Four County Catholic June 2015

Volume 27 Number 6 June 2015

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

Let UsBecomeAgents

of MercyPope Francis

to send aHoly Year

message ofhealing andforgiveness

2 Four County Catholic June 2015

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

atholicFour County

atholic Established in 1989 and published each month except July.

PublisherMost 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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Theological AdvisorReverend 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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Volume 27 Number 6 June 2015

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

Let UsBecomeAgentsof MercyPope Francisto send aHoly Yearmessage ofhealing andforgiveness

On the CoverThe Holy Father’s silver pectoral cross reflects theGood Shepherd’s message of mercy that will be thefoundation of the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy.On his way home from visiting the poor in Ar-gentina, then Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio(before becoming Pope) would hold the crosstightly and ask God to lift all the enormousweight of suffering afflicting the people he hadvisited, and transfer it onto the cross in hishands, asking Christ for help and solace.

All of Mercy High School Class of2015 are headed to college next year.

- Shawn R. Beals, reporter, Hartford Courant, highlighting an ex-traordinary statistic this graduating season.

Are our lives truly filledwith the presence of God?

- Pope Francis as quoted by Mary Ellen Mahoney in Thinking Legacy during Hard Times.

The Pontiff is a Jesuit, and I,in some way, am too. I always

studied at Jesuit schools.- Raul Castro recalling his Catholic roots and expressinghis admiration for Pope Francis in advance of the Pope’s

upcoming visit to Cuba.

The path you choose in life comes to you, notlike a bolt of lightening, but from deep within.

- Mother Dolores speaking of her stunning decision to leaveHollywood stardom behind and become a cloistered nun.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters inChrist:

In last month’s Four CountyCatholic, Sister Elissa Rinerewrote an insightful column on theupcoming special Holy Year ofMercy as proclaimed by PopeFrancis. It will begin officiallylater this year on December 8. AsSister Elissa conveyed in thewords of the Holy Father, “Thereis a need in the Church for agreater understanding of thenever-ending Mercy of God, andthe need for all members of theChurch to reflect on the reality ofthat mercy in our lives.” This ismost certainly the core message ofthe Holy Father’s papacy that hewishes to share with the world.

Thanks to Sister Elissa, we havea more informed sense of the his-tory, rarity and symbolism ofHoly Year designations. One ofthe most striking of the symbolic

carry-overs dating back to the fif-teenth century is the rite of theopening of the Holy Door. Actualsealed doors at St. Peter’s Basilicain Rome will be opened symbol-izing that the faithful will be pro-vided an “extraordinary path”toward salvation during the year-long celebration.

Since the previous issue of thisnewspaper, we have had a secondwave of information from theVatican, detailing some of the spe-cific commitments of the HolyYear planning. We learned ofmany of these details from Arch-bishop Rino Fisichella of the Pon-tifical Council for the NewEvangelization. He has beenspeaking to the media lately aboutthe events and timelines of thisspecial year.

The historic Holy Year designa-tion is the embodiment of themission of Pope Francis. This is

the burning focus of this mission-ary Pope, at a time of chaos overmuch of the world. The HolyYear is an act of mercy on a re-markably large scale with the in-tention of helping the world seethat mercy can extinguish strifeand heal wounds.

“Let us be renewed by God’smercy, let us be loved by Jesus, letus enable the power of his love totransform our lives too; and let usbecome agents of this mercy,channels through which God canprotect all creation and make jus-tice and peace flourish.” PopeFrancis speaks of “agents ofmercy.” This is a direct referenceto the commitment he has madeduring the Holy Year to send“missionaries of mercy” through-out the world to forgive sins andbring God’s mercy to the people.

The missionaries will go outamong the dioceses of the world

carrying the transformationalmessage of mercy. Some journal-ists have referred to this as “anarmy” of missionaries. I’m notone who would use that analogy,but it is definitely clear that theHoly Father is calling the Churchto its missionary priority of beingon the ground in a pastoral sense.

Following the recently an-nounced motto “Merciful Likethe Father,” adapted from Christ’scommand in Luke 6:36, the mis-sionaries will follow the mercifulexample of the Father who, as theHoly Father reminds us, “asks usnot to judge or condemn but toforgive and to give love and for-giveness without measure.”

