemoine. “All Saints, for example reported their students were able to transition to distance learning rather smoothly, thanks to their grant,” Holly added.

Craig Pucci ‘s Innovation Grant last year allowed 8th graders at Catholic Academy of Stamford to take two new Computer Science classes: 1) Computer Science for Innovators and 2) Makers and App Creators. Students learned how to build apps for use in portable devices and program physical computing devices that address authentic real world activities and problems.

“Fortunately, both of these classes continued while we engaged in distance learning with little modification,” shared Pucci. “Students were able to continue to work through various programming activities and tested them using online emulators.”

“We anticipate applications will look different this year,” commented Committee Chair Dr. Julie McNamara. “With the fluidity of our current environment, the actual experiences of remote teaching last spring and the flexibility and creativity needed to deliver lessons across platforms, we believe teachers will have some very creative ideas born from their new experience,” she added. “We are eager to see the innovative and inspiring ideas they present for this round of grants.”

Foundations in Education is an independent non-profit initiative created to assist the Diocese of Bridgeport’s ongoing mission to support Catholic education in Fairfield County by supporting innovation in academic and extra-curricular programs, fostering opportunities for the professional development of school leaders and providing tuition assistance to families in need. To find out more, visit www.foundationsineducation.org

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano has approved expanded capacity in all diocesan churches consistent with new state guidelines announced by Governor Ned Lamont.

On September 24, the governor announced that as the State of Connecticut begins Phase III of its re-opening plan, churches can increase attendance to 50% capacity with a cap of 200 people effective October 8.

Bishop Caggiano discussed the changes with pastors and priests prior to the announcement  at Wednesday’s presbyteral assembly and has issued the following guidelines as churches expand their capacity:

  1. Only every other pew can be used for seating.
  2. 6 feet of distance must be maintained between individuals or family units within a pew.
  3. Masks must be worn.

The guidelines indicate that if a person refuses to wear a mask, he or she should be asked to leave the church unless they can provide medical proof of a medical condition that prohibits them from wearing a mask.

The diocesan guidelines acknowledge that given the above protocols for seating and social distancing, it may not be possible for each parish to reach 50% of church capacity with a cap of 200.

According to the guidelines, if the positivity rate within a particular town or city exceeds 5%, then the pastor should reduce capacity to 100 people per Mass.

(For updates and complete Coronavirus health and safety protocols, visit:  www.bridgeportdiocese.org/coronavirus/home.)

BRIDGEPORT—The Divine Mercy Summit will be hosting the largest Divine Mercy event ever with people joining from around the globe.

Speaking at the event will be renowned experts on various topics surrounding the devotion to Divine Mercy, as well as many special guests (including Father Larry Richards).

Guest speakers are joining from places like Poland, Lithuania, Mexico, The United States, Ireland, Canada, Austria, and even all the way from Brazil and Lebanon!

The event is free for all who register and goes from October 3-5, 2020.

Register at www.DivineMercySummit.com to participate.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Just hours before the sixth federal execution took place this year, and two days before the next one was scheduled, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen called on the government to end this practice.

“We say to President Trump and Attorney General Barr: Enough. Stop these executions,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a statement issued late Sept. 22.

“In the last 60 years, before the Trump administration restarted federal executions, there were only four federal executions. Since July, there have been five, which is already more federal executions than were carried out in any year in the last century,” the bishops said.

They said the Catholic Church “must give concrete help to victims of violence” and “encourage the rehabilitation and restoration of those who commit violence.” They noted that “accountability and legitimate punishment are a part of this process” and emphasized that “responsibility for harm is necessary if healing is to occur and can be instrumental in protecting society.”

“Executions are completely unnecessary and unacceptable, as Popes St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis have all articulated,” they added.

The bishops’ statement was issued the day before Barr, a Catholic, was scheduled to receive the Christifideles Laici Award, named for St. John Paul II’s postsynodal exhortation, at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. The award is given by the independent Catholic organization in “honor and gratitude for fidelity to the church, exemplary selfless and steadfast service in the Lord’s vineyard.”

The Association of U.S. Catholic Priests, Catholic Mobilizing Network and the Santa Fe Archdiocese’s Office of Social Justice and Respect Life spoke out against Barr receiving this honor, emphasizing that in his role as attorney general, he directed the federal government in July 2019 to resume the execution of prisoners on federal death row.

The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works to end use of the death penalty and promotes criminal justice reform and restorative justice, relaunched its petition against federal executions in early September, emphasizing that Barr was being honored “despite promoting actions contrary to Catholic teaching.”

And a Sept. 23 statement by the group’s executive director, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, further denounced Barr’s award, especially for its presentation in between two federal executions, saying it “could mislead the public to believe the Catholic Church somehow condones the death penalty. This is categorically false.”

She also said that under Barr’s leadership, the Department of Justice has “carried out more executions in 2020 than in any other comparable time in the past 70 years. Nothing about this is pro-life.”

The Catholic Mobilizing Network led a virtual prayer vigil Sept. 22, hours before the federal execution of 50-year-old William Emmett LeCroy, who was charged with the 2001 murder of a Georgia nurse.

They were to lead another virtual prayer vigil Sept. 24 before the scheduled execution of Christopher Vialva, a 40-year-old from Texas who was convicted of kidnapping and killing an Iowa couple in 1999. Vialva will be the first Black man to be executed since the federal executions resumed this year after a 17-year hiatus.

In prison, Vialva became a Messianic Jew and in recent years he has regularly ministered to fellow inmates, according to a report on WFIU public radio in Indiana.

LeCroy received a lethal injection Sept. 22 at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. Nearby was his spiritual adviser, Sister Barbara Battista, a Sister of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods.

Sister Battista told local radio station WTWO in Indianapolis that during the execution, members of her order were planning to join death penalty protesters nearby. “We are attempting to send a clear message that says: ‘No we need to stop this. No more death penalty, no more extrajudicial killing, stop police killing, stop mass incarceration,’” she said.

At the Sept. 22 virtual prayer service, a statement written by Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer was read aloud to the 215 online participants. It said: “The death penalty goes against the church’s pro-life teaching rooted in the inherent dignity of every human person. It jeopardizes innocent lives since the justice system has wrongfully convicted innocent people.”

He also said “a convict who is killed never has an opportunity to repent or seek reconciliation with those he or she may have hurt. We must always leave open the door for redemption and rehabilitation.”

The archbishop prayed for LeCroy’s victim, Joann Lee Tiesler, and for her family. He also prayed for LeCroy “because he is a child of God” whose life has worth and dignity.

He also prayed for government employees involved in carrying out the death penalty and that “our judicial and political system may find a way to end the death penalty, so as to achieve a measure of justice that does not involve the violence of execution of a fellow human being.”

By Carol Zimmermann | Catholic News Service