Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

Looking for the perfect unique holiday gift? Look no further than the St. Matthew Church Christmas Fair, Dec. 7-8 from 10am-6pm, and discover a treasure trove of unique gifts, from stunning jewelry and exquisite specialty ornaments to festive home décor and handcrafted items like Fr. Miguel’s beautiful Rosaries and Faith Bracelets, and brand-new designer clothing from renowned brands including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, all still with their tags.

Don’t miss the excitement of our Basket Raffle, boasting 30-themed baskets that promise to add a touch of joy to your holiday celebrations! Join in the festive atmosphere of the Great Room with Holiday Baked Goods, Food and Beverages! Proceeds to benefit St. Matthew Church Ministry and Outreach Programs – 216 Scribner Ave., Norwalk, CT.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8
Time: 10:00am-6:00pm
Location: St. Matthew Church Great Room; 216 Scribner Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854

By Kathy-Ann Gobin

DANBURY – Musical masterpieces from the 19th century Romantic period will be celebrated with a piano performance at St. Joseph Parish in Danbury this Friday

The free concert at the Robinson Avenue church will feature Felix Mendelssohn, César Franck, Johannes Brahms and Edvard Grieg as performed by St. Joseph’s Director of Music Robert Fertitta.

Fertitta said he wants to share the beauty of the music from these great composers with the parish community and the Greater Danbury community.

“It’s all about the music,” Fertitta said. “It’s about hopefully getting other people to be in awe of it and to wake up to beauty, the beauty of music.”

Fertitta will give a brief talk before the concert about the miracle of music.

“The piano is very unique,” he said in its arrangement of black and white keys. “It is idiomatic for the instrument. It is a multi-level.”

Included on the program are the seldom heard, ‘Prelude, Aria et Final’ by Franck and the ‘Sonata in E minor’ by Grieg. Works by Brahms (four Intermezzos) and Mendelssohn (three Songs Without Words) will round out the program

“The master composers were the ‘rock stars’ of their day,” Fertitta said. “In musical society and in general, they were national treasures.”

“I truly believe that music is miraculous,” Fertitta said.

There is not only an art of playing music, Fertitta said, but there is also an art to listening to it and appreciating the melody, harmony, rhythm, favorite moments and ‘accompaniment patterns.’

“I decided to pick a program that is all in the keys of either E major or E minor,” Fertitta said. “There are a total of twenty-four keys, each in its own universe.”

“As performers you have to play with honesty,” said Fertitta, who shared that he has been playing the piano since the age of five as a student in Catholic school. When he heard the organ at age 10, he said that he knew he wanted to learn that instrument as well.

Fertitta has been the Director of Music at Saint Joseph Parish since 2022.

Note: The free concert will be held at 7:30 pm on Friday, November 15 at St. Joseph Parish, 8 Robinson Ave, Danbury. All are welcome.

All Souls Day Mass @ Bridgeport Diocese Cemeteries will be held Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 11:00 am, rain or shine; tents and portable facilities will be provided. This Mass will be offered for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. Catholics are encouraged that day to pray that all those who have died may rest in the peace of Christ. The Masses will be offered at these six Diocesan Cemeteries, and Holy Water from Lourdes, France, will be distributed after Mass at each location.

NORWALK—Homecoming is often a treasured high school memory, with football games, dances and fun times for all. But on September 21, the Diocese of Bridgeport invites all of its high school students to St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk to participate in a homecoming to the Catholic faith.

“Follow Me Home” will include Mass with Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, fellowship, service, a Holy Hour with Lee Roessler and more! High school students from across the diocese are encouraged to attend and connect more deeply with their Catholic faith and with each other.

“Our teens are pulled in many directions in today’s world and the ‘Follow Me Home’ event has been designed to help our young people ponder the question, ‘How likely am I to follow Jesus now?’” said Chris Otis, youth minister at St. Aloysius Parish in New Canaan and one of the main coordinators of the event. “Through experiences of encounter, teens will be accompanied in the reminder, or perhaps discovery that Jesus Christ extends an invitation to each and every one of them, to follow him home where his immense love will demonstrate the truth of his saving grace, desire for a two-way relationship and the call to live out life of goodness loving our neighbor.”  