We have a Pope for our timewho sees the overall mission of theChurch as pastoral first, doctrinalsecond. Mercy is a pastoral prior-ity. “Mercy” in his words “faceshatred with love; defeats violence

with forgiveness; responds toweapons with prayer; overcomesevery obstacle; knocks down everywall.” Being close to the people,especially those on the margins ofsociety, is where changing theworld for the better begins. Agood example would be thatamong the individual jubilee ini-tiatives being considered for theHoly Year is a Mass celebratedwith prisoners inside St. Peter’s sothat they can participate not froma jail cell but together with thecongregation. Mercy, it is said, islove’s other name.

The Holy Year of Mercy will beone of the defining outreaches ofthis extraordinary Pope, guidedby mercy, love and the joy of liv-ing the Gospel.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s love,

Bishop Michael R. Cote

The Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D. Bishopof Norwich

Give Love and Forgiveness Without Measure“Jesus has this message for us: I think, and I say it with humility,

that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy.” Pope Francis

Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas:En Four County Catholic el mes

pasado, la Hermana Elissa Rinere es-cribió una columna perspicaz sobreel próximo especial Año Santo de laMisericordia, proclamado por elPapa Francisco. Comenzará oficial-mente a finales de este año el 8 dediciembre. Como la Hermana Elissatransmite en las palabras del Santo

Padre, “Hay una necesidad en laIglesia para una mayor comprensiónde la misericordia infinita de Dios,y la necesidad por todos los miem-bros de la Iglesia a reflexionar sobrela realidad de esa misericordia ennuestras vidas.” Este es sin duda elmensaje central del pontificado delSanto Padre que desea compartircon el mundo.

Gracias a la Hermana Elissa, ten-emos un sentido más informado dela historia, la rareza y el simbolismode las designaciones del Año Santo.Uno de los más llamativos rema-nentes simbólicos que datan delsiglo XV es el rito de la apertura dela Puerta Santa. Puertas actuales sel-ladas en la Basílica de San Pedro enRoma, serán abiertas simbolizando

que los fieles serán proporcionadosde un “camino extraordinario” haciala salvación durante la larga cele-bración de un año.

Desde el número anterior de esteperiódico, hemos tenido una se-gunda oleada de información delVaticano, detallando algunos de loscompromisos específicos de la plan-ificación del Año Santo. Nos enter-

amos de muchos de estos detallespor el Arzobispo Rino Fisichella delConsejo Pontificio para la NuevaEvangelización. Él ha estadohablando últimamente con losmedios de comunicación sobre loseventos y los plazos de este año es-pecial.

Four County Catholic June 2015 3

Dar Amor y PerdónContinued on page 4

Dar Amor y Perdón sin Medidas “Jesús tiene este mensaje para nosotros: Creo y lo digo con humildad,

que este es el mensaje más poderoso del Señor: Misericordia” Papa Francisco


Dar Amor y el Perdón Continued from page 3

La designación del histórico AñoSanto es la realización de la misióndel Papa Francisco. En un momentode caos en gran parte del mundo,éste es el foco ardiente de este Papamisionero. Este Año Santo es unacto de misericordia extraordinariaen gran escala, con la intención deayudar a que el mundo vea que lamisericordia puede extinguir losconflictos y sanar heridas.

“Seamos renovados por la miseri-cordia de Dios, seamos armados porJesús, permitamos que la fuerza desu amor también transforme nues-tras vidas; y convirtámonos enagentes de esta misericordia, canales

a través de los cuales Dios puedeproteger a toda la creación y hacerflorecer la justicia y la paz.” El PapaFrancisco habla de “agentes de mis-ericordia”. Esto es una referencia di-recta al compromiso que ha hechodurante el Año Santo de enviar “mi-sioneros de misericordia” en todo elmundo para perdonar pecados ytraer la misericordia de Dios a lagente.

Los misioneros saldrán de entrelas diócesis del mundo llevando elmensaje transformador de la miseri-cordia. Algunos periodistas se hanreferido a esto como “un ejército” demisioneros. No soy uno quien usaría

esa analogía, pero es definitivamenteclaro que el Santo Padre está lla-mando a la Iglesia a su prioridad mi-sionera de estar en la tierra en unsentido pastoral.

Siguiendo el lema recientementeanunciado “Misericordioso como elPadre”, adaptada de la orden deCristo en Lucas 6:36, los misionerosseguirán el ejemplo misericordiosodel Padre quien, como el SantoPadre nos recuerda, “nos pide nojuzgar o condenar, sino perdonar ydar amor y perdón sin medidas”.

