By Joe Pisani
BRIDGEPORT — On the second day of the Eucharistic Procession through the Diocese of Bridgeport, Jesus was welcomed by a cathedral filled with school children.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, joined by priests and deacons from throughout the diocese, celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass of the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church at St. Augustine Cathedral.
“How blessed we are,” he told the faithful, who included students from several Catholic schools, religious sisters and members of the Knights of Columbus. “How great are the gifts God gives us. Who are we to have the Food of Eternal Life and the Mother of all mothers who will lead us to glory? We are the Church. We are the disciples of Jesus Christ. We are the ones chosen by him to carry his message and mission to the world … and today we celebrate the fact that we all have the same mother Mary, Mother of the Church. May she lead us safely home so that one day we might all share in glory everlasting.”
On Pentecost Sunday, the Eucharist arrived from New Haven by boat at Bridgeport Harbor Marina, and throughout the day there were processions and activities at five parishes in the city. Over four days, it will travel through eight towns before going to the Archdiocese of New York. Then, the procession will make its way to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in July.
Bishop Caggiano told the students that as the day approached when Jesus would give his life for our salvation, he prepared to give his disciples two great gifts.
“My young friends, we come here so that we could receive the Food of Eternal Life given to us by the Lord himself,” he said. “Jesus also gave us the second gift moments before he literally handed over his spirit to the Father. His last great gift was his own mother, the Virgin Mary, the one who said ‘yes’ to the Angel Gabriel. The one whose ‘yes’ allowed her Son to enter into the world. The one woman above all others who set the stage for our salvation.”
The bishop said that throughout the ages many different images have been used to explain the importance of Our Lady in salvation history, and one that he finds the most beautiful is the moon, which mariners relied on for thousands of years to find safe passage home. The moon is symbolic of three truths about the Blessed Mother, he said.
“The moon generates no light of its own, but reflects the light of the sun, which is hidden, just as the Blessed Mother reflects the light of Jesus. The moon also allows us to find our way when the night is darkest, and it also provides a path for us, as does the Blessed Mother.
“Our Lady is our spiritual moon because she is the one above all other disciples who shone completely the light of Christ,” Bishop Caggiano said. “Our Lady’s life had nothing to do with herself but had everything to do with her son Jesus. And her last words were ‘Do whatever he tells you,’ which is exactly how she lived her life. Everything about Our Lady points to the Son of God whose light shines in the darkness of our lives. She is present to us in the darkest moment of our lives so that she may lead us home to her Son.”
He said Our Lord knew that we would struggle with sinfulness, disobedience, and the temptation to pride.
“He knew that we would all struggle, so he gave us both the Food of Life and the woman who is our model,” the bishop said. “If we follow her example, she will lead us not only to receive the Eucharist worthily, but to see her Son one day. When a mother loves her children, there is nothing she will not do for them. There is nothing Our Lady will not do for us, my young friends, if we turn to her because her heart is most joyful when you and I are one with her Son.”
Members of the congregation who attended events the previous day said it was a profoundly spiritual experience.
Sister Mareja of the Missionaries of Charity said they had been blessed by receiving extraordinary graces.
“We can feel it, we experienced it,” she said. “We experienced a foretaste of Heaven.”
Her colleague, Sister Sarah, agreed and said it was a tremendous honor and privilege to be walking the streets with our Savior, Jesus.
Students from Kolbe Cathedral High School and St. Augustine Academy attended the Mass, along with a contingent that came by bus from St. Joseph High School in Trumbull and Notre Dame High School in Fairfield.
Deacon Jeff Font, who is in charge of campus ministry at St. Joseph’s, said, “The Eucharist is the center of our faith. Taking part in this renewal shows students how significant it is in our lives.”
Also attending the Mass were 12 pilgrims who will process all the way to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in July. Among their group was Amayrani Higueldo from St. Patrick Church in Norristown in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who said, “It’s been so beautiful and filled with many graces. I’ve met so many people on fire for the Lord.”
Father Luke Suarez, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Stamford and lead organizer for the procession, proclaimed, “It’s a new day. It’s beautiful to see so many people at the cathedral.”
Joseph C. Rahtelli, State Deputy for the Knights of Columbus and a member of St. Virigilius Council #185 at St. Rose of Lima in Newtown, came with a contingent of Knights who held the processional canopy above the Blessed Sacrament. Rahtelli had been with the procession since it started at the Church of St. Mary in New Haven, which holds the tomb of Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights.
“We have been helping out and promoting the procession in our councils,” he said. “We are honored that it started in New Haven, Connecticut, and very excited to be part of the Eucharistic Renewal, which is so significance in the life of the Church.
James Carmody of St. Mark Parish in Stratford was among the Knights who processed, and he was joined at Mass by his wife Olga, who said, “I had so many things to do today, but the Eucharist comes first, and I’m so happy to be here.”
Over the next two months, the Blessed Sacrament will make its way across the country to Indianapolis. The Diocese of Bridgeport is just the second stop along the Pilgrimage’s Seton Route, which is one of four routes around the country that will culminate in Indianapolis.
The Seton Route will also pass through the dioceses of New York, N.Y.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Metuchen, N.J.; Trenton, N.J.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Baltimore, Md.; Washington; Altoona-Johnstown, Pa.; Greensburg, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Wheeling-Charleston, W. Va.; Steubenville, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio and Cincinnati, Ohio before arriving in Indianapolis, Ind.
