Four County Catholic February 2014

Volume 26 Number 2 February 2014

Made Possible in part through your generous support of the Annual Catholic Appeal

March for LifeRally in

Washington D.C.January 22, 2014

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31

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2 Four County Catholic February 2014

Serving the Counties of Middlesex New London Tolland Windham & Fishers Island NY

at cFour County

atholic Established in 1989 and published each month except July.

Publisher

Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D. 860.887.9294Bishop of Norwich

Editorial Office

31 Perkins Avenue, Norwich, CT 06360-3613 Fax 860.859.1253

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Michael Strammiello, 860.887.3933 [email protected]

Managing Editor/Layout & Design/Webmaster

Trina Fulton, 860.886.1281 [email protected]

Theological Advisor

Reverend Ted F. Tumicki, S.T.L., J.C.L., J.V. 860.887.9294

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The deadline for advertising is the second Monday of the precedingmonth. (Discount rate available to Diocesan-sponsored ministries and pro-grams.) The editorial deadline is the third Monday of the preceding month.Articles limited to 500-word max; letters to the editor limited to 200-wordmax and must include name, address and phone number for verification.Email photos as JPEG attachments and MS Word copy to [email protected] or fax to 860.859.1253. Publication not guaranteed. TheEditor reserves the right to reject, omit or edit all editorial and advertisingcopy. Published opinions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect theeditorial position of this newspaper.

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Periodical Postage paid at New Haven, CT 06511Postmaster - Send address changes to:

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Statement by the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich

February 11, 2014The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

With gratitude to Almighty God and to our Holy Father Pope Francis, I am pleased to announce that on Monday,February 3, the Feast of Saint Blaise, I was notified that the Holy See has recognized the distinguished priestly ministryof two priests of the Diocese of Norwich and named them to the papal household.

Very Reverend James P. Carini, Pastor of Saint Matthew Church, in Tolland, and Dean of the Vernon Deanery, andVery Reverend Michael T. Donohue, Pastor of Saint Matthias Church, in East Lyme, and Dean of the New LondonDeanery, have been named Chaplains to His Holiness with the title of Reverend Monsignor.

The Conferral of the Papal Honor will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick at the Mass of Chrism and willbe followed with Masses of Thanksgiving in their respective parishes.

With Monsignor Carini and Monsignor Donohue, we rejoice in God’s goodness and His blessing on our Diocesanfamily and its presbyterate. “When we recognize the gifts and talents of another we acknowledge God, the authorand giver of all gifts.”

We thank our Holy Father for his generosity in honoring these two outstanding priests. May the Lord, Who is bothHigh Priest and Good Shepherd, continue to bless Monsignor Carini and Monsignor Donohue and enrich theirgifts and talents for the greater glory of God and the service of all God’s people.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Bishop Michael R. Cote

MOST REVERENDMICHAEL R. COTE, D.D.

N.B. In a letter of Dec. 30, 2013, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, was asked by the Holy See’s Secretariat of State to inform allBishops of the following: “the Holy Father, in merit of ecclesiastical honors, has decided that ‘for a secular priest, there will be conferred only the title ofChaplain to His Holiness to deserving priests who are already 65 years of age; all privileges that were granted in the past by previous Popes will remain.’”

The challenge presented to us by our faith is tolive it every day with integrity and consistency,

in the most ordinary circumstances.- Sister Elissa Rinere explaining how Ordinary Time in

liturgical terms is not all that ordinary.

The March for Life is so much morethan a protest against abortion; it is the

recognition of the courageous andhumble who value every human life.

- Susan Sedensky having just returned from last month’s “Life”

demonstration at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

This is the heavy lifting of New Evangelization - going out amongthe less receptive audiences and capturing their attention.

- Michael Strammiello commenting on Pope Francis’ appearance

on the covers of Rolling Stone and Time.

The Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D. Bishopof Norwich

Four County Catholic February 2014 3

My Dear Brothers and Sisters inChrist:

While there is no conclusiveway to measure whether today’sculture is more inclined towardsinful behavior, certainly we livein severely challenging times tomaintain a life of grace. Perhapsthe most challenging ever. A timethat leaves us searching for peaceand realizing how much faithmatters.

As Lent approaches, we areblessed with an opportunity torenew our relationship with God.Experience the Lenten journey.Open yourself to the gifts of theHoly Spirit through the Sacra-ment of Reconciliation. We are allwounded by our own sins and thehurt they may have caused others.Sin is a heavy burden on each ofus. Jesus wants to heal ourwounds. He wants to give us anew beginning. This call goes out

to those who may have been awayfrom the Sacrament or theChurch for a while. If you havebeen away, Lent is a wonderfultime to come home to theChurch. Lent is calling you hometo a new beginning in your life offaith -- to restore sanctifying graceto your life.

In keeping with the spirit ofcompassion, forgiveness and lovethat is the essence of Lent, theDiocese will again this year beparticipating in the The Light is

ON for You initiative. Across theDiocese, Confession will be avail-able as designated by each parishduring the week as well as on Sat-urday. Your parish will be postingthose times in your church wellbefore Ash Wednesday. If youhave been away for a while orhave found it difficult to makeSaturday afternoon Confessiontime, this is your opportunity toreconnect with Christ and hisChurch.

The Sacrament of Reconcilia-tion is the spiritual medicinewhich strengthens as well as heals.This is to say that in addition toreceiving forgiveness for our sins,we receive the sanctifying grace tohelp conquer temptation. It is thepeace and serenity of conscienceand getting right with God thatincreases our spiritual fitness forthe Christian battle. That battle isagainst the temptation to sin in

each of our lives and against thesins of society when lives are ex-tinguished and the vulnerable areexploited or abandoned. We mustbe spiritually strong to withstandthese trials and tragedies.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis,has captured the attention of theworld with the consistent messageof God’s mercy. The forgivenessand mercy of the Lord is so per-fectly embodied in the Sacramentof Penance. As the Pope himselfproclaimed, “I am a sinner.” Hereminds us that the forgiveness ofsins is one of the most mercifulmissions Jesus entrusted to theapostles and their successors. Insupport of this mission, PopeFrancis, our “Pastor in Chief” ashe is affectionately called by some,has personally directed the cardi-nals and archbishops of theRoman Curia to take turns hear-ing daily confessions in a neigh-

borhood church, Santo Spirito,near the Vatican. This to empha-size the importance of confessionand of God’s great goodness inforgiving human sin. “As pastorsof the Church,” in Pope Francis’words. “we want to assist thefaithful with tenderness and un-derstanding in this wonderfulsacrament, to make them feel theGood Shepherd’s love precisely inthis gift.”

Please hear Jesus’ call thisLenten season and come to haveyour burdens lifted in the Sacra-ment of Reconciliation. Come, behealed and restored. Jesus, ourmost merciful, loving and forgiv-ing God will be waiting for you.He and your pastor have left theLight ON for you.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s love,

Bishop Michael R. Cote

The Healing Grace of Jesus’ LoveThe Light is On for You

La Gracia Sanadora del amor de JesúsLa Luz Está Encendida para Usted

Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas:Si bien no hay manera con-

cluyente para medir si la culturaactual se inclina más hacia uncomportamiento pecaminoso,ciertamente vivimos en tiemposseveramente difíciles para man-tener una vida de gracia. Tal vezmás desafiantes que nunca. Untiempo en que nos deja buscando

la paz y nos damos cuenta de laimportancia de la fe.

A medida que se acerca laCuaresma, somos bendecidos conla oportunidad de renovar nuestrarelación con Dios. Experimente elCamino Cuaresmal. Ábrase a losdones del Espíritu Santo a travésdel Sacramento de la Reconcil-iación. Todos estamos heridos por

nuestros propios pecados, y por eldaño que pudo haber causado aotros. El pecado es una carga pe-sada para cada uno de nosotros.Jesús quiere sanar nuestras heridas.Él quiere darnos un nuevocomienzo. Este llamado es paraaquellos quienes podrían haber es-tado fuera del Sacramento o de laIglesia por un tiempo. Si usted ha

estado fuera, la Cuaresma es untiempo maravilloso para volver acasa a la Iglesia. La Cuaresma lellama a casa para un nuevocomienzo en su vida de fe-pararestaurar a su vida la gracia santif-icante.

“Señor, a menudo nos sentimosmuy agobiados Con las dificul-tades de la vida y nuestros peca-

dos. Ayúdanos a encontrar la gra-cia para volver a ti Y para recibiren esta temporada de CuaresmaTu paz en el Sacramento de la Rec-onciliación”

En consonancia con el espíritude la compasión, el perdón y elamor que es la esencia de la

La Luz Está Encendida para Usted

Continued on page 4

Lord, we often feel

heavily burdened

With the difficulties of

life and our sins.

Help us to find the

grace to return to You

And to receive your

peace in the Sacrament

of Reconciliation t i

Lenten season.


La Luz Está Encendida para Usted Continued from page 3

Cuaresma, la Diócesis de nuevoparticipara este año en la iniciativaLa Luz Está Encendida paraUsted. Designada por cada parro-quia la confesión estará disponibleen la Diócesis durante la semana

así como el sábado. Su parroquiapublicará en su iglesia las horasmucho antes del Miércoles deCeniza. Si usted ha estado fuerapor un tiempo o si ha encontradodificultades para ir por la tarde del

sábado a la hora de Confesión,esta es su oportunidad para re-conectarse con cristo y su Iglesia.

El sacramento de la reconcil-iación es la medicina espiritual quefortalece, además de sanar. Esto

quiere decir que además de recibirel perdón de nuestros pecados,recibimos la gracia santificantepara ayudar a vencer la tentación.Es la paz y la serenidad de con-ciencia y el estar a bien con Dioslo que aumenta nuestra salud es-piritual para el combate cristiano.Esa batalla es contra la tentaciónde pecar en cada una de nuestrasvidas y en contra de los pecados dela sociedad cuando vidas se ex-tinguen y los vulnerables son ex-plotados o abandonados. Tenemosque ser fuertes espiritualmentepara soportar estas pruebas ytragedias.