Tenemos un Papa para nuestrotiempo que ve la misión global de laIglesia primero como pastoral, se-

gundo doctrinal. La misericordia esuna prioridad pastoral. “Misericor-dia”, en sus palabras “enfrenta alodio con amor; derrota la violenciacon el perdón; responde a las armascon la oración; supera todos los ob-stáculos; derriba todas las murallas.”Al estar cerca de la gente, especial-mente aquellos en los márgenes dela sociedad, es donde cambia elmundo para mejor comienzo. Unbuen ejemplo será que entre las ini-ciativas jubilares individuales estásiendo considerada para el AñoSanto una misa celebrada con lospresos dentro de San Pedro, paraque ellos puedan participar no desdeuna celda de la cárcel, pero juntoscon la congregación. Misericordia,se dice es, amor de otro nombre.

El Año Santo de la Misericordiaserá uno de los alcances que definena este extraordinario Papa. Guiadospor la misericordia, el amor y la ale-gría todos podemos experimentar lavivencia del Evangelio.

Atentamente en el amor de Cristo,

Obispo Michael R. CoteTranslated by Paulina Angulo

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.com

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

June 5, 2015 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pmCathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich

July 16, 2015 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pmSaint Lawrence, Killingworth

Father Greg Galvin,Director of Priestly [email protected]

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

Juan AguirreTheology

English StudiesSt. Mary Seminary

Baltimore MD

Frank Gilbert1st Year Theology

Pope Saint John XXIIINational Seminary

Weston, MA

Michael Bovino1st Year Philosophy

Mt. St. Mary SeminaryEmmitsburg, MD

Deacon Ron Blank1st Year Theology

Pope Saint John XXIIINational Seminary

Weston, MA

Jeffrey Ellis3rd Year Theology


Peter Langevin3rd Year Theology


Thomas Griffin3rd Year TheologyBlessed John XXIIINational Seminary

Weston, MA

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

Reverend Brian Christopher Maxwell, Ordained to Priesthood onMay 25, 2013, by the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D.,Bishop of Norwich at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich

Pope Francis’Prayer

Intentionsfor June

Universal:That immigrants and

refugees may findwelcome and respect inthe countries to which

they come.

Evangelization:That the personal en-

counter with Jesus mayarouse in many young

people the desire to offertheir own lives in priest-hood or consecrated life.

Pope Francis @Pontifex • Recent TweetAmid so many problems, even grave,may we not lose our hope in the infinitemercy of God.

FIRE ANDWATER DAMAGE

24 Hour Emergency ServiceFire, Water and SmokeCleanup and RestorationCarpet, Upholstery and Drape CleaningOdor RemovalComplete Move-Outs

Like it never even happened

of Norwich/Windham County

860-887-0447Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Independently Owned and Operated

Director of Priestly Vocations

Reverend Gregory Galvin


The day arrived amid a magnif-icent blue sky, bright sun and St.Patrick’s Cathedral filled for theglorious celebration of Ordina-tion to the Diaconate of three ofour seminarians, Rev. Mr. JeffEllis, Rev. Mr. Thomas Griffinand Rev. Mr. Peter Langevin.

The joy in their eyes and intheir faces was evident! The joy offamily and friends who came towitness another and very impor-tant step towards Holy Priest-hood, Ordination as a transitionaldeacon for the Church, was alsoclearly evident. For each man,Jeff, Tom and Peter, the journeytaken in responding to the Call ofThe Lord, has been different andsimilar at the same time. Theirbackgrounds are different; Jeffcoming from working for the gov-ernment as a computer engineer;Peter having a background inCatholic education; Tom manyyears serving as a banker in differ-ent areas throughout the State of

Connecticut. Each of these menhas responded to our Lord gener-ously and each of them looks for-ward with great anticipation tobeginning his service to the Lordby serving His Church.

One of the poignant pointsabout what it means to answer acall from the Lord was given inthe Gospel reading from the Or-dination. From Mark Chapter 12:38-44 regarding the poor widowwho gave all she had, Christpointed out to his disciples:

“Amen, I say to you, this poorwidow put in more than all theother contributors…for they haveall contributed from their surpluswealth, but she, from her poverty,has contributed all she had, herwhole livelihood”.

