Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

Last week, I had the opportunity to welcome over 850 of our teachers and administrators back to school at our 2017 Diocesan Convocation for Catholic School Educators.  In my address to those in attendance, I talked about the interwoven nature of our Catholic Identity and Academics.  There was such great excitement in the room as we looked at the direction in which our Catholic schools are heading that I thought I would share some of my reflections.

People often talk about academic excellence and Catholic identity as if they are separate and mutually exclusive ideals.  In our schools, however, academic excellence cannot be discussed apart from our Catholic identity.  Because we believe that every child is created in the image and likeness of God and because we believe that it is our responsibility to help each of God’s children reach their fullest potential, academic excellence is a necessity to fulfill our mission in Catholic education.  This mission challenges us to create educated and articulate global citizens who use their Catholic identity as the lens through which they see the world.

When we keep that as our focus, we realize that we cannot have a “one-size fits all” education.  We must begin to create opportunities for learning that are much more personal.  We must move from teacher centered to student centered classrooms and we must build learning experiences rather than just lesson plans.  Personalized learning opens a host of possibilities for what teachers can do for a child and allows them to meet the needs of each child no matter where he/she is, no matter what his/her strengths, and no matter what his/her ability.

As we move forward in the coming years, our goal is to create innovative and inclusive learning environments in which students acquire knowledge and skills, where they collaborate with each other, where they create together, and where they communicate their learning and discuss its relation with real world issues.

We do not want our Catholic schools to be public schools with a religion class.  We can be so much more than that and because of what we believe about God and His creation, we have to be.

By: Steve Cheeseman

Superintendent, Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with this time of the year. On the one hand, I love the crispness of the air, the coolness of the nights, pumpkin spice flavored things, apple picking, and college football. On the other, I always hated that summer was ending, because that meant it was time to go back to school, and thus, back to responsibilities.

Now that I am older and out of school, I still feel a similar way. I am always sad to see my siblings go back to school (remembering that feeling myself), and I am especially sad to see the energy and excitement of summer wain until the quiet preparation of autumn.

These days, I find this time of year to be exciting and full of hope. As people are returning to work and school in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and summer vacations are ending, we’re preparing for some of the most exciting work we’ve done yet here in the Catholic Center. As I was planning the next few weeks on our Diocesan Social Media, I was in awe of the many ministries, events, and opportunities that my coworkers have created for the faithful here in the Diocese.

Wherever I go in the Diocese, visiting parishes or covering events, there seems to be a pervasive excitement swelling in our communities. And it is contagious! Now, instead of drifting into the melancholy that the end of summer often brings, I cannot help but feel that same excitement. Bring on the autumn!

By: John Grosso

Social Media Leader

Diocese of Bridgeport

“Who do you say that I am?”  Such a powerful question coming from Our Lord today in the Gospel.  Met with confusion over who this Jesus is, many people murmured about Him.  So Christ asked His closest followers who the crowds said He was, He asked what people were saying about Him.  “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets,” they responded.  “But who do you say that I am?” Jesus responded.

As He asked the apostles thousands of years ago, so He asks us today.  Who do we say that He is?  Some of us may say He is God, Lord, Savior, Redeemer, or King.  Some may say He is justice, mercy, love, or compassion.  Some may say He is friend, brother, or mentor.  But who do we say that He is?  Who is Jesus Christ for us?  What is our personal relationship with Him like?

On the flip side, there’s another question worth asking: who does Jesus say that we are?  We spend a lot of time describing ourselves to other people in plenty of different ways and these things are not bad whatsoever.  But the more important description is the one Our Lord has for us, so we are led to ask who does Jesus say that I am?  If we know what Our Lord thinks of us, then no other contradictory opinion matters, for we know who we really are in His eyes.

So I encourage you to ask yourselves these questions today and in the days to come.  Who do you say that He is?  Who does He say that you are?  Bring those questions to the Lord in prayer, too, and see if He can help you figure them out, for flesh and blood will not reveal these answers to us, but only our Heavenly Father.  Ask the Lord these questions; the answers might just astound you.

The first Sundays of my life were spent in the pews of Saint Joseph’s Church in Brookfield. It was here that I first saw Jesus, in the coloring pages of our children’s booklets. And as I started CCD, I heard His name in Christian songs. And as I was anointed with oil on my confirmation, I felt my heart yearning to learn even more about Him. So, I chose to leave the public school system and pursue Jesus in my education at Immaculate High School. It was here that I understood His life while reading the scriptures in our rigorous religion classes.