El Santo Padre, el Papa Fran-cisco, ha captado la atención delmundo con el constante mensajede la misericordia de Dios. Elperdón y la misericordia del Señorson tan perfectamente incorpora-dos en el Sacramento de la Peni-tencia. Como el mismo Papaproclamó: “Yo soy un pecador.”Nos recuerda que el perdón de lospecados es una de las misiones másmisericordiosas que Jesús confió alos apóstoles y sus sucesores. Enapoyo a esta misión, el Papa Fran-cisco, nuestro “Pastor en Jefe’,como es cariñosamente llamado

por algunos, se ha dirigido per-sonalmente a los cardenales y ar-zobispos de la Curia Romana quese turnen para oír confesiones di-arias en una iglesia del barrioSanto Spirito, cerca del Vaticano.Esto para subrayar la importanciade la confesión y de la gran bon-dad de Dios en perdonar el pecadohumano. “Como pastores de laIglesia”, en palabras el Papa Fran-cisco. “Queremos ayudar a losfieles con ternura y comprensiónen este admirable sacramento,para que precisamente en este re-galo, sientan el amor del Buen Pas-tor.”

Por favor, escuche el llamado deJesús en esta temporada deCuaresma y venga para hacer quesus cargas sean levantadas en elsacramento de la Reconciliación.Venga, sea sanado y restaurado.Jesús, nuestro Dios más misericor-dioso, amoroso y perdonador es-tará esperando por usted. Él y supastor han dejado la Luz Encen-dida para usted.

Sinceramente, en el amor de Cristo,

Obispo Michael R. CoteTranslated by Paulina Angulo

February 20, 2014 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmSacred Heart, Groton

March 20, 2014 • 6:30 pm - 7:30 pmSt. Mary, Jewett City

April 10, 2014 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmOur Lady of Sorrows, Essex

May 15, 2014 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmSt. Mary of Czestochowa, Middletown

June 26, 2014 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pmSt. John, Cromwell

July 25, 2014 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pmCathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich

August 21, 2014 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pmAll Saints, Somersville

September 18, 2014 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmSt. Agnes, Niantic

October 16, 2014 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmSt. Francis of Assisi, Lebanon

November 20, 2014 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pmSt. Thomas Aquinas, Storrs

December 18, 2014 • 6:30 pm - 7:30 pmSacred Heart, Norwichtown

Father Greg Galvin,Director of Priestly [email protected]

(860) 887-9294www.God-Calls.com

Kurt O’Brien

3rd Year CollegeHoly Apostles Seminary

Cromwell, CT

Juan Aguirre

2nd YearEnglish Studies

Clark UniversityWorcester, MA

Reverend Mr.

Martin Noe

4th Year TheologyHoly Apostles Seminary

Cromwell, CT

Reverend Mr.

Jonathan Ficara

4th Year TheologyPontifical North

American College,Vatican City State

Jeffrey Ellis

2nd Year TheologyMt. St. Mary Seminary

Emmitsburg, MD

Peter Langevin

2nd Year TheologyMt. St. Mary Seminary

Emmitsburg, MD

Thomas Griffin

2nd Year TheologyBlessed John XXIIINational S minary

Weston, MA

Holy Hour for VocationsThe Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, leads the Holy Hour:

Reverend Brian ChristopherMaxwell, Ordained to

Priesthood on May 25, 2013,by the Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D.,Bishop of Norwich at

the Cathedral ofSaint Patrick,

Norwich

Clergy Appointments

The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D.,Bishop of Norwich, has made the following clergy and

diocesan appointments in the Diocese of Norwich:

Reverend Monsignor Henry N. Archambault, J.C.D., P.A.,1 year renewal of appointment as Pastor, Sacred Heart Parish,

Taftville. Effective: January 17, 2014.

Reverend Roger J. Lamoureux, OMI, 1 year renewal of Ap-pointment as Pastor, Saint Mary, Willimantic, and as De-

fender of the Bond for the Diocesan Tribunal Office.Effective: January 14, 2014.

Reverend Tadeusz Zadorozny, from Administrator, St. JohnParish, Plainfield, and St. Augustine Parish, Canterbury, toPastor, St. John Parish, Plainfield, and St. Augustine Parish,

Canterbury. Effective: January 1, 2014.

~ Monsignor Robert L. Brown, Chancellor ~

Director of Priestly Vocations

Reverend Gregory Galvin


Last month I had the opportu-nity to again be present among agathering of FOCUS (Fellowshipof Catholic University Students)missionaries and the more than1500 – 1800 college student lead-ers invited to Dallas Texas to bepart of the Student LeadershipSummit. The FOCUS Team fromUCONN along with 17

UCONN students attended asdid 8 UCONN Graduates whoalso were present with the collegesthey are working at presently asFOCUS Missionaries. In a word,it was inspiring!

It was inspiring because youcould almost touch the excite-ment as it grew through the fivedays that we were there. Youcould witness true transformationtaking place. From day to day,night to night, the willingness toopen their hearts to the messageof the Good News and the lessonsthey were learning regardingbeing a true leader in the work ofevangelization was evident. They

realized a Mission had been givento them, and given by Christ!

From the first night’s keynotespeaker Chris Stefanick throughthe final night’s keynote byfounder of FOCUS, Curtis Mar-tin, there was a message to thesecollege students that was meantnot just for them. It pierced myheart as well and is meant for all

of us. The message was; “GoDeeper and Surrender!” Yes, avery challenging message but ifone stops and reflects, thinks andprays about it, we are all called byGod to continually strive to godeeper in our spiritual relation-ship with him. We are all called tosurrender our lives to His love for

us and His plan for us. Why? Be-cause it is in the plan and will ofGod our Father that we find thehappiness that He created us for.It is a happiness that no one in theworld and no material thing ofthe world can give to us. It trulyis a happiness that only comesthrough surrendering ourselves toGod’s plan for our lives and then

with the help of Hisgrace and His love, livingdaily life the best we can,while at the same time re-maining always open tobeing His instrument tobring others to Him.

Giving one’s self socompletely, to surrenderourselves to God mayseem extreme yet even inHoly Scripture we aregiven this message in dif-ferent ways. For example;take the first readingfrom the Weekday Masson January 17, 2014, 1Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a;where Samuel is ap-proached by the elders ofIsrael and asked to ap-point a King over thembecause Samuel is of oldage and his sons were not

following his example. The factthat these elders asked him to ap-point a King was displeasing toSamuel who prayed to God aboutit and received this response:“Grant the people’s every request.It is not you they reject, they arerejecting me as their King.”

In the reading, Samuel goes on

to deliver the message of the Lordexplaining to them everythingtheir earthly King will be and do.He even explains that ultimatelythe people will be dissatisfied andcomplain “but on that day theLORD will not answer you.”

Still in their stubbornness weare told the people would not lis-ten to Samuel and insisted on aworldly King. Samuel then goesback to God in prayer telling Godwhat they desire; and God re-sponds saying: “Grant their re-quest and appoint a king to rulethem.”

We must ask ourselves inwhich situation do we find our-selves, that of the elders of Israel,

insisting on the way of the world,or the situation of Samuel whomuch earlier in his life had surren-dered himself to God?

As I watched during those fivedays, I witnessed the movementof Catholic College Students whocame somewhat apprehensivelyfrom across the country to theleadership Summit that weekendin Dallas Texas, but left, havingfor the first time in their lives oras a renewed commitment, sur-rendered their hearts to Christ.They had gone deeper and surren-dered their hearts to their trueKING, Jesus Christ, and foundgreat JOY! As for me, my King isChrist. Who is yours!

Some White CollarJobs Are More

Challenging Than Others

You have been thinking about it. Let’s talk...

Father Greg Galvin860-887-9294

www.God-Calls.org

Office of Vocations • Diocese of Norwich, CT • [email protected]

Pope Francis @PontifexDear Young people, let us not be satisfied with a mediocre life.Be amazed by what is true and beautiful, what is of God!

On a Mission for Christ


Sunday, February 2, 2014World Day for Consecrated LifeThe Church celebrates World Day forConsecrated Life. On this day theChurch gives thanks especially for thegift of Consecrated Life and for all whohave responded generously to God’scall as Brothers, Sisters, ReligiousPriests, Consecrated Virgins, Hermitsand members of Secular Institutes. Thewords of Jesus: “Go sell all that youhave and come follow me,” (Mt.19:21) have inspired countless num-bers of men and women to say “yes” tothe Call to Consecrated Life.

Saturday, February 15Marriage PreparationClass for Engaged CouplesGod’s Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage”offered by the Office of Family Life.From 9:30am – 12:00pm at St. JosephChurch Hall, 11 Baltic Rd. Occum.For more information or to register forthe 3 session class please call 860-889-8346 ext.283.

Tuesday, February 18Prayer, Praise, Worship AdorationAt the Spiritual Renewal Center, from7:00pm-8:00pm. For more informa-tion please call 860-887-0702.

Wednesday February 19Connecticut Call-in dayAsk our U. S. Representatives to sup-port just Immigration Reform. Callthem at their Connecticut office – sothey don’t forget that there is an urgentneed for them to stand up and speakout for Comprehensive ImmigrationReform. Here’s how you do it: 1. Findyour Representative from the list below2. Call him/her and give the followingmessage: “Please support a path to citi-zenship and oppose the SAFE ACT.”That’s it! 5 minutes of your time tojoin us in the work for justice. Con-necticut U.S. Representatives: 1st Dis-trict – North-Central CT Rep. JohnLarson: 860-278-8888; 2nd District-Eastern CT Rep. Joe Courtney: 860-886-0139 & 860-741-6011; 3rd Dis-trict – Central CT Rep. RosaDeLauro: 203-562-3718 & 203-378-9005; 4th District – Southwestern CTRep. Jim Himes: 866-453-0028 &203-353-9400; 5th District – North-western CT Rep. Elizabeth Esty: 860-223-8412.

Saturday, February 22Marriage Preparation Classfor Engaged CouplesGod’s Plan for a Joy-filled Marriage”offered by the Office of Family Life.From 9:30am – 12:00pm at St. JosephChurch Hall, 11 Baltic Rd. Occum.For more information or to register forthe 3-session class please call 860-889-8346 ext.283.