This is what each servant of theLord is called to. Christ has askedJeff, Tom and Peter - are you will-ing to give of your whole liveli-hood to serve in my name, toserve my bride, the Church, to lay

your life down and to use the giftsmy Heavenly Father and I havegiven you and will continue togive you through the Holy Spirit?Each of these men responded yes!

Within the step of ordinationto transitional diaconate, thesenewly ordained deacons will nowmore actively begin their servicesacramentally by proclaiming theGospel, sometimes preaching theGospel, baptizing, witnessing thesacrament of marriage, assisting tobury the dead, distributing theprecious blood at Holy Mass andbringing Holy communion to thesick and homebound. They takeon a greater role of being an ex-ample of what it means to have a“heart of service for the Lord” bygiving of themselves as completelyas they can in preparation forbeing ordained a priest of JesusChrist sometime next year, 2016.

We ask that you keep each ofour newly ordained deacons inyour prayers along with Juan

Aguirre who, God willing, mayalso be ordained a transitionaldeacon in the coming year, FrankGilbert, Deacon Ron Blank, MikeBovino and Sebastian, Dharen,and Michael, the three Colom-bian men coming to begin theirEnglish studies later this summer.

Thank you all for your many

prayers and please continue toboth thank our God in prayer andcontinue also to beg him to con-tinue sending us more good andholy priestly vocations.

“Let us pray that God the all-powerful Father will mercifullypour out the grace of his blessing onthese, his servants.” Bishop Cote.

A Glorious Celebration of Ordination to the Diaconate

For the Answer go to Page 19.

Bishop Cote confers his blessings on the three candidates raised to the Holy Order of the Diaconate. Photo by Meredith Morrison.


Saturday, June 13Healing and FreedomConference (Unbound)8:30am (coffee & registration) to5:00pm at the Spiritual RenewalCenter, 11 Bath St., Norwich.Must pre-register by calling (860)887-0702. Donation $25. 00. Fa-ther Ray, Judith Hughes and team.

Every TuesdayPrayer, praise,Worship AdorationFrom 7:00 – 8:00pm at the Spiri-tual Renewal Services Center, 11Bath St., Norwich. Leaders: Dea-con James Delaney and Nancy De-laney. For more information,please call (860) 887-0702.

Friday, June 19St. John, Old SaybrookConfirmationJoin the Most Reverend MichaelR. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwichat 7:00pm at St. John’s Church,Old Saybrook.

Saturday, June 20Cathedral of Saint PatrickConfirmationJoin the Most Reverend MichaelR. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwichat 11:00am at the Cathedral of St.Patrick, Norwich.

Saturday, June 20Strawberry Festivaland Craft FairSt. Lawrence Church is having itsannual strawberry festival, craft fairand auction at St. LawrenceChurch, 7 Hemlock Drive, Rt.81in Killingworth from 10:00am-4:00pm. There will be crafts,plants, silent auction, quilt raffle,tag sale, book sale, children’s

games, clowns, food, and home-made strawberry shortcake. Liveauction begins at 11:00am. Formore information, call Rick Hen-derson at (860) 663-5476.

Mon., June 22 –Thurs., June 25Pilgrimage to the Canadian Na-tional ShrinesEnjoy a beautiful 4-day pilgrimageto Our Lady of the Cape, Cana-dian National Shrine to OurBlessed Mother, St. Anne deBeaupre, St. Joseph’s Oratory, St.Kateri Tekakwitha, Beavoir -Shrine to the Sacred Heart, & oth-ers throughout Quebec. $400 p.p.double occupancy. Price includesdeluxe motor coach, shrine hotel,all meals & tips for all 4 days. Avalid U.S. Passport or U.S. Pass-port Card required. For informa-tion and applications, please callFather Brain Maxwell at (860)267-6644 ext.4 or email him at [email protected].

Saturday, June 27Our Lady of Grace,Fishers Island ConfirmationJoin the Most Reverend MichaelR. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwichat 12:00pm at Our Lady of Grace,Fishers Island.

Saturday, July 4Independence Day

Wednesday, July 15Moosup, Children of LightPrayer Group Mass7:00pm at All Hallows ChurchHall, Moosup. For more informa-tion, please call (860) 887-0702.