All of these spiritual seeds were planted by our wonderful diocese and prepared me to then encounter Jesus in everything else I did. I began fully encountering His forgiving love as I attended youth retreats at Saint Rose in Newtown, and felt His hospitality as I joined David Roman at the Saint Joseph’s Danbury youth group. I encountered His patience in Father Jeff Couture who constantly ministered to dozens of IHS students, including myself, at such a pivotal time in our lives. I am forever grateful for this because I have been able to sprout those seeds on my own and bring the love of Jesus outside of our diocesan borders and to my college in New York and in my global mission trip travels.

By: Jillian Mitchell

St. Joseph Church, Brookfield

A mother, out of love for her daughter, goes out of her way to find her daughter help, for she is tormented by demons, the Gospel tells us.  Met with dismissiveness from the Apostles, she begs the Lord to intervene in her daughter’s life, humbling herself to the ground and simply asking for the “scraps from the table.”  And the Lord rewards this humility, for He always “lifts up the lowly” (Lk 1:52).

It is through this woman’s humble faith that the Lord works and this teaches us a lesson today.  Knowing that the Lord loves us and knowing that He is present with us brings us to a point where we know that we can approach Him and ask anything of Him, as He himself tells us in the Gospel.  But the key to that relationship is humility: knowing who we are in reality, accepting that graciously, and serving there quietly.

This humility helps us realize that Christ is God and we are not, which allows us to give Him the reigns.  In humility, we realize that we are sinners who by no means deserve God’s love, mercy, or forgiveness, but yet we have them completely by the free gift of God Himself.  And through this realization, we receive the grace to appreciate these incredible gifts for what they are: free, undeserved, and unconditional.

Let’s pray for the gift of humility this week, then, so that we may start to see God as He is and ourselves as we are in His eyes.  Let’s pray for the gift of humility so that we can appreciate more fully those gifts of love, mercy, and forgiveness that the Lord is so ready to pour out upon us.

The most powerful thing about the Camino de Santiago is what it teaches you about yourself. Along this ancient route, pilgrims walk to the city of Compostela in northwestern Spain where the bones of the apostle St. James are buried. As I walked The Way with eight of my brother seminarians and one of our priest faculty members, I learned a particular lesson, one that we all must come to grips with, whatever road we walk: how do we deal with adversity, with the inevitable mountains that we must climb.

It was only our second day, but it had already proved that it would be the toughest of our nine-day journey. After walking 12 miles, we still had another 5 to go. And a mountain was staring us in the face. Our destination: the very top. I struggled every step of that climb. Still, I had no choice but to keep going. Where did I find the strength to make it to the top of the mountain? Certainly, in my brothers who were walking with me, side by side. But, more importantly, I found it in the hands of Mary.

As I walked up the mountain that day, and all the difficult parts in the days to follow, I clung to Mary. Through the Rosary, when I could find the strength to say it, and even just by calling Her name when that was all I could manage. As the beautiful Memorare teaches us, never has it been known that anyone who has sought Mary’s help has been left unaided. I know that Mary’s hand guided me to the top of that mountain and, days later, into the Cathedral at Compostela. And, in life’s difficult moments, I know She will always be there to guide me along The Way – wherever it may lead.

What is your “walking on the water” moment?  Sounds like a shocking question, but I promise it makes some sense in light of today’s Gospel.  The Apostles are on a boat being rocked by a storm when the Lord comes walking on the water, in the midst of the wind and waves, and invites Peter to come to Him.  But before the invitation is extended, the Lord tells the disciples, “Take courage.  It is I.  Do not be afraid.”

As He says to them, so He says to us today and every day.  “Take courage.  It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  What are those moments in your life that are tossing you about, like a boat in a storm?  What are those struggles that you face?  Whatever they may be, the Lord today is inviting you as He invited the disciples to take courage and not to be afraid.  In the midst of whatever storm you may be facing, the Lord comes walking on the water to reassure you of His presence with you and to strengthen you.

It is in this tiny whispering sound, this gentle tugging on the heartstrings that the Lord is speaking today, as He so often does.  He might not come so intensely or dramatically, but nevertheless, He is coming to you in the midst of whatever it is you may be facing.  “Take courage,” He says, “It is I.  Do not be afraid.”

We were never meant to fear death. It was never God’s intention that we be afraid to die. This fear comes from a lack of trust in God, like the lack of trust that our first parents experienced.  Yet, just as we turn to Our Blessed Mother as an example of how to live, we can also look to her on how to die, because it is precisely how she lived that teaches us how to die.

Tradition tells us that Mary was assumed into Heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life. In moving from life on Earth to eternal life in Heaven, Mary’s transition is described as “falling asleep.” And that is exactly how God intended earthly death to be for us: a gentle, peaceful falling asleep. What makes the difference between a fearful death and a holy, peaceful death is a total trust in God.