Sunday, February 23Wedding Music ShowcaseThe Cathedral of St. Patrick will hostthe 18th annual “Wedding MusicShowcase” at 2:00 PM at St. PatrickCathedral. The afternoon event willfeature traditional, classical and con-

temporary sacred wedding music. Thisannual event will help engaged couplesin their search for appropriate music asthey plan their wedding liturgies. Theshowcase will include a wide variety ofinstrumental and vocal music. In addi-tion to the music, bridal fashions willbe modeled, McKenna’s Flower Shopof Norwich will provide floral arrange-ments and wedding coordination willbe handled by Sunnie Robinson. Theshowcase is open to the public and ad-mission is free.

Monday, February 24Mass of Healing1:00pm at Spiritual Renewal. Fr. RayIntrovigne, Celebrant, Judith Hughes-Healing Prayer. Please call the renewalcenter to register 860-887-0702.

Tuesday, February 25Prayer, Praise, Worship AdorationAt the Spiritual Renewal Center, from7:00pm-8:00pm. For more informa-tion please call 860-887-0702.

Saturday, March 1St. Patrick, East HamptonConfirmationAt the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Nor-wich. 10:00am - Most ReverendMichael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop ofNorwich - Principal Celebrant.

Sunday, March 2St. Peter, Higganum ConfirmationAt 11:00 am - Most Reverend MichaelR. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich -Principal Celebrant.

Sunday, March 2St. Luke, Ellington ConfirmationAt 1:30 pm – Monsignor Robert L.Brown, Chancellor, Diocese of Nor-wich - Main Celebrant.

Tuesday, March 4Prayer, Praise, Worship AdorationAt the Spiritual Renewal Center, from7:00pm-8:00pm. For more informa-tion please call 860-887-0702.

Wednesday, March 5TV Mass- A Blessed LentAsh Wednesday at 10:00am Channel20, WTXX Charter, Channel 11WCCT, Comcast. Father Ray Introvi-gne is Celebrant.

Tuesday, March 11Prayer, Praise, Worship AdorationAt the Spiritual Renewal Center, from7:00pm-8:00pm. For more informa-tion please call 860-887-0702.

spiritual renewal services

Diocese of NorwichDial-A-Prayer (860) 887-7767

P.O. Box 6 • 11 Bath StreetNorwich, CT 06360 • (860) 887-0702

email: [email protected]

…LOVE (respect) ONE ANOTHER!”John 15:16-17

“All this I tell you (your name) that MY JOY maybe yours and your JOY may be complete!”

John 15:9

Prayer, Praise, Worship and AdorationEvery Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm

Spiritual Renewal Center, Norwich, CTLeaders: Deacon Jim Delaney and Nancy Delaney

Cornerstone Prayer Group MassThursday, January 20, 2014 @ 7:30 pm

St. Patrick Church, Basement47 West High St., East Hampton, CT

Unbound Prayer Ministry (Freedom)Saturday, January 25, 2014 10am to 3pmSpiritual Renewal Center, Norwich, CTCall for an appointment (860)887-0702

Fr. Ray, Judith Hughes and Team

Monday, Feb. 10th & Monday Feb. 24th, Masses of HealingTwice Monthly • 1:00 pm, Spiritual Renewal Center

Fr. Ray, Celebrant, Judith Hughes-Healing PrayerPlease call the Renewal Center to register (860)887-0702

TV Mass-A Blessed LentAsh Wednesday, March 5, 2014 @ 10:00 am

Channel 20, WTXX Charter • Channel 11 WCCT, ComcastCelebrant, Fr. Ray Introvigne

Parish Retreat – Our Lady of Sorrows, Essex, St. Joseph, ChesterSun., Mon., Tues., March 16, 17, 18, 7:00 pm

Parish Retreat - Ss. Peter & Paul, St. Joseph, NorwichMonday, Mar. 31, 6:00 pm@ Ss. Peter & PaulTuesday, Apr. 1, 6:00 pm @ Ss. Peter & Paul

Wednesday, Apr. 2, 6:00 pm @ St. Joseph

“Everyone’s welcomed to these programs!

“It was not you (your name) whochose Me, but I who chose you (yourname) and appointed you to go forth(in your particular vocation) and bearFRUIT that will remain, so that‘whatever you (your name) ask theFather, in My Name’, He may giveyou. This I command you...

Prayer forConsecrated

PersonsGod our Father, we

thank you for

calling men and

women to serve in

your Son’s Kingdom

as sisters, brothers,

religious priests,

consecrated

virgins, and

hermits, as well as

members of Secular

Institutes. Renew

their knowledge

and love of you, and

send your Holy

Spirit to help them

respond generously

and courageously

to your will. We ask

this through our

Lord Jesus Christ,

who lives and

reigns with you and

the Holy Spirit, one

God, for ever and

ever. Amen.


Norwich The annual diocesanConsecrated Life Mass was held,February 9, 2014, at the Cathedral

of St. Patrick. Representatives ofConsecrated Life within the Dio-cese, including members of Reli-gious Institutes, Secular Institutesand Societies of Apostolic Lifegathered with friends to celebratetheir commitment to their extraor-dinary calling. Just days before at aWorld Day for Consecrate Life cel-ebration at St. Peter’s in Rome, theHoly Father spoke of how “thosedevoted to consecrate life bring thelight of Christ where the darknessis densest and spread His hope inthe hearts of the disheartened”.

Pope Francis paid further tributeto those serving in ConsecratedLife as he gave thanks for the manyways they “fortify and renew com-mitment to the spread of theGospel, of Christian education, ofcharity towards the neediest, ofcontemplative prayer, commitmentto human formation, the spiritualformation of the young, of families;and commitment for justice andpeace in the human family.”

This grateful and joyful senti-ment was fully shared by BishopMichael R. Cote, the PresidingCelebrant at the diocesan Mass,who introduced the invitation to

renewal of

vows by express-ing, “Today wegather to cele-brate the gift oflives conse-crated throughthe profes-

sion of

the evangelical counsels. Theseconsecrated lives give witness to thelove of God at work in the worldand enrich the church of Christ.”

Bishop Cote also expressed thegratitude of all present for the par-ticipation of Father Robert Ab-batiello, O.F.M. Cap, as homilist.Father Abbatiello is Pastor of theGood Shepherd Parish, New York,NY, having served in the Dioceseof Norwich from 2002 - 2008 asPastor, St. Pius X Parish as well ashaving had several appointments atXavier and Mercy High schools. InFather’s eloquent words, “WithChrist, joy is constantly bornanew.”

As is tradition, the most seniorJubilarians were honored on thisoccasion. The Diocese gratefullyacknowledges their dedicated yearsof service:50 Years - Sister M. Patrick Mul-ready, S.C.M.C.60 Years - Sister Irene G. Charp-entier, D.H.S and Sister BarbaraHobbs, P.V.B.M.60 + Years - Sister Mary Paul Sav-ickas, M.V.S. and Sister MargaretBareika, M.V.S.61 Years - Beatrice L. Theroux,Cons. SEC. D.H.S.68 Years - Sister M. Rita ClareHoffner, R.S.M.

The Mass Committee of SisterRita Johnson, S.S.N.D., SallyTolles, Cons. Sec., D.H.S., MotherChristina Van Beck, S.C.M.C.,

and Monsignor Robert L. Brownremind us that the week of March

8-14, 2014, will be a week of na-tional recognition for the lives andworks of Catholic Sisters. On aninternational scale, Pope Francishas declared 2015, a year dedicatedto Consecrated Life. This obser-vance, to begin October 2014through September 2015, willhonor those lives dedicated to con-secrated life and will also help sup-port vocations to this unique formof discipleship in the Church.

Photo by Donna Antonacci

By Michael Strammiello

Executive Editor, Four County Catholic

The Light is ONfor You

Celebrate the Sacrament of ReconciliationAll parishioners are invited to receive the Sacrament

of Reconciliation during the season of Lent.Your church will be open one night a week, with the

lights on and a priest available to hear confessions. Check with your church for night & hours.

The peace of mind and soul which thissacrament imparts is one for which

there is no substitute. Oursins are forgiven and we are

reconciled to God, theChurch and one another.

The Witness of Consecrated Life in the World TodayDiocese Celebrates Consecrated Life Mass


Here in the Northeast, we arefamiliar with the change of sea-

sons. Our lives adjust

to autumn coolness afterthe heat of the summer.We adjust to the fad-ing light as we ap-proach winter and itscold winds. Then welook eagerly for thefirst blossoms of Springwhich signal the endof snow and ice, andthe beginning of warmer weather.After a few months, the cycle be-gins again.

The Church also has a cycle of

seasons, but the liturgical cyclefollows the life of Christ. Liturgi-cally, there are two great “seasons”in the year; Advent and the

Christmas season,and Lent and the

Easter season.

Each is an opportunity to enterinto the life of Jesus, first in themystery of the Incarnation, andthen in the mystery of his death

and resurrection. These great sea-sons form the foundation of ourChristian faith. But what happensto the rest of the liturgical year? Itsname, unfortunately, is “OrdinaryTime.”

On January 13th, the wholeChurch left the joy, cele-bration and rushingaround of Advent and

the Christmas Season, andentered the season of“Ordinary Time.” Theliturgical color of “Ordi-nary Time” is green; theLiturgy of the Word fo-cuses, this year, on the

Gospel of Matthew, which we willhear proclaimed on Sundays al-most in its entirety, from begin-ning to end.

One author compares travelingthrough the Liturgical Year torunning a race, or several races.Advent and Christmas, and evenLent and the Easter season to alesser degree, are for sprinters. Theseasons are short, hurried, focused

on the specific feast at hand. Usu-ally, try as we might, there is usu-ally more rush than reflection inthese seasons. Life is not lived atits usual pace. To survive, wesprint from one activity to an-other.

“Ordinary Time,” on the otherhand, is best suited to the long-distance runner. There is noChristmas rush, no gifts or cele-brations to prepare. The pace oflife slows, and only the runnerwith strength and endurance staysin the race.

“Ordinary Time” is not at allordinary. Rather, it is the timegiven to us to focus on the every-day demands of living our faith.It is the time of year when wemight reasonably expect to havetime to pray, reflect, read andponder. Ordinary Time is the sea-son for deepening the roots andfoundation of our faith, so thatsprinting through the other litur-gical seasons can be more easilyhandled.

We often hear mention ofCatholics who come to Mass onlyat Christmas or Easter. It’s goodthat so many come at those times,but what really strengthens andsustains faith is the quiet enjoy-ment of “Ordinary Time.” Thechallenge presented to us by ourfaith is to live it every day with in-tegrity and consistency, in themost ordinary circumstances.Sprinting isn’t the best prepara-tion for the endurance needed inthe long race of our lives.