Follow Me Home will begin at 3 pm at St. Matthew’s with check-in and games, and will be followed by a vigil Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano. Then the evening will continue with a tailgate barbecue, games, service, and a talk from the bishop.

One of the highlights of the event will be a Holy Hour led by Lee Roessler, whose original music has been featured as Catholic Heart Work Camp theme songs. He currently travels the U.S., leading worship and concerts for camps, parishes, conferences, rallies and retreats. His life can be summed up in the words he lives by, ”Your will O Lord, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”

Similar events have been held for high school students in the past, and their impact has been notable on the young people they seek to reach.

“The thing I love most about these events is how united you feel to the people around you,” a diocesan teen said.  Even though you may not know many people when you arrive, everyone there is united through Christ and is aware of that connection.”

Otis noted the event would close with a candlelight procession to honor the Blessed Mother and her role in our salvation.

“Our gathering will culminate walking with the greatest model of discipleship, our Blessed Mother, as we end in an outdoor candlelight procession akin to those in Fatima, Portugal,” she said. “This is a high school event that you do not want the teens in your life to miss.”

For more information and to register, visit https://formationreimagined.org/event/follow-me-home

By Rose Brennan

By Joe Pisani

NEWTOWN — Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport in cooperation with St. Rose of Lima Parish will hold a Mass for Suicide Healing and Remembrance on Saturday, September 7 at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend the Mass at the church on 46 Church Hill Road in Newtown.

“Everyone is invited, regardless of their faith,” said Carolyn Killian, Director of Bereavement. “The Mass is to remember those who have died by suicide and those who are mourning. There are so many people living with incredible sadness after having lost someone they care about to suicide, and it is important as a faith community that we support them in their pain. We need Christ’s presence to bring them comfort.”

The Mass coincides with the start of National Suicide Prevention Week from September 8 to 14. Many parishes throughout the country have scheduled Masses to pray for those who have died and those who grieve their loss.

Father Peter Cipriani, pastor of St. Rose, talked about the significance of the Mass and said: “Imagine a doctor or nurse who is ill, in the cure — tending to those who are just as ill or more so — they discover they are being healed. When we pray for those whose lives were lost to the illness of suicide, we find that these prayers, inspired by the hope that God has placed in our wounded hearts, is the very balm He uses to fully heal both them and us.”

Killian added, “Mental illness is so misunderstood in our society and the grief process people experience is extraordinarily painful. They experience sadness and incredible pain and guilt because they couldn’t do anything to help their loved ones, no matter how hard they tried.”

The names of the deceased will be placed on the altar in prayer.

In her role as Director of Bereavement for the diocese, Killian says, “I’ve talked to so many parents who are heartbroken over losing a child, and you can’t believe the anguish they are going through.”

The Mass with be celebrated by Father Cipriani, joined by Father Richard Murphy of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Greenwich.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and according to data by the Centers for Disease Control, almost 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022, and another 1.7 million tried to take their lives in 2021.

Killian said she hopes the Mass will also raise awareness of the Church’s understanding of mental health and suicide. For centuries, the accepted belief was that suicide was a sin. However, the second edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide (2282). “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to Him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives (2283).”

Also, in observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, Father Peter Cipriani will celebrate a Mass on Saturday, September 14, at 11 am at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery at 20 Cherry St. in Sandy Hook. The entrance to the cemetery is on Black Cherry Lane.

The observance will also include comments by Jessica Powers, the New England Regional Coordinator of Students for Life of America.

For more information, contact, Don R. Mallozzi of St. Edward the Confessor Parish in New Fairfield at 203.417.1976 or email don.r.mallozzi@gmail.com or Mariotte Corson of St. Rose of Lima Church at 203.426.9275 or email at mariottecorson@gmail.com.

Mallozzi urges everyone to attend to pray for an end to abortion and in remembrance of the children who were lost to it.

The organizers of the event said, “By participating in the National Day of Remembrance, visiting these solemn memorial places at other times of the year, and spreading the word about this prayer campaign, you are helping to humanize our aborted brothers and sisters and deepening your own commitment to ending the injustice of abortion. The National Day of Remembrance also offers hope and healing to women who have had abortions and others who have been hurt by abortion.”