Mary had the grace of a perfect trust in God throughout her life, as we see in the Annunciation, when she responds generously to the angel’s message, saying, “Be it done unto me according to your word!” That perfect trust in God is a grace that Mary had from the moment she was conceived without sin. And for all of us, far from immaculate like our Heavenly Mother, this perfect trust in God is received each time we are encouraged by His Word, strengthened by the Eucharist, and healed in Confession. In these real, yet veiled encounters with Our Lord, we repeat again and again: “Jesus, I trust in You.” And as we get better at living Mary’s words, “May it be done to me according to your word,” death transforms from a fear into an anticipation for the day when we will wake up in the arms of Jesus and see Him face to face.

By: Carol Mahar

God’s love is abundant.

Something tells me this isn’t news to anyone, because we hear tales of God’s love constantly in our pews and in our lives. But do we actually believe this? Do we actually, in the depths of our hearts, believe God the Father’s words in today’s Gospel? Do we actually believe that we are His beloved sons and daughters, “with whom [He] is well pleased?”

As God the Father said to Jesus thousands of years ago, He says to us today and every day of our lives. You, reading this reflection at this very moment, are His beloved son or daughter, with whom He is well pleased.

As God the Father was present throughout the life of Jesus, shown clearly in today’s Gospel when He reveals His presence by speaking audibly to all those gathered on Mount Tabor, He is present in your life and mine. Even in the midst of suffering, pain, and struggle, God is there with us, helping us to bear the burden.

God’s love for us is abundant. He wants nothing more than for us to remain in that love and “listen to Him,” to His promptings in our daily lives. So let us remain there, in the warmth of His loving embrace, so that we can say with St. Peter: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”

I was raised Southern Baptist, with my paternal grandfather, 4 uncles and 7 cousins all being Southern Baptist ministers. So I grew up with all the typical rumors and fears of the Catholic Church.

But, in college, I had a roommate who was very Catholic and attended Mass weekly. Our campus had a late Mass (10 PM) and he begged me to go with him to Mass so that we could go straight to the local bar after to meet our friends. I hesitantly went and my life was changed. I quickly discovered that all of the rumors were wrong. A well delivered homily from a Jesuit priest one Sunday sparked a seed that had been planted in my heart long ago.

Returning home to Stratford for the break, I was left with many questions and a new curiosity. A fellow EMS volunteer was my go-to Catholic friend and answered all my questions. One day, he invited me to attend Mass. The shock on my face was evident when my EMS buddy, Fr. Dan, walked out to celebrate the Mass!

Years later, in 1990, I entered RCIA at St. James with my mother and was confirmed.  I loved my new faith and was active in the Church. I felt a strong calling to do something more, as I had been involved in so many ways. Fr. Tom encouraged me to enter the priesthood, but I loved my career and was not ready to answer God’s call.  He was calling me and I thought I would play “Let’s Make a Deal,” so I entered the Permanent Diaconate program.  It seemed like a good compromise, as I was going to serve God and maintain my career. So I was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2006.

But plans change and Bishop Lori lured me from my business career to become the Administrator of Blessed Sacrament Church in Bridgeport. Upon arrival, the challenges were great but something clicked for me, as I finally knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: serve God. In 2007, I entered Holy Apostles Seminary in Hartford, where a special curriculum was set up for me.  In my second year, I was allowed to do field service as Administrator of Blessed Sacrament.

I was ordained a priest on May 16, 2009, and I am still happier than I have ever been.  God was calling all along, but I wasn’t ready. During the time it took for me to decide that I was ready, God introduced me to skills, people and habits that I eventually would use to serve His people.  My priesthood is a blessing and I am so glad that I listened to God. It is never too late to serve him.

By: Fr. Reggie Norman

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Steubenville NYC, a conference for teens hosted by the Franciscan University of Steubenville and Life Teen. Every year, they host over twenty “Steubie Conferences” all over the country that are centered around living out the faith as a high schooler.

From my experience, I observed a lot of teens who are at a time in their lives where they’re desperate to fit in and to know who they are. Living out their faith is hard to do when there is a fear of being judged for their faith in their schools, workplaces, or families. But at Steubie NYC, I witnessed thousands of teens diving into their faith and becoming vulnerable in small groups, prayer, and praising our Lord; and it was truly beautiful.

The teen participants got to hear talks about things that are relevant in their lives, such as friendship drama, dating, and preparing for college. They were able to talk about their relationships with God in a setting where they knew that their peers are on the same page. Because they were surrounded by hundreds of other students their age who are serious about the faith, they got the affirmation that they are not the only teenagers out there looking for something deeper. These are things that we often take for granted. I’ve seen that, for many high schoolers, the desire to “fit in” is eminent, but as Catholics, we know that having God at the center is necessary.