During “Ordinary Time” 2014,the Liturgy of the Word will bebuilt on the foundation of theGospel according to Matthew.Maybe, as a special practice inhonor of this very special “Ordi-nary Time”, during which westrive for greater unity betweenfaith and our everyday lives, wecould take some time beforegoing to Mass to read and prayover the Sunday Gospel. Maybefamilies will be able to find just afew minutes each week to read theSunday Gospel together and thenshare their thoughts and prayerswith one another.

Scripture, we are told, is God’sword, living and active. Perhaps inthis season of “Ordinary Time”we can make the time to be ordi-nary Christians, doing ordinarythings that nurture faith. Allow-ing God’s word to be living andactive in us is an ordinary way,during this ordinary time of theliturgical year, will help us to seeour relationship with God as anordinary and yet extraordinarypart of life.

By Sister Elissa

Rinere, CP, JCD

Office of Worship

The Return to Ordinary Time

We Can HelpTo report inappropriate contactof any kind by a representativeof the Diocese of Norwich or forassistance to victims, please call:

1-800-624-7407

Podemos AyudarPara reportar cualquier contacto in-

apropiado por un/a representante de laDiócesis de Norwich, o para buscar

ayuda para víctimas, favor de llamar:

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Be My WitnessCalling Women of All Ages!

Dr. C Vanessa White

4th Annual CatholicWomen’s Conference ofthe Diocese of Norwich

Co sponsored by the Office ofFaith Events and the Diocesan

Council of Catholic Women

Saturday, April 5, 2014Saint Bernard School

Uncasville, CT

Doors open at 8:30 am &Program ends at 3:15 pm

9:00 am Mass with Bishop Cote Live Music

Inspiring Talks LunchEucharistic Adoration

Confession Exhibitors

Registration: (Price Includes Lunch)

By March 15, 2013 ..............................$25After March 15, 2013 ..........................$30Students ................................................$15

Religious are free! There will be norefunds and no event transfers.

Mail registration and payment to:

Office of Faith Events199 Broadway (860) 848-2237 ext. 312

Norwich, CT 06360

Mail in registration:4th Annual Women’s Conference 4/5/14

Name

Phone

Address

City

State/Zip

Email

Parish/Town

Any dietary restrictions?

Deadlines for all registrations is March 27 We invite each of you to bring canned goods to donate to St Vincent

de Paul Soup Kitchen from the women of the Norwich Diocese

The Annual LayetteProgram & CatholicCharities Sunday

Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 1:00pmSt. Andrew’s Church

128 Norwich Ave., Colchester, CTGuest will be:

Most Reverend Micahel R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of NorwichJim Maffuid, Executive Director, Catholic Charities and

supervisors of Catholic Charities offices

All ladies of the Parishes are invited to attend. Please collect baby items, diapers, clothes (0-3

years), blankets, etc. to donate to theLayette Program for distribution to

the Catholic Charities offices inNorwich, New London,

Middletown & Willimantic.

The Norwich Diocesan Council ofCatholic Women presents


In his time as Pontiff, PopeFrancis has inspired many with hishumility, and dedication to the

poor. In our media driven culturethat often promotes celebrity, withlack of regard to qualityof character, it was trulyrefreshing to see PopeFrancis chosen asTIME Magazine’s Per-son of the Year for2013. Called the “Peo-ple’s Pope,” he leads byexample, and encour-ages us to serve as bea-cons of light amidst thedarkness and despairexperienced by those facing adver-sity.

The theme for the 2014 AnnualCatholic Appeal, “Shine the Lightof HOPE,” was taken from the in-augural homily of Pope Francis,where he urged us to help othersand spread hope. Pope Francissaid, “today…amid so much dark-ness, we need to see the light ofhope and to be men and womenwho bring hope to others. To pro-tect creation, to protect every manand every woman, to look uponthem with tenderness and love, isto open up a horizon of hope; it isto let a shaft of light break throughthe heavy clouds; it is to bring thewarmth of hope!”

For many years, ministries andprograms supported by the An-nual Catholic Appeal have beenbringing hope to our neighborsfacing darkness caused by theheavy clouds of poverty and de-spair. Thanks to your generosity,

hope is brought to thousands inour region through compassionatesupport services providing fuel as-sistance, spiritual renewal, immi-gration service and pregnancysupport. Hope is given to thosewho are food insecure, with over43,623 meals provided monthly atthe St. Vincent de Paul Ministries

and Amazing Grace Foodpantries. Hope exists thanks toforeclosure prevention and mort-gage counseling programs atCatholic Charities, educatingthousands of families facing finan-cial burdens on how to keep theirhomes. Ministries and programsfunded through the ACA offerhope to the elderly, sick, andhomebound. Through evangeliza-tion, the good news of the Gospelreaches thousands of familiesthanks to the Four County Catholic

newspaper and Diocesan website.These are just a few shining exam-ples of how, thanks to you, hopeis spread throughout our Diocesethrough the Annual Catholic Ap-peal.

“We must not be afraid ofgoodness or even tenderness,” saidPope Francis, “caring, protecting,

demands goodness.”Caring, protecting, andshowing tendernesshave been componentsof the Annual CatholicAppeal since its incep-tion. When we unite asstewards of our faith,we create bountiful op-portunities for darknessto turn to light forthose suffering. When

we give generously and with com-passion, we “Shine the Light ofHOPE” on those in need of com-fort, counsel, and support.

As the 2014 Annual CatholicAppeal commences during theLenten Season, we ask that youconsider making your gift to help“Shine the Light of HOPE” onothers. Thank you!

For more information on theAnnual Catholic Appeal, visitwww.norwichdiocesedevelop-ment.org or call 860-886-1928.

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The Warmth of Hope


“I remember the dreary day thatI made the ride to her office - awful,overcast and depressing.” Reflected

Jason, a Catholic Charities Mort-gage Counseling client. “She wel-comed me into her tiny, windowlessoffice yet there was a positivity, ashining light. My experience withCCFSN (Catholic Charities FamilyService Network) was extremely re-warding and Vickie will be a heroineto me and my family for a lifetime.”

In a perfect world there would beno suffering and no need for socialservices-- and at the very least, whereneeds did exist, so would the meansby which to meet them.

Unfortunately, it is not a perfectworld- everyday people like Jasonexperience emotional, physical, spir-

itual and financial hardships- andCatholic Charities’ four diocesan of-fices are here to help. Every day, thestaff at Catholic Charities performsmall heroic acts that have profoundimpact on our neighbors’ lives.

In spite of our re-gion’s continuingeconomic chal-lenges, importantand compassionatework is happeninginside our doorsevery day. It may bethe 3,085 adults,adolescents and children who re-ceived emergency food, clothing,shelter, rent and utility assistance thispast year. Or it could be the 182households who, with guidance andsupport from our case managers, de-veloped comprehensive plans to at-tain greater self-sufficiency,

including obtaining and maintain-ing employment, stable housing,and better financial managementskills. While we may be relativelysmall, we have a big impact on agreat many adults, children and

adolescents throughout the diocese.In fact, over the course of the past

year, 7,364 individuals were im-pacted by the caring staff and vol-unteers of Catholic Charities. OurBehavioral Health Clinic provided8,100 service experiences to morethan 800 individuals, and our Mort-

gage Counseling and ForeclosurePrevention program helped 2,218individuals in 701 households. Inaddition, the Adoption Programprovided services to 136 individuals;and over 890 individuals partici-

pated in MarriagePreparation andother programsthrough the Officeof Family Life.

At CatholicCharities we knowthat program devel-opment and deliv-

ery is the result of hard work and thecommitment of outstanding staffand volunteers. Recently, the addi-tion of a Director of Operations anda Middletown Site Supervisor hasstrengthened our leadership team tohelp move us into the future.

While it is our mission to providecompassionate social services to res-idents of eastern Connecticut, wehave to be prepared for challengesthat come our way and threaten ourability to deliver services- such as ourweakened economy and increaseddemands. It is a tragic reality that wesometimes cannot serve others, be-cause of the lack of resources to doso.

As the community’s needs con-tinue to grow, so does the need forresources to help meet them.Catholic Charities is grateful to begenerously supported by the Dio-cese of Norwich, as well as by localfoundations, corporations, and in-dividuals throughout the Diocese.

As we move forward, we continueto look for new funding sources andnew ways to meet increased de-mands. This past year we applied for

and were awarded $159,780 ingrants to provide emergency energy,rent and food assistance. In responseto a request for proposal by theCourt Support Services Division tohelp reduce the recidivism rates ofadult probation clients in New Lon-don, we were awarded $59,811.

At Catholic Charities, we wel-come our clients with open armsand warm hearts. Behind every faceis a person with a story, with a soul,an individual who deserves our help.Our role is to listen, to understandeach client as the person they are,not simply for the situation they arein.

Ultimately, our goal is to helpevery individual maintain their dig-nity while seeking our assistance.

Sylvia Laudette, Emergency Serv-ices and Case Management Pro-gram Manager, consistently remindsus to, “Listen to their story; everyclient has a reason for coming to usand they all deserve to be heard.”

For one client, the help she foundat Catholic Charities meant morethan just heat for her home. “Some-times, when people take so manypunches in life, as we did, you forgetthat you really do have value. Thatis what Rosa did for me, even be-yond the heating oil,” she quietly re-flected.

“It took a woman at CatholicCharities to remind me that thereare still people out there who can bevery professional in their job with acapacity for compassionate care...sheis my hero.”

If you are interested in helpinglocal families in need, call860.889.8346 x284 or visitwww.ccfsn.org.

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The Norwich Lions Club se-lected Jillian Corbin, executive di-rector of St. Vincent de Paul Place,

as the club’s 2014 Humanitarianof the Year.

Each January, local Lions clubsselect individuals in their commu-nities who exemplify selfless serv-ice to others. Corbin wasrecognized along with 10 otherhonorees at the annual Lions Dis-trict 23C Humanitarian AwardsCeremony, January 18, 2014.

“No individual is more dedi-cated to the well being of othersthan Miss Corbin,” said Kevin

Harkins, president of the NorwichLions Club. “She has devoted her-self to promoting social equalityand her skill and compassion havetouched the lives of thousands.”