The observance was first held in 2013, and last year thousands participated at 210 locations throughout the United States.

Join the Diocese of Bridgeport to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Thursday, August 15!

The Assumption is a holy day of obligation, meaning Catholics are required to attend Mass. Luckily, most parishes offer additional Masses aside from their usual Daily Mass offerings to ensure their parishioners can fulfill that obligation, including Vigil Masses.

Please find below a list of Diocese of Bridgeport parishes offering Masses for the Solemnity of the Assumption. All services will be celebrated in English unless otherwise noted. Special liturgies (ie: Family Masses, Solemn Masses, etc.) are also indicated.

The Cathedral Parish, Bridgeport: 7 am (at St. Patrick); 12:10 pm (at St. Augustine Cathedral, with Bishop Caggiano)

Our Lady of Aparecida, Bethel: 7 pm (Português)

St. Mary, Bethel

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 9 am

Blessed Sacrament, Bridgeport: Please call the parish office at 203.333.1202

Our Lady of Fatima, Bridgeport: Please call the parish office at 203.333.7575

St. Andrew, Bridgeport

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 12 pm

St. Ann, Bridgeport: 8 am; 7 pm (Español)

St. Charles Borromeo, Bridgeport: 7:30 am (in chapel); 7 pm (Español, upper church); 7:30 pm (Português, lower church)

SS. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport: 7:45 am (Latin, Low Mass); 6 pm (Latin, High Mass and procession)

St. Margaret Shrine, Bridgeport: 8:15 am; 12:15 pm; 7 pm

St. Mary, Bridgeport: 7 pm (Español)

St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport: 8 am (Polski); 12 pm; 7 pm (Polski)

St. Peter, Bridgeport: 7:30 pm (Español)

St. Joseph, Brookfield: 7:45 am; 7 pm

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Brookfield: 8:30 am; 6:30 pm

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Danbury: Please call the parish office at 203.797.1821

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Danbury: 7 pm (Español)

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Danbury

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 10 am

St. Gregory the Great, Danbury

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8 am; 9:30 am; 5:30 pm

St. Joseph, Danbury

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 4 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 12:05 pm; 7:30 pm

St. Peter, Danbury

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7:30 am; 12 pm; 5:30 pm; 7 pm (Español)

St. John, Darien

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8 am; 12:15 pm

St. Thomas More, Darien

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 4:30 pm

Notre Dame, Easton: 7:30 am; 6:30 pm

Holy Cross, Fairfield: Please call the parish office at 203.372.4595

Holy Family-St. Emery, Fairfield: 7:45 am (at Holy Family); 7 pm (at Holy Family)

Our Lady of the Assumption, Fairfield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7:30 am; 12:10 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Anthony of Padua, Fairfield: 12:15 pm (at Fairfield University’s Egan Chapel)

St. Pius X, Fairfield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8:30 am; 5:30 pm

St. Thomas Aquinas, Fairfield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 12:10 pm; 5 pm

Sacred Heart, Greenwich

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 12:15 pm

St. Mary, Greenwich: 12:05 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Michael the Archangel, Greenwich

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 6 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am

St. Paul, Greenwich

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 12:15 pm

St. Roch, Greenwich

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 12:05 pm; 7:30 pm (Español)

St. Jude, Monroe:

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 5:30 pm

St. Aloysius, New Canaan

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 12:15 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Edward the Confessor, New Fairfield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 7 pm

St. Rose of Lima, Newtown

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 am
• Mass During the Day: 6:45 am; 9 am; 5:30 pm

St. Jerome, Norwalk: 9 am; 7 pm

St. Joseph-St. Ladislaus, Norwalk: Please call the parish office at 203.354.8869

St. Mary, Norwalk: 8 am; 12:10 pm; 7 pm (Latin, Solemn Mass)

St. Matthew, Norwalk: 8 am; 12:10 pm; 7 pm

St. Philip, Norwalk: 7:30 am; 5:30 pm

St. Thomas the Apostle, Norwalk: 7 am; 12:10 pm; 6 pm

Sacred Heart-St. Patrick, Redding

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 6 pm (at St. Patrick)
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8:30 am (at Sacred Heart); 8:30 am (at St. Patrick); 6 pm (Latin, High Mass, at Sacred Heart)

