Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

April 20, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I began my ministry as your bishop nearly seven years ago, I spoke of the need to build bridges between people. I suggested that each of us is a “living stone” in the bridge that Christ wishes us to create to provide healing and service to our neighbor, especially those in need. Little did I know at that time of the personal and extraordinary challenges that we would all face in our families, parishes and community as a result of the terrible COVID19 pandemic that has upended our lives.

While I am grateful for all who have helped “flatten the curve” and done what was asked by our health officials to help save the lives of the most vulnerable in our midst, the numbers we hear in the media can easily mask the names, faces and stories of the tens of thousands of people who are living in grief for the death of a loved one, struggling against the grip of a faceless enemy, living in fear and isolation, or for the first time facing the prospect of not having enough money to buy food, medicine or pay their monthly rent or mortgage. What the future holds has not been this uncertain in years but the challenges we will face will endure long after the coronavirus has been tamed.

Therefore, in these days when we celebrate the promise of new life in Easter, I write to you now to ask your heroic help to re-launch the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal in a moment of extreme, urgent need.

I come to you in this emergency to ask for your help to ensure that the Annual Catholic Appeal, which has provided basic human services of food, shelter, education and counseling to many in the past can be maintained and, to the extent possible, be expanded to the many others who are facing real hardship for the first time in their lives. I recognize that some of you are now among those who are facing these hardships. For this reason, I am asking all those who can to give as generously as possible, so that our Church can be there to assist you and your family.

We have seen many faces of heroism in those who have served on the front line of this crisis: doctors, nurses and emergency medical personnel who risk their lives to serve the sick; police, firefighters and first responders who go wherever they are needed; grocery workers and gas attendants who help provide us with the necessities of life. They deserve our deep gratitude, respect and prayerful support.

Added to these heroes are the chaplains in our local hospitals and nursing homes who are serving the most vulnerable, including those infected by the virus; our teachers who continue to teach our children online despite the tremendous workload this creates; our pastors who have reached out in creative ways to connect people to the Lord and one another in a time when faith and hope are needed to help us to persevere.

I ask that you join the efforts of these heroes and heroines in responding to this emergency appeal. Your contribution will help to allow the Church’s mission to endure so that we can respond effectively to the spiritual, psychological and physical needs of our people.

Please make a donation online to this year’s Appeal as generously as your means allow at www.2020ACABridgeport.com or text the word APPEAL to 475-241-7849. All donations of whatever amount will help us to help those in need.

As your bishop, I have seen first-hand your extraordinary generosity and I remain deeply grateful. Every time I have asked, you have responded with compassion, with sacrificial giving, and with deep and abiding faith in the Lord and the work of his Church. In this hour of need, let us together become the living stones of the Church by loving and serving one another by building a bridge that will carry our sisters and brothers safely through this crisis. And let us do so joyfully in the name of the Risen Lord who has triumphed over sin and death and will never abandon us.

With every best wish and prayer this Easter, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano
Bishop of Bridgeport

P.S. If you have already made a gift to the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal, thank you, your steadfast support is truly a blessing in this time of need.

BRIDGEPORT—Please join us for live-stream of Bishop Frank’s Holy Week liturgies.

Easter Sunday

Livestream of the Easter Vigil

Mass of the Passion of the Lord  on Good Friday

View Stations of the Cross  on Good Friday

Mass of the Lord’s Supper on this Holy Thursday

Chrism Mass

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I invite you to join me online as I celebrate Holy Week and Triduum liturgies from Saint Augustine Cathedral. All the liturgies will be live-streamed on the Diocesan website (www.bridgeportdiocese.com). This is a wonderful opportunity to gather with me in prayer as we ask the Lord’s blessing during these trying times. The schedule is as follows:

Chrism Mass: Thursday, April 9 at 10 am
Mass of the Lord’s Supper: Thursday, April 9 at 7 pm
Stations of the Cross: Friday, April 10 at 12 noon
The Passion of the Lord: Friday, April 10 at 3 pm
Easter Vigil in the Holy Night: Saturday, April 11 at 7 pm
Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 12 at 8 am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano
Bishop of Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano announced today that there will be no public Liturgical Celebrations for Holy Week, the Triduum and Easter.

The Bishop said he made the decision based on the restrictions and recommendations issued by public authorities and the need to safeguard the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

“Unfortunately, given the continuing spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and the restrictions placed upon all of us by State and local authorities, I am sorry to inform you that there will be no liturgical celebrations in the presence of the lay faithful for Holy Week, the Triduum and Easter this year,”

In his memo issued to pastors and priests today, the bishop recommended live-streamed Masses and liturgies during Holy Week, and he issued a set of guidelines for the private celebration of Mass by priests.

Earlier this month the bishop temporarily suspended all weekday and Sunday public Masses celebrated in the presence of the lay faithful in the Diocese of Bridgeport through Friday, April 3. That date has now been extended to April 30.

“At that time, it was my deep hope that the suspension could be lifted before Palm Sunday,’ the bishop said, noting that the health crisis continue to persist.