Thursday, July 16Holy Hour for VocationsThe Most Reverend Michael R.Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich,leads the Holy Hour from 6:00-7:00pm at St. Lawrence, Killing-worth. For more information,contact Father Greg Galvin, Direc-tor of Priestly Vocations at [email protected] or (860)887-9294. www.God-Calls.com.

Tuesday, August 4“Jesus, My Friend”Book ReleaseA Book written by Lue Ann

Friday, June 12

Blue Mass Spaghetti Dinner FundraiserTo benefit the Blue Mass Committee to defray expenses associated with the AnnualMass honoring law enforcement personnel. Spaghetti, salad, bread &butter, soda and water. From 5:30-7:00pm at the Cathedral ofSaint Patrick Auditorium, 213 Broadway, Norwich. $10.00adults, $8.00 seniors, $5.00 children 12 and under. For moreinformation, or tickets please call Monsignor Brown at (860)887-9294, ext. 232 or Becky Cady (860) 887-9294, ext. 235.

Diocese of NorwichPilgrimage to

the Czech Republic,Austria & Hungary

With Bishop Michael R. CoteOctober 515, 2015

ost Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, will lead an11day pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. The

itinerary will include Prague, Melk, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

Cost of Tour: $3,350.00 per person double occupancy$300.00 deposit required$562.00 single supplement (limited number)

For information orreservations please contact:

Rebecca McDougal(860) 8879294 or

George’s International Tours9265 Dowdy Drive, Suite 232

San Diego, CA 92126Phone: (800) 5667499

Fax: (858) 2716692Email: [email protected]

Website: www.georgeintl.com

CST#203599540

This price includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation from

Norwich to New York JFK Airport; Rountrip airfare from New York

JFK Airport; Airline taxes/fuel surcharges as currently levied; Acco

modation in First Class hotels; All hotel taxes; Luncheon on day of

departure in Norwich; Breakfast and dinner daily at each hotel;

Farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Budapest; Land transportation

by deluxe motorcoach; All transfers and baggage handling at hotels;

Sightseeing with professional local guides;

Professional tour manager; All entrance

fees per itinerary; Gratuities to tour

manager, local guides, drivers and

hotel/restaurant staff; Daily Mass.

Norwich, CT(860) 887-7468

www.mmpct.com

New London, CT(860) 701-9171

www.mmpnl.com


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]

Attention—Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, etc.Sponsored by Spiritual Renewal Services

Co-directors Fr. Ray Introvigne & Mrs. Judith HughesOctober 6-16, 2015 $3,199 per person New YorkCall 1-860-887-0702 or [email protected]

Healing Masses, Monday, June 8 and June 22 @ 2:00 p.m.Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT

Masses held on 1st floor – handicap accessibleFr. Ray, Celebrant + Judith Hughes, Healing Prayer

Healing and Freedom Conference (Unbound)Saturday, June 13, 2015 – 8:30 a.m.(coffee & registration) to 5:00 pm

Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT Must pre-register @ 860-887-0702 Donation $25

Fr. Ray, Judith Hughes and Team

Television MassWednesday, July 1, 2015 at 10:00 a.m..

Channel 20, WTXX, CharterChannel 11, WCCT, ComcastCelebrant, Fr. Ray Introvigne

Moosup, Children of Light Prayer Group MassWednesday, July 15, 201 @ 7:00 p.m.

All Hallows Church Hall, Moosup, CT

Prayer, Praise, WorshipEvery Tuesday evening @ 6:30 pm

Spiritual Renewal Center, Norwich, CT

“Everyone’s welcomed to these programs!

“I AM the vine, you (your name) arethe branches, whoever remains inME (Jesus) and I in him/her, willbear much fruit, because...withoutME, you can do NOTHING!” (John 15:5)

Watchus of Norwich, is now avail-able at Amazon, Barnes & Noble,etc. in book and digital (e-book)format. The story is exhilaratingfrom beginning to end – Readerswill realize the richness of faith inOur Lord Jesus Christ as the char-acters unfold.

Saturday, August 15Assumption of Mary

Thursday, August 20Holy Hour for VocationsMost Reverend Michael R. Cote,D.D., Bishop of Norwich, leadsthe Holy Hour from 6:00-7:00pmat the Most Holy Trinity, Promfret.For more information, contact Fa-ther Greg Galvin, Director ofPriestly Vocations [email protected] or(860) 887-9294. www.God-Calls.com.