St. Elizabeth Seton, Ridgefield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8:30 am; 12 pm

St. Mary, Ridgefield

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 9 am; 12 pm; 7 pm

St. Catherine of Siena-St. Agnes, Riverside: 7 am; 12:15 pm; 5:15 pm

St. Joseph, Shelton

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7 am; 12:05 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Lawrence, Shelton: 7 am; 9 am; 12:10 pm; 7 pm

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Shelton: 7:30 am; 9 am; 7 pm

Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, Stamford 8 am; 12:10 pm; 7 pm (Solemn Mass)

Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford: 12:15 pm; 7 pm (Polski)

Holy Spirit, Stamford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:15 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7:30 am; 12 pm; 7 pm

Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford: 8 am; 12 pm

Sacred Heart, Stamford: 7 am; 12:10 pm

St. Bridget of Ireland, Stamford: 7 am; 7:30 pm

St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel, Stamford

• Vigil Mass: 4:30 pm (at St. Gabriel)
• Mass During the Day: 7:30 am (at St. Cecilia); 5:30 pm (at St. Cecilia)

St. Clement of Rome, Stamford: Please call the parish office at 203.348.4206 

St. Leo, Stamford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8:30 am; 12:10 pm; 7:30 pm

St. Mary, Stamford: 9 am; 5 pm; 7 pm (Español, at St. Benedict campus)

St. Maurice, Stamford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 pm
• Mass During the Day: 12:10 pm

Holy Name of Jesus, Stratford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day: 7:30 am

Our Lady of Grace, Stratford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day: 9 am; 12 pm

Our Lady of Peace, Stratford: 8:30 am; 5:30 pm

St. James, Stratford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8 am; 12:10 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Mark, Stratford

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 8 am; 12 pm; 7 pm

Christ the King, Trumbull

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am

St. Catherine of Siena, Trumbull: 7:30 am; 12:10 pm; 7 pm

St. Stephen, Trumbull: 9 am; 7 pm

St. Theresa, Trumbull

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 pm
• Mass During the Day: 7:30 am; 9 am; 12 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Francis of Assisi, Weston: 7:30 am; 12 pm; 7 pm

Assumption, Westport

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 5:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 7:30 am; 12:15 pm; 5:30 pm

St. Luke, Westport

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 7:30 pm
• Mass During the Day: 12:15 pm; 7:30 pm

Our Lady of Fatima, Wilton

• Vigil Mass (8/14): 4:30 pm
• Mass During the Day (8/15): 9 am; 12:15 pm; 6 pm

Join us on Friday, August 30 for an Outdoor Music Festival, hosted at St. Jude Parish, 707 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe!

The event will start with Adoration at 5:30 pm, followed by a Tailgate Party and Live Music at 6 pm.

This end-of-summer celebration invites the whole community to enjoy performances by talented artists, including Matt and Ranae Sperrazza, the Angelo Natalie Band, Father Joseph Gill, the Contemporary Choir and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic and a lawn chair to enjoy the festivities. Babysitting and games will be available in the hall for children.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to come together, celebrate, and enjoy the music,” says Father Joseph Gill.

The event is proudly sponsored by St. Jude’s Family Ministries and Foundations in Faith, an organization dedicated to fostering vibrant faith communities through strategic and impactful philanthropy.

We look forward to seeing you there for a night of music, community, and celebration! For more information, please visit:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DAAAD2AA4FACE9-50480330-endofsummer

St. Elijah Dux et Pater
Leader and Father of Carmel

Holy Mass of the Solemnity
Saturday, July 20, 9:00 AM

Reception to follow in basement hall. Parking available at old St. Emery School.

Please RSVP: Carmelites of Mary Ever Virgin
838 Kings Highway East Fairfield, CT 06825
or via phone (845-654-5234) or
no-reply email: prayerrequest.CMEV@gmail.com

SUMMER MISSION DAY OF SERVICE 2024! We invite high school rising freshmen to graduated seniors to join us for our Summer Mission Day 2024.