The bishop is encouraging all pastors to celebrate the Easter Triduum liturgies this year, even though the lay faithful will not be able to physically gather for the Masses.

“To the extent possible, all liturgies should be live-streamed so that the lay faithful can participate in real time,” he said.

In order to observe social distancing, no more than five priests, deacons and musicians will be present at the taping of each Mass.

Noting that parishes will be unable to distribute palms on Palm Sunday, the bishop instructed pastors that palms should be blessed at the private Mass they celebrate.

“Blessed palms can be distributed at a later date that will be designated; tentatively Pentecost Sunday, so all parishes can distribute blessed palms on the same day,” he said.

The celebration of the Chrism Mass will take place as scheduled on Holy Thursday, April 9, at 10 am at Saint Augustine Cathedral. It will be celebrated only in the presence of the Vicar General, the priests who live at the Cathedral Parish, as well as a Master of Ceremonies and a musician

The Chrism Mass will also be live-streamed so that the clergy, consecrated men and women and lay faithful throughout the diocese can participate electronically.

The Blessing of Oils will take place during the C hrism Mass, and the sacred oils will be maintained for safe-keeping and made available to parishes at a later date when they can be safely distributed, the bishop said.

In response to the Coronavirus crisis, priests will add the following petition for the end of the pandemic to the Special Intentions: “Let us pray, dearly beloved, for a swift end to the coronavirus pandemic that afflicts our world, that our God and Father will heal the sick, strengthen those who care for them, and help us all to persevere in faith…

The priest will then pray, “Almighty and merciful God, source of all life, health and healing, look with compassion on our world, brought low by disease; protect us in the midst of the grave challenges that assail us and in your fatherly providence grant recovery to the stricken, strength to those who care for them, and success to those working to eradicate this scourge. Through Christ our Lord.”

All Easter Vigil Masses will also be celebrated in private this year, and the diocese and most parishes will live-stream them to the faithful. Parishioners should visit their parish websites for more information in the coming days.

Regarding the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), which is completed at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Easter sacraments for the Elect and Candidates will be postponed throughout the Diocese to a later date, most likely during a celebration of the extended version of the Vigil of Pentecost.

Baptized candidates who were to be Confirmed, receive First Holy Communion and make a Profession of Faith at the Easter Vigil will be received into the Church at any time after public Masses resume in the Diocese and candidates are ready, he said.

The bishop thanked pastors and priests for all that they are doing to reach out to people and to bring creative solutions forward at a time when people cannot gather publicly for Mass.

“Please know how deeply grateful I am to all of you for your continued cooperation and leadership during this extraordinary time in the life of the Church and the world, and be assured of my daily prayers,” the bishop said.

(In the interest of public health and safety, all Masses will be celebrated in private with only priests and deacons in attendance. Please visit the diocesan website for live-streaming and later viewing:  www.bridgeportdiocese.org)

BRIDGEPORT—Effective this evening at 8 pm, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano has mandated that all weekday and Sunday public Masses celebrated in the presence of the lay faithful are temporarily suspended in the Diocese of Bridgeport.

The temporary suspension will remain in effect until Friday, April 3. You will receive a confirmation or revision of that date on Monday, March 30.

Beginning this Sunday, Sunday Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano or Monsignor Thomas Powers, Vicar General,  will be available on our Diocesan Website (www.bridgeportdiocese.org) or on diocesan social media channels (www.bridgeportdiocese.org/dobsocial/home).

The bishop’s decision was made in response to the March 15, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that, for the next 8 weeks, any in-person gatherings of 50 people or more throughout the United States be cancelled or postponed. Governor Lamont today followed that directive and has limited crowds to less than 50 in the State of Connecticut.

“With those standards now in place, out of concern for the common good of ending the spread of the Coronavirus and for the wellbeing of the clergy (many of whom are older and at greater risk) and the lay faithful of the Diocese of Bridgeport, I would like to inform you of some important new directives that will be binding throughout the diocese,” the bishop said today in a letter to all priests and diocesan officials.

“Please know that I do not make this decision easily. However, this is an extraordinary—and, in some ways, unprecedented—time in the life of the Church, the country and the world, and it requires extraordinary action to ensure the safety of those whom we serve. I appreciate greatly the cooperation of our pastors in communicating this decision to parishioners in a clear and pastoral manner. May we continue to place our trust in Jesus, the Divine Physician, through the loving hands of Our Blessed Mother, the bishop said.

Churches may remain open for private prayer at the discretion of the Pastor. Some parishes will also begin live streaming of Masses, and the diocese will publish that information on its website. The diocese will continue to provide updates and the latest news on its website: www.bridgeportdiocese.com and on Facebook and other social media.

BRIDGEPORT—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano has temporarily suspended the obligation to attend Sunday Mass in response to the Coronavirus crisis. However the public Mass schedule of parishes will continue throughout the diocese.