Following the Convocation of Catholic Leaders I began thinking that I should excuse myself from any church leadership role because the emphasis was on revitalizing the church through its members emerging into adulthood. And I am nearly three quarters of a century old.

Although I have the energy for the work I might be called to I didn’t sense the welcome tone necessary to collaborate successfully with a more youthful team. I wanted to explore ways to blend the wisdom of the elders of the church with its youthful members. But my sense of distance grew when one in my working group mentioned that the elderly do not like to be referred to as such.

I agreed but during the conversation I had always referred to my peers as “the elders of the church” not the “elderly” of the church. There is a clear distinction, not subtle, between the terms. Elderly often conjures up pejorative comments; the elders is a term that invokes respect.

As an elder, formed and rooted in my faith (but always game for radical change) I yearn to work with young people. They bring me closer to Jesus because they allow me to see the humanity of Jesus during those years that the gospels are silent about His life – the so called hidden years of Jesus.

During our own youthful years we had many moral dilemmas to face. How we resolved those dilemmas offers paths for today’s young adults that should be shared. Our faith was challenged and survived by fighting in wars or protesting against them. We fought the attraction of the free love atmosphere of Woodstock and the lure of psychedelic drugs; the revolution of Vatican II which shook the rituals we depended on; American political division leading to the assassination of one president and the resignation of another.

The elders of the church have lived with Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. We have seen the church change, renewed, disgraced, and made new again. How we, the elders of the church, processed all that, kept our morals intact and remained faithful Catholics can guide our youthful members in the unique way that they, today, face life’s challenges much in parallel to ours. Why would we not want to tap into that rich experience and share it as we minister to our youth and young adults?

There is a clear distinction to being an elder of the church and being called elderly.

By: Nicholas Troilo

Convocation of Catholic Leaders Delegate

This past May, I had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia with Catholic Relief Services, as part of a group of youth ministry leaders to experience the work they are doing. CRS serves the poorest of the poor in over 100 countries and part of my job is now to be an advocate for their work throughout the world.

While in Ethiopia, I was particularly struck by two characteristics of the Ethiopian people: their joy and their hospitality. We went into the countryside and were welcomed into some of the poorest villages in the country. Villages that have no electricity, no running water; they barely live off the land. Yet, these people were not sad or destitute. These people were joyful; even though they didn’t have much, they were grateful for what they had.

The Ethiopian people were also hospitable beyond belief. Everywhere we went and visited, the people went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. We didn’t speak the same language; we were from very different worlds and many times had very different beliefs, but to them that didn’t matter. They felt honored by the presence of someone from outside their village and they welcomed us with coffee, food, song and dance.

The experience was life changing in so many ways, but most importantly, it has reminded be to be grateful for what I have and to be welcoming and hospitable to all those whom I encounter, no matter how different we may be, because they themselves are another Christ.

(For more information you can visit www.crs.org).

By: Evan Psencik

Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Faith Formation

Diocese of Bridgeport

This past year, I have had the incredible opportunity to serve with FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. FOCUS exists as a response to Pope St. John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization, a call to reach out to those who have fallen away from the faith. We send out teams of missionaries onto over 130 college campuses with the mission of leading college students to an encounter with Christ and walking with them in their journey of discipleship with Him and His Church. I have just finished my first year of serving with FOCUS at Florida Atlantic University and am beyond excited to return there.

Serving as a missionary with FOCUS means that we serve on the front lines. A vast majority of those who leave the Church do so by their early 20s, and only a small percentage of my generation regularly attends Mass.  FOCUS’ mission – and ours here at FAU – is to change these statistics by strengthening the faith on college campuses. To put it very simply, what we as missionaries seek to do is: win the hearts of college students by helping lead them to an encounter with Christ, build them in the faith that He Himself taught, and send them to the world to begin their own work of evangelization.

I myself am a missionary today because a FOCUS missionary on my college campus reached out to me and invited me to an encounter with Jesus Christ. She reached out to me when I was most in need of the love and mercy of the Lord and she helped me to realize how beautiful a relationship with Christ could be. After having that experience myself, I felt called to share it with others, to help them experience the love of Christ themselves. Pope Francis once said: “if we received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?”

While serving as a FOCUS missionary is far from easy, it is a blessing to be called to this specific work in the new evangelization. It is an essential mission and I am looking forward to seeing how the Lord will use me to lead others to Him over the next few years!

By: Sarah Freddino

FOCUS Missionary at Florida Atlantic University

Our Lady of Peace Parish, Stratford
For more information about Sarah’s work with FOCUS and how you can support this mission, please visit: focus.org/missionaries/sarah-freddino