Serving as the Catholic Service Corps, we will come together from different parishes to
PRAY, SERVE & LOVE!

We will gather at St. Matthew Church, located at 216 Scribner Avenue in Norwalk at 10am. Our day will begin with ice breakers and Mass. At St. Matthews, we will work together on our first service project, have a speaker, have CHICK FIL A lunch together and have free time in the Rec Center! Then will take a bus to Malta House in Norwalk, where we will set up a mini carnival with games, crafts and a BBQ and engage with the single mothers of Malta, the alumni Partnering Success moms and their children. We will end our day with reflection and an evening prayer service and pick up by parents will be at Malta House (139 West Rocks Rd in Norwalk) between 7:30 and 8pm. Sign up at link https://www.signupgenius.com/…/10C084DAFAD2CAAFB6… or contact Chris Otis at youth@starcc.com for further details!
#loveyourneighbor #catholicservicecorps

Celebrate the ordinations of David Klein and Jozef Ukaj to the priesthood! Both of the newly ordained will celebrate their Masses of Thanksgiving this weekend following their ordination to the priesthood on Saturday, June 15 at 11 am at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport.

David Klein will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 pm at St. Raphael Church, 162 Oak St., Bridgeport.

Jozef Ukaj will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, June 16 at 4 pm at Our Lady of Shkodra Albanian Catholic Church, 361 West Hartsdale Ave., Hartsdale, N.Y.

Let us pray for our ordinandi!

BRIDGEPORT—The annual St. Anthony Festival, also known as the Original Italian Festival, will be held from June 7th to 9th at St. Margaret Shine in Bridgeport!

Join us for delicious Italian cuisine, festive music, carnival rides, and fun for the whole family!

Each year, thousands of people turn out for the “Original” Feast of St. Anthony to enjoy a festival of faith, fun, good food, live music and rides at St. Margaret Shrine.

The Feast includes the largest variety of Italian food specialties, Italian-American music, entertainment, raffles, rides and games. It also boasts its famous Pizza Fritta and many other tasty Italian dishes. On Sunday, the day begins with the Special Outdoor Mass, followed by a procession in honor of St. Anthony.

IMG_4609_ferris“The Feast is an opportunity to celebrate and to support our beautiful Diocesan Shrine,” said Deacon Don Foust, Administrator of the Shrine. “We’re hoping people will join us for delicious Italian food, family friendly fun, and our traditional faith-filled outdoor Procession and Mass on Sunday.”

Foust said that many people may not realize that St. Margaret Shrine has been renovated and revived over the past few years. It has added new outdoor shrines.

St. Margaret Shrine is a Diocesan Shrine located in the North End of Bridgeport. It is open to all who wish to visit, pray and enjoy the beautiful outdoor Shrines as well as the daily celebration of Mass in the Chapel. Father Giandomenico Flora is serving as Rector.

The outdoor shrines, open throughout the year, include grottoes and Shrines dedicated to St. Padre Pio, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadelupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Lavanga, Our Lady of Charity, St. Margaret, St. Sebastian, Mother Cabrini, Christ the King, Calvary, Stations of the Cross and the Pieta.

The grounds include a St. Anthony Chapel, an All Saints Chapel, and a Veterans Memorial.

Feast Admission is 99 cents, children under 12, FREE.

Please join us for delicious Italian food and family friendly fun!

Please join us on Saturday, June 1, for the First Thanksgiving Mass and Celebration at Fairfield University’s Leo D. Mahoney Arena, Loyola Drive, Fairfield, CT 06824.

Our pre-liturgy celebration begins at 9:30 AM, with rosary & song in five languages. The celebration of Mass begins at 11 AM and should end by about 12:30 PM.

Please register here for tickets:
REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org/eucharist-procession/mass-of-thanksgiving-registration/
Tickets are limited and subject to availability.

Upon registration, you will receive an email indicating that your ticket(s) will be available for pick-up beginning at 8:30am at the main entrance of the arena.

Ample parking on the Fairfield campus, with bus shuttle service, is available.

God bless you. We hope to see you and your family there!