In a letter issued today (printed below) to all clergy and diocesan officials, the Bishop indicates he has taken the action of “so that anyone who may be fearful of becoming ill or of spreading illness, especially healthcare workers, caregivers to the elderly or infirmed or parents with young children, may have peace of mind in knowing that, with this provision, they do not commit mortal sin if they choose not to attend Sunday Mass”

The Bishop requests that those who decide to refrain from attending Mass on the Sundays during the next three weeks “treat the Lord’s Day with the honor it deserves and try, to the best of their ability, to view Mass online or to make time to read the Scriptures for the day.”

In brief, the Bishop’s letter contains the following directives: (Click for Spanish version)

• Beginning this Third Sunday of Lent (March 14-15) through the Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 28-29), the bishop is temporarily dispensing all Catholics of the Diocese of Bridgeport from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.
• PLEASE NOTE: Although the Bishop has suspended the Sunday Mass obligation for the next three weeks, the public Mass schedule of parishes will continue. As we move forward, Pastors, administrators, and lay parish coordinators will be required to follow any ordinances or mandates published by legitimate local authorities, who have been entrusted to protect the community at large. If you have any questions about parish events or liturgies, please contact your parish directly.
• The bishop repeated his strong suggestion that non-liturgical, social events scheduled to take place in the immediate weeks ahead at parishes or diocesan institutions, especially those at which the elderly may be inclined to participate, be postponed or cancelled.
• Beginning today, Friday, March 13, 2020, all diocesan schools and academies will be closed for a period of two weeks.
• All parish Confirmations that are scheduled to take place before Easter Sunday will be rescheduled to a later date.

As you have certainly heard by now, the first cases of Coronavirus connected to the State of Connecticut have been reported and linked to Fairfield County. Now that the virus has been identified within the Diocese of Bridgeport, I feel it is not only prudent but necessary to issue some updated directives to those I issued last Tuesday.

Before addressing the directives, I want to inform you about some diocesan events that have been canceled or will be rescheduled due to the Coronavirus:

1. The Mass of Anointing and Healing scheduled for Saturday, March 21^st will be rescheduled. The new time, date and place will be announced shortly.
2. The Annual White Mass and Brunch scheduled for Sunday, March 22^nd has been canceled and will not be rescheduled for this year.
3. The Mass of Hope, Healing, and Reconciliation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse scheduled for Sunday, March 22^nd will be rescheduled. The new time, date and place will be announced shortly.

Beginning immediately, I am mandating that the following policies be implemented for all parishes and Catholic institutions in the Diocese until further notice from the Office of the Bishop (I am including the directives from last week here for clarity):

1. Offering of the Precious Blood of Christ is to be suspended at all Masses. Priest concelebrants should receive the Precious Blood by intinction. Assisting deacons will not receive the Precious Blood. Be sure to have low-gluten hosts available for those who have an allergy and normally receive only the Precious Blood.
2. The Sign of Peace is to be exchanged without physical contact. You may invite parishioners to use some other gesture (e.g., a nod of the head, a smile or a spoken greeting) or omit entirely the call to exchange the Sign of Peace.
3. For the celebration of Confirmation, the Sign of Peace will be exchanged between the Bishop and the confirmandi without a handshake. Photographs will take place in church immediately after the celebration of Mass and will include only the Bishop, the confirmandi and their sponsors.
4. Parishioners are not to hold hands during the Our Father, if that is the practice of the parish.
5. Holy Water fonts are to remain emptied and sanitized.
6. Make sure that handrails, restrooms and the tops of pews are properly disinfected and that hand sanitizer is available at all church entrances. Also, have hand sanitizers available near the sanctuary so that all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and priest celebrants can purify their hands immediately before and after distributing the Eucharist.

In addition, I am recommending strongly that Pastors consider the following:

1. Before the distribution of Holy Communion, suggest that your parishioners consider receiving the Host in their hands and not on the tongue. Also, you may want to encourage those who are feeling ill or those who may have come in contact with someone with flu-like symptoms or have come to know that they had contact with someone in the last 14 days who has subsequently developed flu-like symptoms to refrain entirely from receiving Holy Communion. Instead, as is the practice of the Church, one can make an Act of Spiritual Communion at the time others are receiving. (The Act, which can be offered for all those who have died or are suffering from Coronavirus, can be a simple prayer, such as, “My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.  Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”)
2. Consider postponing or cancelling non-liturgical, social events scheduled to take place in the immediate weeks ahead, especially those at which the elderly may be inclined to participate. As important and life-giving as some of these events can be for a parish or institution, looking out for the well-being of others is of primary concern.
3. As people of faith, we want to place this entire crisis into the hands of the Lord. It is fitting, therefore, that the Universal Prayer at Masses include a petition to ask God’s mercy for those who have died from the Coronavirus, His healing for those suffering from it and His protection for all others against it.
4. Remind your parishioners that if they are exhibiting flu-like or cold symptoms, they are not obliged to attend Sunday Mass. In fact, until there is more information about the Coronavirus and its spread, one should out of charity avoid public events if experiencing such symptoms. Also, the elderly and those with underlying physical conditions that would make them more susceptible to the Coronavirus are not obliged to attend Sunday Mass.

Thank you for your cooperation in implementing these measures.