Corbin is a member of severalinteractive community partner-ships including the NorwichCommunity Care Team, NorwichArea Clergy Association and theCommunity Policing unit of theNorwich Police Department. AsExecutive Director of Norwich’ssoup kitchen and food pantry, shecoordinates a number of servicesfor the city’s needy and workingpoor.

“I was taught at an early age to

play an active role in the commu-nity and to work together withothers for the greater good of all,”Jillian Corbin.

Reprint from the Day

Lions Name Jillian CorbinHumanitarian of the Year

Jillian Corbin receiving the Lions District 23C Humanitarian Award from U.S. Senator (CT) Richard Blumenthal.


Marriage, the design of God asthe union of man and woman,from the beginning in the Garden

of Eden, is the centerpiece ofGod’s creation. From there thefuture is created and families andfaith are formed. God has givenmarried love and its faithfulness aspecial significance in the historyof salvation. The gift of love acouple shares in marriage is meantto be a foreshadowing of the wed-ding feast we will share with God

in heaven. World Marriage Day,celebrated this year on February9th, is designated as a day tohonor the husband and wife asthe foundation of society. Itsalutes the beauty of their faithful-ness, sacrifice and joy in daily,married life.

Each year, Worldwide MarriageEncounter searches to honor thelongest married couples in eachstate throughout the country.One of the longest married cou-ples in the Norwich Diocese cele-brating 75 years of Marriage isFred and Helen Ueberacher from

Holy Family Parish in Hebron.Fred and Helen were married onOctober 15, 1938 at Good Shep-ard Church in Brooklyn, NY andhave two children and six grand-children.

World Marriage Daywas designated to coin-cide with Valentine’sDay. Why Valentine’sDay? St. Valentine livedin the 3rd century dur-ing the reign of EmperorClaudius II one of the mostruthless emperors of the RomanEmpire. During the reign ofClaudius, young Romans refusedto enlist in the Roman army, andhe determined this was due to

their ties to their wives and girl-friends. Claudius forbade mar-riages under penalty of death. TheSacrament

of Mar-riage was extremely important toChristians and St. Valentine apriest in the Diocese of Rome se-cretly married couples. WhenClaudius became aware of St.

Valentine’s actions he was impris-oned. While awaiting executionmany people visited St. Valentinebringing notes, flowers and gifts.One of these friends was the

daughter of the prison guard.On the day of his execution,

St. Valentine left her anote thanking her for herfriendship and signed it,“Love, from your Valen-tine”. St. Valentine was

martyred on February 14thin the year 270. The custom of

remembering friends and lovedones with gifts and notes beganfollowing St. Valentine’s death tohonor what this priest did for loveand marriage.

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The sight of a Church withoutpews is rare and unusual - espe-cially a church as magnificent as St.

Sebastian in Middletown. Thecontrast of the elaborate muralsand classic Renaissance Revival de-sign with the missing pews is star-tling to the eye. Of course, this isall temporary as the parish, underthe direction of Father JamesThaikoottathill, has embarked ona restoration that will transform theinterior with a bright new tile floorand new ergonomically designed

pews. Work is expected to be com-pleted by early March, 2014.

The project will be funded inlarge part by the generosity of theparishioners who may either pur-chase one of the old pews or maysponsor a new pew, perhaps inmemory of a loved one.

The architect commissioned tooversee the work is Marco Tom-masini. The contractor is CFMConstruction. Care will be taken toadhere closely to the original de-sign of the church built in 1930and inspired by the Basilica of St.Sebastian in Melilli, Sicily.

The Four County Catholic willfollow the progress of the projectand report back in April with be-fore and after photographs. Shouldbe stunning.

Photos by Donna Antonacci


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Father Joseph G. FinnertyDecember 13, 1933 ~ January 28, 2014

NORWICH - Father Joseph G. Finnerty died sur-rounded by his loving family on January 28, 2014. Born inRoxbury, MA on December 13, 1933, he was the only sonof the late Patrick Finnerty and Delia (Kelly) Finnerty.

Father Finnerty entered Our Lady of Mercy Seminary inLenox, MA in 1950. He received a BA in Philosophy andin Speech and Drama (1956) and a Bachelors of SacredTheology (1961) from Catholic University in WashingtonD.C. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. PatrickCathedral in Norwich on May 11, 1961 by the Most Rev.Vincent J. Hines, D.D.

Father Finnerty was assigned to St. Mary Church in NewLondon and then in September 1961, he became Associate Pastor of St. Joseph Churchin Chester, CT. From 1963-1975, he served as Chaplain to the Xaverian Brothers andChaplain and Guidance Counselor to the students at Xavier High School in Middle-town. He became an elected member of the Clergy Council in 1966. Father Finnertyreceived an MA in Guidance and Counseling from Boston College in 1967. In 1975,he was appointed Pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna Church, Preston, CT and servedthere for 11 years. From 1985-1986, he studied at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WAand received a degree in Spiritual Studies. From 1986-2009, Father Finnerty was Spir-itual Director at Emmaus Spiritual Life Center in Uncasville. During this time, he con-ducted over 350 parish missions and numerous priests’ retreats both in the U.S. and inthe United Kingdom. Additional duties included: Secretary of the first Priests’ Senate,Associate Director of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, and Director of ContinuingEducation and Formation Commission for the Clergy.

After retiring in 2009, he continued to celebrate Masses at parishes throughout theNorwich Diocese, including St. Mary in Greeneville, St. Mark the Evangelist in West-brook, St. Agnes in Niantic, St. Michael in Pawcatuck, St. John in Montville and St.Mary in Stonington. He is the loving brother of Mary Leary of Hudson, MA, AnneMarie Silvasy and her husband Jack of Canton, MA. He also is survived by many lovingnieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews. Father Finnerty was predeceasedby his sisters, Teresa McGovern and Helen Donahue. Memorial contributions may bemade to a favorite charity that holds personal significance. Published in The Bulletinon Jan. 30, 2014.

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On January 22nd, St. Bernardand Holy Family high school stu-dents and their chaperones braved

the snow and arctic blast afterboarding two busses that took us tothe March for Life in Washington,

D.C. Facing the coldest day thatWashington D.C. had seen inthirty years, we headed to theYouth Rally and Mass for Life.Nearly all of the 18,000 seats in theVerizon Center were filled as Don-ald Cardinal Wuerf, Archbishop ofWashington, celebrated Mass. Car-dinal Wuerf read a tweet from Pope

Francis’ official account, stating, “Ijoin the March for Life in Wash-ington with my prayers. May Godhelp us respect all life, especially themost vulnerable.”

The Youth Rally was filled withteens and young adults. So, itseemed natural that the OffertoryProcession of bread and winewould be carried by the youth. In-stead, many in the crowd weremoved to tears as the offertory giftswere carried to the altar by personsof very advanced age and parentswho pushed their children inwheelchairs and assisted other chil-dren who suffered various mentaldisabilities, like Down Syndrome.Cardinal Wuerf warmly greetedeach family, reminding the audi-ence why we had made our pil-grimage – to defend life at everystage.

When we arrived at the National

Mall, we heard Christian singerMatt Maher singing, “Love willhold us together. Make us a shelterto weather the storm. And I’ll bemy brother’s keeper, so the wholeworld will know that we’re notalone.” The lyrics were appropriate,as we felt very exposed to the frigidweather in the open fields, nowcovered with snow. The teens re-mained upbeat despite the bittercold, and proudly held signs thatread, “I am the pro-life generation”.

This year, the March focused onadoption. One speaker included ayoung woman named Molly AnneDutton whose biological motherhad been violently raped, but hadchosen life and adoption for herdaughter. Jeanne Monahan, Presi-dent of the March for Life Educa-tion Defense Fund stated,“Adoption is at the center of moth-erhood. Motherhood is all about

sacrifice. This is the ultimate sacri-fice for the good of the baby.”

In the last year, Catholic Chari-ties Adoption Program assistedthree women who chose adoptionfor their babies. Each adoptive cou-ple was present within moments orhours of their baby’s birth. Oneyoung mother eloquently de-scribed her experience. “When Iwatched (the adoptive couple) holdthe baby for the first time, it waslike seeing all of the pieces of thepuzzle come together. While I waspregnant, I had hoped that itwould be like this. But, when I sawthem hold him, I knew that it wastrue. I had made the right deci-sion.”

The March for Life is so muchmore than a protest against abor-tion. It is the recognition of thecourageous and humble who valueevery human life.

Students Brave Snow and Arctic Air to Defend LifeBy Susan Sedensky

Director of Adoption Programs, Catholic Charities

March for LifeBy Thomas Pietruczuk,

Saint Bernard School, Class of 2014

13. That’s the number of hours we traveled on our way downto Washington D.C. that made the trip mean that much moreto each of us. As a senior at Saint Bernard School, I had neverbeen able to make the March for Life Pilgrimage the last threeyears. This year, however, I was able to go and am very gladthat I did. This was an experience that I’ll always remember.After arriving at the hotel at 1 am, we had a mere 5 hours untilour wake-up time of 6 am. Following breakfast, our large groupof Pro-Lifers took off by metro to the Verizon Center to partakein the Youth Rally and Mass for Life, which featured music bythe very talented Ike Ndolo and his band. DJ Bill energized thecrowd during the rally portion with his great enthusiasm forthe entire Pro-Life movement before the Mass for Life began.The 20,000 people in the Verizon Center were all united thatday by one belief; the belief of being pro-life. I wasn’t quite surewhat to expect heading into the Rally/Mass, but after it hadended, my eyes were opened by the energy and devotion of allof the people to the entire Pro-Life movement. We then madeour way towards the Capitol along with thousands of other Pro-Lifers, while holding signs against abortion given to us by themany people who were entirely dedicated to the movement.The moment I was given that first sign, is when I truly realizedwhy we were there. I became fully immersed in the March andnow knew why thousands of people from around the countryparticipate in this every year. For many people, this wasn’t theirfirst time going on the March for Life Pilgrimage, so they havealready been through the powerful experience that is marchingwith thousands of other people fighting for the same cause. Allin all, I’m very happy that I went on the trip this year as I’vemade many memories and experienced something that I’ll re-member and cherish for years to come.

Volume 26 Number 2 February 2 14

March for L feRally

On the Cover“Life is beautiful” theme from theJanuary 23, 2014, March for Life inWashington D.C. attributed toMarch Chairperson, Patrick Kelly.


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On Friday, February 28, 2014,the new movie, Son of God willopen in theaters nationwide. This

feature length film tells the storyof Jesus from his birth to his Res-urrection in an inviting and com-pelling presentation. Some of ushad an opportunity to see ex-cerpts of it while at the NovemberUSCCB meeting in Baltimore.The movie, Son of God, is de-rived from the History Channel

mini-series entitled The Bible.This engaging series, you may re-call, began on March 3 and ranthrough Easter Sunday last yearreaching a huge television audi-ence. It is estimated that 100 mil-lion people in the United Statesviewed it.

Now the New Testament por-tion of that epic mini-series hasbeen creatively re-presented bythe film makers Roma Downey,star of the TV show Touched byan Angel, and her husband Mark

Burnett, producer of TV showslike The Voice, Survivor and TheApprentice. I found that this filmbrings alive the pages of theGospel in a way that helps visual-ize what those who lived at thetime of Jesus might have experi-enced. My hope is that thismovie, Son of God, might touchminds and hearts with the story ofJesus so people they might bedrawn to re-discover the Gospelaccount and rejoice in its savingmessage.

By Donald Cardinal Wuerl

Movie Review

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS(Qualified Housing Developers)

The Diocese of Norwich through the “Bishop’sInitiative on Housing” is looking to develop anumber of vacant or underused buildings intomulti-family housing units throughout EasternConnecticut.

The Developer should have a minimum 10years experience in the development andfunding of multi-unit housing in New Englandand have knowledge of the Affordable Hous-ing Market.

Please email information to:[email protected]

Attention: Peter Harding,Director of Housing Development


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Statement of Michael P. War-saw, Chairman of the Board andChief Executive Officer ofEWTN Global Catholic Net-work in response to the January24, 2014 decision by the USSupreme Court in the HHSMandate case brought by the Lit-tle Sisters of the Poor:

“It is certainly very encourag-ing that the U.S. Supreme Courthas granted an injunction in theHHS contraceptive mandate casebrought by the Little Sisters ofthe Poor. This decision to inter-vene, reached after a full court re-view, provides welcome relief tothe Sisters and encouragement tothe other plaintiffs who continueto challenge the mandate. Thefact that organizations likeEWTN or the Little Sisters of thePoor are not deemed to be reli-gious enough to qualify for a fullexemption from the mandateshows how senseless the govern-ment’s rules have become. In-stead, we are faced with theprospect of millions of dollars infines for refusing to cooperatewith the government’s mandate.

Shortly before midnight onNew Year’s eve, EWTN and theState of Alabama filed a petitionwith the US District Court inMobile, Alabama seeking a sum-mary judgment in our own law-suit. While the decision of theSupreme Court in the Little Sis-ters’ case has no direct impact onthe current legal challenge of themandate by EWTN and the

State of Alabama, it is very help-ful that the Court has seen fit tointervene in the matter. We con-tinue to await a decision in ourcase and remain hopeful that thecourts will ultimately provideEWTN with relief from this un-just government action.

We ask our EWTN Family tocontinue to keep this matter inyour prayers.”

EWTN CEO Michael P. Warsaw on SCOTUSDecision Favoring Little Sisters of the Poor

HOLY WEEK RETREATS:Come spend Holy Week 2014 (April 13-20) on

the Hill. Father BIll Sheehan, OMI ofContemplative Outreach will conduct a

contemplative retreat from Sunday to ThursdayNoon, and Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI, notedauthor and preacher, and President of Oblate

School of Theology in San Antonio, TX, willconduct a Sacred Triduum Retreat from Holy

Thursday afternoon through Easter Sunday Mass.The general themes are “Sitting with

Jesus...Walking with Jesus in Jerusalem.” Theretreats are open to men and women, lay and

religious. Offering for each retreat is $275.00. Ifyou wish to participate in both retreats, the

offering is $525.00. Space is limited,so early registration is advised.

To register or for more information:Phone: 860-423-8484

E-mail: [email protected]

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Defending

Religious LibertyOrganizations such as church-sponsored universities,

hospitals and social services, are facing a fine of $100 perday ($36,500 per year) per employee if they provide healthcoverage that does not include contraceptives, includingabortion-causing drugs, and sterilization. Exorbitant fineslike these will surely force a lot of organizations that servetens of thousands of people to close.

If you haven’t done so already, please voice your opposi-tion to the mandate by calling President Obama at theWhite House at 202-456-1111 or Secretary of Health andHuman Services Kathleen Sebelius at 202-205-5445. Letthem know that the mandate is in violation of our FirstAmendment right to religious freedom.


WASHINGTON - The U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB) on January 28 filed an

amicus curiae brief with the U.S.Supreme Court in support of theplaintiffs in Sebelius v. Hobby

Lobby Stores, Inc. and ConestogaWood Specialties Corp. v. Sebe-lius.In both cases, family-owned

businesses are challenging the le-gality of the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services(HHS) regulation that forces vir-tually all employers to in-clude in theiremployee healthplans coverage ofs ter i l i zat ion,contraceptives,and drugs anddevices thatmay causeabortions, aswell as relatededucation andcounseling.

The USCCB ex-plained in its amicusbrief that it opposes “anyrule that would require faithfulCatholics and other religiouslymotivated business owners tochoose between providing cover-age for products and speech thatviolate their religious beliefs, andexposing their businesses to dev-astating penalties.” These penal-ties include “potentially fatalfines” of $100 a day per affectedindividual.

The brief reflects and imple-ments the U.S. bishops’ consis-tent support for litigants from thenon-profit and for-profit sectorsalike who have challenged the

HHS mandate in court.Archbishop William E. Lori of

Baltimore, chairman of theUSCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee for

Religious Liberty, statedthat “Catholics be-

lieve that the rightto religious free-

dom proceedsfrom the in-herent dignityof each andevery humanperson, andthat includes

people who runbusinesses. They

should not be spe-cially excluded from

the freedom to practice theirfaith in daily life.”

The amicus brief argued thatreligious exercise cannot, andshould not, be excluded from themarketplace; that the mandatesubstantially burdens HobbyLobby’s and Conestoga’s religiousexercise; and that the mandatecannot survive strict scrutiny re-view by the Court.

Hobby Lobby and ConestogaWood Specialties are among over90 lawsuits filed by more than300 plaintiffs challenging theHHS mandate in courts aroundthe country.

U.S. Bishops File Amicus Curiae Brief SupportingHobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties

in Supreme Court Cases Challenging HHS Mandate

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St. Matthew’s Parish in Tol-land, CT has long been twinnedwith the parish of St. Pierre’s in

Ganthier, Haiti. The parishionersof St. Matthew’s are deeply in-volved with the parishioners of St.Pierre’s, helping to supportteacher salaries at the parishschool and sending needed sup-plies whenever possible. Teeshirts, baseball caps, toiletries andschool supplies are but a few ofthe items frequently requested byPastor Pere Rene. These are col-lected throughout the year at St.Matthew’s drop off site and atspecial events, then shipped toGanthier in barrels. Music con-certs held by the choir, soup din-ners put on by the students in thereligious education program andbake sales are among the projectsthat help raise funds and gathersupplies.

The entire parish participates.They are assisted in their effortsby a Parish Haiti Committee, ledby Fr. Jim Carini, that works tohelp plan events and coordinatecommunication with St. Pierre’s.

One undertaking this past fall wasa “Christmas in September” eventto gather toys for the children ofGanthier. This was a special re-quest by Pere Rene; and as a result5 barrels of toys were shipped tothe kids for Christmas. More re-cently, members of the Knights ofColumbus Council 6626 assistedparishioners to pack a forty footshipping container with approxi-mately 150 much needed schooldesks and chairs (obtained fromSt. Bernard’s, Rockville), 9,000meals, laptop computers, cloth-ing, medical supplies, soccerequipment and school supplies allgathered by parishioners and localcitizens. The cost of the shippingwas raised through donations.

Possibly the most valuable as-pect of St. Matthew’s involve-ment, however, would be whenseveral parishioners, along withFr. Jim, travel to Haiti each Janu-ary. They spend time at the Nor-wich Diocese’s Outreach to HaitiMission House in Port au Princeas well as in Ganthier itself. If anyof these travelers were to be askedjust what they do while in Haitithey would inevitably tell you “we

are present to the people”. A pres-ence that helps the people of Gan-thier experience firsthand justhow much the members of St.Matthew’s care about them. Everybit as important as the clothing,toothbrushes and other necessitiesthat are handed out, is the timespent playing with the children,visiting the staff, telling our sto-ries, sharing meals and sittingwith Pere Rene and others to dis-cuss the school’s progress and hearabout their most pressing needs.Through these annual visits, last-ing friendships have been formedand the people of St. Matthew’sare coming to know, understandand feel connected to those theyseek to serve. A vital aspect of anyoutreach program.

There is a waiting list ofparishes in Haiti looking to betwinned with parishes here in CT.Any parish or individual inter-ested in finding out more aboutthe twinning program, or otherways to help, can contact Nor-wich Diocese Outreach to Haiti.Phone: 860-848-2237 X 206 E-mail: [email protected]

Website: outreachtohaiti.org

Submitted by Sue Gilbertie

Present to the People

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St. Patrick CathedralSchool, Norwich

860-889-4174www.St-patrickschoolnorwich.org

Sacred Heart School,Taftville

860-887-1757www.sacredhearttaftville.org

Sacred Heart School,Groton

860-445-0611www.sacredheartgroton.org

St. Edward School,Stafford Springs

860-684-2600www.stedward-stafford.org

St. James School, Danielson860-774-3281

www.stjamesdanielson.com

Blessed John Paul II RegionalSchool, Middletown

860-347-2978www.jpii.org

St. John School,Old Saybrook860-388-0849

www.saintjohnschoolos.com

St. Joseph School, Baltic860-822-6141

www.stjosephbaltic.org

St. Joseph School,North Grosvenordale

860-923-2090www.schoolofstjoseph.com

St. Joseph School,New London860-442-1720

www.sjsnl.com

St. Mary-St. Joseph School,Willimantic860-423-8479www.smsjschool.org

St. Michael School,Pawcatuck

860-599-1084www.stmichaelschoolct.com

St. Matthew Pre-School,Tolland

860-872-0200www.stmatthewct.org

St. Bernard Pre-School,Rockville

860-875-0753 x113www.saintbernardchurch.org

To learn more, contact the Diocesan School Office, 860-887-4086,www.norwichdso.org or contact one of the diocesan schools.

Academic Excellence. Character. Self-confidence.

Catholic Schools Week Observedin Dioceses Across the Country

January 26 ~ February 1WA S H I N G T O N — N a t i o n a l

Catholic Schools Week 2014 was ob-served in dioceses around the countryJanuary 26 – February 1. This year’s

theme, “Catholic Schools: Communitiesof Faith, Knowledge and Service,” fo-cused on the principles of a Catholic ed-ucation.

“Our schools have educated millionsof young people over the years by pro-viding them a superior academic back-ground, always pointing the way to

St. Joseph School,North Grosenvenordale


eternal life,” said ArchbishopGeorge Lucas of Omaha, Ne-braska, chairman of theU. S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops( U S C C B )Committeeon Educa-tion. “Thesuccess ofCatholics c h o o l sin hand-ing on thefaith, gen-e r a t i o nafter genera-tion, is a brightlight in the his-tory of the Church inthe United States.”

About 2.1 million students arecurrently educated in more than6,600 Catholic schools in cities,

suburbs, small towns and ruralcommunities around the country.Students receive an excellent,faith-filled education that pre-pares them for the challenges ofhigher education and a competi-tive world. An estimated 99 per-cent of students graduate fromhigh school and 85 percent ofCatholic school graduates attendcollege.

“The heart of the apostolate ofCatholic education is the missionto proclaim the Gospel of Jesus

Christ. Catholic schools provide arich environment of faith and

learning where studentsexperience how

much God lovesthem. They are

free to ex-press theirown lovefor Godin prayerand thec e l e b r a -tion of thesacraments

and to ex-press love of

neighbor in ac o m m u n i t y

where each is re-spected as a gift from God.

Here in the Diocese of Nor-wich, special celebrations and ac-tivities were held throughout the

week. Snap-shots of someof theseevents cap-ture the com-m u n i t yspirited notedin the week’stheme.

Above & Below: During Catholic Schools Week at St. Joseph School, New London studentsin Grades Kindergarten through Grade 8 team up for a Get-To-Know-Your-School TriviaScavenger Hunt. Twelve teams circulated the building, finding answers to important ques-tions about St. Joseph School. After completing the questionnaire, teams reported to the gymfor the unscrambling of a sentence related to the theme, Catholic Schools: Communities ofFaith, Knowledge, and Service. Students also gathered to read to one another during theSchool Book Fair and for a Cooperative Art Project depicting kites rising into the heavens.

Above: Sacred Heart School in Groton cheerfully undertook two service projects during CatholicSchools Week. On Wednesday, the school delivered more than 100 bags of fresh fruit to the GrotonSenior Center. Attached to each bag was a colorful card from one of our students. The schoolalso collected items for a family in the community that is facing a particularly tough time. Thestudents generously donated diapers, baby wipes, cleaning supplies and gift cards.

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A community in mission, inviting other men to consider

joining them to “fall in love with the service of God.”

EducatorsSocial Workers

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For more information, please contract:

Brother James Connolly, CFXXaverian Brothers

4409 Frederick AvenueBaltimore, MD 21229

On the web at: www.XaverianBrothers.org

or email: [email protected]

Students in every grade at St. Joseph School, Baltic, as part of Catholic Schools Week, participated in an assemblyfeaturing several community service organizations, bringing an awareness of the many ways that we can helpothers. Each class researched an organization and gave a presentation as part of the theme “Catholic Schools –Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service.” These organizations included Catholic Chariites, the JeromeLeJune Foundatioon, FIDELCO, Haiti 180, the American Red Cross, Heifer International, Make a Wish Foun-dation, Whales and Tales, and SPCA.


Head of SchoolSaint Bernard School ~ Uncasville, CT

Founded in 1956, St. Bernard School is a RomanCatholic coeducational school composed of grades 6-12. Co-sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers and theDiocese of Norwich, St. Bernard’s serves studentsfrom more than 50 communities in southeasternConnecticut by offering a rigorous college preparato-ry curriculum based on the educational philosophyof the Xaverian Brothers.

The Board of Trustees now seeks an innovative Headof School to shape the school’s future and serve asthe chief executive officer. The responsibilitiesinclude overseeing the educational program of theschool, board relations, strategic planning, funddevelopment, enrollment and financial manage-ment.

The successful candidate will be a practicingCatholic with an understanding of and commitmentto the mission of Catholic education and Xaveriansponsorship. A minimum of a master’s degree isrequired along with demonstrated administrative ormanagerial abilities, financial management skills andexperience in institutional advancement. The candi-date should possess superior written and verbal com-munication skills.

Interested applicants should provide a letter of appli-cation, a résumé or curriculum vitae, a statementaddressing the role of leadership in Catholic educa-tion as well as the names, specific contact informa-tion (phone and e-mail addresses) of five profession-al references to:

Edward J. Shine, Ed.D.St. Bernard School Search Committee Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools

4409 Frederick Avenue Baltimore, MD 21229

Applications can also be sent electronically [email protected] with thesubject heading: “St. Bernard Search”

For more information and a more detailed job description,visit the school's website: www.saint-bernard.com

Saint Bernard SchoolGrades 6 – 12

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After three years as headmasterat St. Bernard School, Thomas J.Doherty III is resigning effective

June 30, 2014 to take a positioncloser to his home in Massachu-setts. He has accepted a position asheadmaster at Malden CatholicHigh School, also a Xaverianschool.

In his letter notifying the SBSSaints community of his decision,Tom explained how difficult a de-cision it was --”As you can imag-ine, this was a very difficultdecision for me. Over the pastthree years, I have fallen in lovewith Saint Bernard School and ourcommunity.”

He further stated that “SaintBernard is a strong school with abright future. Our recent re-ac-creditation by the New EnglandAssociation of schools and Col-leges confirmed this. Enrollment isup. Finances are greatly improved.Facilities improvements are under-way. The success of our students isunmatched. This is because of tal-ented staff, a dedicated faculty, anda supportive Board of Directors. Iknow that the next headmaster willinherit a wonderful family and thatSaint Bernard School will continueto grow stronger and remain asource of pride for students andalumni, as well as the diocese ofNorwich and the Xaverian Broth-ers for years to come.”

During his final months at SBS,Tom will be helping to develop afive year strategic plan for theschool, designed to keep the mo-mentum going strong. Speaking tothat momentum, Bishop MichaelR. Cote noted that “During histenure at Saint Bernard School,Mr. Doherty, with the support ofthe faculty, staff and Board of Di-rectors, has stabilized the school’sfinances, increased enrollment, or-ganized significant facility up-grades and maintained the qualityof the educational program. Ithank him for his leadership andhis devotion to the students at St.Bernard School.”

The formation of a search com-mittee is underway.

St. Bernard School Headmaster, Tom Doherty,Resigning as of End of School Year

From the FCC News Desk


It’s 15 below with a wind chill ofminus 39 when I arrive at the cathe-dral tonight. The holy water is partly

frozen.Perched atop Summit Hill in St.

Paul, Minn., the Cathedral of St.Paul is the mother church of theArchdiocese of St. Paul and Min-neapolis, a Vatican-appointed Na-tional Shrine of the apostle Paul anda towering presence in the capitalcity.

And tonight, the first Monday ofJanuary, it is a refuge for 18 home-less people who will sleep on cots inthe basement choir room.

When I join them they are snack-ing on yogurt parfait, chicken saladand Ritz crackers, quietly visiting asa curly haired toddler scoots around.“Toy Story” plays on a corner TV,and a teenaged mom feeds her 10-

month-old daughter, whose eye-lashes are speckled with yogurt.

I strike up conversation with awoman wearing a pink hoodedsweatshirt and holding a 2-year-oldnamed Lucy. She tells me twothings: first, she’s afraid her daughterhas a high fever, andsecond, she’sCatholic. Herdaughter was namedafter the woman’slate grandma Lu-cille Anna, a de-v o u t ,r o s a r y - p r a y i n gCatholic. Being inthe Cathedral, she says, feels like ahomecoming.

The 12-year-old sitting at myright seems equally comfortable inthe church. “I love it,” he tells me.

When I ask his name, he warmsat the question. “Everyone wants toknow my name. I’m making awhole bunch of friends.”

I am reminded of a century-oldquote from Archbishop John Ire-land, who dreamed of a cathedral ona hill and commissioned its build-ing: “There should be no one who,entering the Cathedral, is not ableto say, ‘It is mine.’”

Tonight it belongs to this bright-eyed boy, Charles, who squirts amound of whip cream on his yogurtparfait, gobbles up a second one anddoes a victory dance when he beatsme in ping pong. Archbishop Ire-land would be pleased.

“We want to be responsive,” Fa-ther John Ubel, rector of the Cathe-dral, says when I ask about Project

Home, the local interfaith programthat houses families like Charles’who are on a waiting list for a morepermanent shelter. “It’s one thing topreach the Gospel, but we also haveto live it.”

That’s the message behind KerryWeber’s new bookpublished by Loyola

Press, “Mercy in theCity: How to Feed the

Hungry, Give Drinkto the Thirsty, Visitthe Imprisoned, andKeep Your Day Job.”

In it, Kerry, the 31-year-old managing editor of the

Jesuit magazine America,chronicles her attempt to practice allthe corporal works of mercy whilemaintaining her regular life.

“It’s not always easy and some-times it involves sacrifice,” she tellsme. “It’s being willing to give upsome of those small things, not say-ing, ‘I’ll never watch TV again,’ but

realizing there’s a good kind of tiredand a bad kind of tired. The goodkind is when you go to bed thinkingyou’ve done something to help buildthe kingdom of God. The bad kindis when you’re thinking, ‘Ooh, Ishould’ve stopped binge-watching“House of Cards” two hours ago.’”

Kerry was inspired by the wide-ranging interview of Pope Francispublished in America last Septem-ber, especially his creation of thegerund “misericordiando” – “mercy-ing” – a word she added to her Twit-ter bio.

Mercy-ing, she says, begins bybeing present, by looking for littleways you can dignify a stranger orlend a hand. It begins by followingthe lead of a church that opens itsdoors and rolls out the cots on thecoldest nights.

Christina Capecchi is a freelancewriter from Inver Grove Heights,Minn. She can be reached atwww.ReadChristina.com.

Come in From the Cold: Finding Mercy in the City

By Christina

Capecchi

Four County Catholic Contributor

Rejoice in HopeRejoice in Hope

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PreK through Grade 8“An Educational Investment which provides academic excellence and spiritual growth.”

A challenging curriculum including tablets, laptops, a Science lab, Advanced Math,Spanish, Art, Music, Band and Physical Education.

Mercy High School celebratedCatholic Schools Week by ex-tending the theme of the weekinto a fuller mission-like state-

ment: “Faith,Knowledge andService in ourcommunity, inour students, inour nation, inour vocationand in our fac-ulty, staff andv o l u n t e e r s . ”Each day of theweek then fo-cused on a por-tion of themission. For ex-ample, Mondaywas dedicated to“Community.”

Monday ofC a t h o l i cSchools Week

The followingwas part of ourmorning an-nouncement s

and prayer: “We the members of the Mercy

community are committed toservice. We collect coats and

blankets for the homeless, we arecollecting nonperishable fooditems during our Souper Bowl forthe food pantry, we bake pies, wehave jean days for our sisters inHaiti, we donate toys for childrenwho would not have Christmas,we make bunny bundles, we col-lect pj’s for homeless teens, wemake shawls and blankets, wewill be filling baby bottles withspare change for the ABC Centerand having a Baby Shower forCarolyn’s Place. At Mercy it is allabout service. May we alwaysthink of others in our daily lives.

Let us pray the prayer of PopePaul the VI :

Make us worthy, Lord, to serveour fellow men, women and chil-dren throughout the world wholive and die in poverty andhunger. Give them through ourhands, this day their daily bread,and by our understanding love,give peace and joy. Amen.”

Tuesday of Catholic SchoolsWeek -

Tuesday we celebrated Faith,Knowledge and Service: In OurStudents.

Morning Announcement and

Prayer: “We celebrate your manygifts and talents that you con-tribute to the Mercy community.We thank you for your energy,your joy, your generosity, andyour love of Mercy. We have thebest students in the world!

We encourage you to reflecttoday on the benefits of your

Catholic education that you re-ceive here at Mercy.

Let us pray: Lord, may all that

we do this day, from morninguntil night, begin with your in-spiration, and continue with yourpowerful help. May our workthis day be rooted in love andmercy that we might love youand love our neighbors, as per-fectly as you love us. We ask thisthrough Jesus Christ. Amen.”

For student appreciation day,teachers were very creative. Somestudents found treats in the class-room or were happy to hear therewas no homework for the class oreven earn bonus points on a quiz.Students were given a free jeanday on Friday in support ofCatholic Schools Week and theSouper Bowl.

At the lunches, students foundposter boards on the tables out-side of the cafeteria and were in-vited to write down theirthoughts on how they benefitfrom their Mercy education.

The Home and School Associ-ation had a very nice treat for thefaculty and staff. Continentalbreakfast was provided in the fac-ulty room. Everyone enjoyedfresh fruit salad, delicious home-made breads, scones and muffinsalong with bagels and hot coffee.

Friday of Catholic SchoolsWeek

Morning Announcement andPrayer:

“Today we celebrate Faith,Knowledge and Service: In ouradministration, faculty, staff andvolunteers.

We thank our Administration,teachers, staff and volunteers who


Catholic Schools Week at Mercy High School

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The day will begin with registration at 9 a.m. and the keynote

address will be given by Sister Mary Ellen Ryley, SCMM (Sister of

Charity of Our lady Mother of Mercy.) Her topic will be The Trans

formative Power of Dreams. Dreams are a unique and powerful re

source for the spiritual life journey. They can provide us with insight

as we seek to understand struggles and decisions. Even dreams

which seem confusing or frightening often contain within them a

message which invites us to wholeness and healing. During this

presentation we will experience some practical ways of working

with our dreams in order to discover the messages contained

within the dream symbols.

Sr. Mary Ellen SCMM (Sisters of

Charity of Our lady Mother of Mercy),

received her training in Spirituality and

Dreams from the Institute for Spiritual

Leadership in Chicago. She has been in

volved in the training of Spiritual Directors

for more than 20 years as a member of the

Institute for Spiritual Leadership, the In

stitute of Spiritual Companionship and the

Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Seminary. She

continues to be involved as a Spiritual Director, supervisor,

retreat and workshop facilitator in the Chicago area. Sister

Mary Ellen holds a master’s Degree in Religious Studies

from the University of Detroit and a Master’s Degree in

Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in Chicago.


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collaborate to offer us the faithdevelopment, academic excel-lence and exposure to service op-portunities that help shape us forthe future.

We your students appreciatethe many sacrifices that all of youmake to ensure that we receive anoutstanding education at Mercy.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, whenyou lived and worked and talkedamong the people, they calledyou Teacher. Help our teachersto remember the greatness of thework that has been given to themto do. Help them always remem-ber that they are your instru-ments. Let them know thatamidst the worries and the irrita-tions and the frustrations of theirvocation, they have the future ofthe church, the nation and theworld in their hands. We ask allof this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The day ended with a SouperBowl Assembly. During the weekthe classes along with the facultyand staff were competing to bethe winner of Mercy’s SouperBowl by challenging each otherto bring in canned goods. Thebarrels of canned goods over-flowed throughout the week. Atthe assembly the girls were re-minded of local and world-widehunger and the power of thisweek’s fun-fill completion. Themembers of National Honor So-ciety had a great time recreatingfour Super Bowl commercials in“Mercy Style” and the studentbody enjoyed watching everyminute of their video. The as-sembly continued with more classcompetition with fun races andactivities to see just who would bethe Souper Bowl winner!

by Karen H Whiting

Answer: Love one another

Did You Know?

February 7

Olympic Games begin in Sochi in the RussianFederation. Do some exercises to get in physi-cal shape. Do a few spiritual exercises too!

February 9

Stop Bullying Day – Be an upstander-someonewho stands with a person a bully is bothering.Read about what happened to some teens thatteased a prophet in 2 Kings 2:23-24.

February 14

Valentine’s Day - Give your mom a hugand be kind to friends.

February 27

Fat Thursday (last Thursday before Lent) andtime to be ready for Lent. Choose what you’lldo to remember Jesus died for you.

The OlympicsThe ancient Olympics began in Greece longbefore Christ came on earth. They alsostopped long before Christ when the RomanEmperor Theodosius banned them. Othersports competitions still took place in parts ofGreece, including the Isthmian games. Paulmay have watched them when he spent time inthe city of Corinth. He wrote about racing andwinning the crown. The winners in the gamesin Greece received a pine wreath to wear as acrown.You can have fun while watching athletes com-pete in Olympic sports with these activities:• Hold ice races. Use ice cubes and see who

can get their cube to slide down a slope thefastest or melt the fastest.

• Make some ice figure shapes by freezingwater in different containers. Display the icefigures while watching figure skating.

• Read what the Apostle Paul wrote aboutathletes and winning in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

• Player checker hockey. Use an empty boxwith a hole in the middle of each end. Flickthe checker with your thumb to try andscore a goal. Make it harder by gluing obsta-cles in the bottom of the box.

• If you live with snow outside, do some sled-ding. Otherwise try hill sliding.

• Make some ice cream mountains and cutthe handles off plastic spoons. Use the ovalspoons to slide down the snowy ice creammountain.

• Make round cookies and frost them withthe Olympic colors.

Secret Code

Look at the letters rolling around onthis wheel. In the code below, eachletter needs to be switched to the oneabove or below it in the wheel to solvethe message. For example A=Q andQ=A.

Discover what Jesus told us to dothat’s good to do every day, especiallyon Valentine’s Day.


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A cover story on the Holy Fa-ther, Pope Francis, in the Jesuitjournal, America, while excep-

tional, was not unexpected. Amer-ica is an ideal forum for the newPope to reflect on his young pa-pacy. But the cover of RollingStone? What is to be made of this?Not exactly an ex-

p e c t e dvenue. The first Pope ever to befeatured in a magazine usually re-served for rock stars and the out-rageous in the movie and musicbiz. What is happening here?

A hint of the answer lies in theBob Dylan lyrics chosen byRolling Stone to introduce thePope -- “The times they are a-changin.” To the extent that PopeFrancis has everyone thinking andtalking about the ministry of JesusChrist in today’s society, “Thetimes they are getting very inter-esting.”

Pope Francis has captured theattention of even the farthest leftand right media with his messageof inclusiveness, forgiveness andthe need for all persuasions to carefor the poor and vulnerable

among us. This is a message souniversal and so compelling,everyone seems to be listening.Some, example Rolling Stone andTime magazine, see the message asnew. Their perspective. But this isprecisely the strength of the HolyFather’s message. He has been ablein a short time to breakthroughthe barriers and be heard. Faithful

Catholics rec-ognize theunchangingteachings ofthe Churchin his mes-sage; whilenew listenersare receivingthe GoodNews of theGospel ei-ther for thefirst timeor througha moreh o p e f u land un-derstand-ing tone.

T h ec o v e rstories inb o t hT i m ea n dRollingS t o n evented

about what theythought were faults and flaws ofthe Church. They positionedPope Francis as a revolutionary re-formist. Yet, beyond the to be ex-pected progressive talking points,both spoke with a new and deepinterest in the hope and promiseof the Church in a new age. Thisis the heavy lifting of the NewEvangelization --- going outamong the less receptive audi-ences and capturing their atten-tion. Breaking through thebarriers...one stone at a time.

The Holy Father has not givena pass to excesses where they mayexist in any culture including freecapital societies. He has been uni-versal in his message of upliftingthe poor. Pope Francis is clearlythe pope of all the people.

Hopefully, as is being consid-

ered, the Holy Father will travelto Philadelphia in September to

visit the 8th World Meeting ofFamilies. If so, he will find a wait-

ing and listening Nation of allAmericans.


People’s Pope Has Everyone’s Attention

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Four County Catholic February 2014