Wednesday, July 1

TelevisionMass

At 10:00 a.m. Channel20 WTXX, Charter.Channel 11 WCCT,Comcast Celebrant is

Reverend Ray Introvigne

Fatima • Madrid • Lourdes, Etc.

PILGRIMAGE11 Days: October 6‐16, 2015

Hosted by:Father Ray Introvigne &

Mrs. Judith HughesCo‐Directors of Spiritual Renewal Services

$3199 per person from New York(Air/land tour price is $2349 plus $626 govt. taxes/airline fuel surcharges)

Visiting:Lisbon, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela,

Salamanca, Avila, Madrid & Lourdes

For a brochure & more informationcontact Mrs. Hughes at:

860‐887‐0702~ or ~

[email protected] IS LIMITED AT

THIS VERY SPECIAL PRICE!!!

We Can HelpTo report inappropriatecontact of any kind by a

representative of theDiocese of Norwich or for

assistance to victims,please call:

1-800-624-7407

Podemos AyudarPara reportar cualquier

contacto inapropiado porun/a representante de la

Diócesis de Norwich, o parabuscar ayuda para víctimas,

favor de llamar:1-800-624-7407

Sunday, Aug. 23& Sunday, Nov. 15

NEW LOCATION:Maironis Park, Shrewsbury, MA

Cost $50 (includes $10 ticket)Children, Teenagers & Nun’s welcome as our guest

Bus Departs 9:00 AM Old Mystic Village;New London Shopping Center; I-395 Commuter Parking Lots;

Exit 80W, Norwich; Exit 89, MoosupJJANET PRZYBYSZ 860-536-6638

[email protected]

Father Ralph DiOrioHoly Mass, Benediction, Spoken Love

Scripture, the Healing Ministry


The Most Reverend Michael R.Cote, Bishop of Norwich, wel-comed approximately 50 priests,

sisters and lay persons to St.Joseph Hall in Willimantic onThursday, May 21, 2015 to hear

Reverend Joseph Corpora,C.S.C., Director, University-School Partnerships Alliance forCatholic Education Task ForceCo-chair at the University ofNotre Dame. Father Corpora re-minded the participants that by2050 the Latino population in theUnited States will grow from 60

million to 106 million. Withthese statistics, Father challengedus to look at how we welcome theLatino population within the dio-cese of Norwich. How culturallysensitive are we? our cities ?towns? and neighborhoods?schools? and churches?

Cultural familiarity isimportant to theLatino popula-tion. Ourschools, min-istries andparishes cani n c r e a s -ingly em-brace thec u l t u r a limagery,research-ing thesaints andf a m o u speople asrole models tofurther encour-age relationshipbuilding. BishopGerald Kicanas, Dio-cese of Tucson urges “We...must do all we can to encourageHispanic/Latino parents to sendtheir children to Catholic schools.For the Church to be successful in

this endeavor, we must create anenvironment of trust in order tobuild strong relationships withHispanic/ Latino families. Thisrequires that bishops and priestsassess all ministries and programsat diocesan and parish levels toensure that a spirit of welcome is

indeed present”.Catholic educa-tion is a ministry.

Catholic schoolsneed Latinopr inc ipa l s ,t e a c h e r s ,and boardmembersi n ve s t e di nCathol iceducation.E a r l i e rcentur i e s

welcomedthe Euro-

pean immi-grants and now

we, as its benefici-aries, must strive to

provide this Catholiceducation in the 21st century

for Hispanic/Latinos. Therefore,Father Joe strongly urged and rec-ommended these action plans:

Use innovative tuition models.

Employ Spanish speakers to men-tor families and assist with the pa-perwork for registration.Encourage the faculty memberswithin the schools to learn theHispanic/Latino culture and lan-guage. Invite Latino families totour the schools at convenienttimes, perhaps weekends orevenings.

Father Corpora recognized thatthe Diocese of Norwich celebratesthe Feast of Our Lady ofGuadalupe on December 12 andthat the Cathedral of St. Patrickcaptures the appearance of OurLady to Juan Diego in 1531 withthe wall painting above OurLady’s altar. May the reflectionsand recommendations shared be-come the roses that will enliventhe faith and help bring new lifeto the Catholic schools andparishes within the Diocese ofNorwich.

To quote Reverend Timothy R.Scully, C.S.C., Director , Institutefor Educational Initiatives Uni-versity of Notre Dame, “We facean urgent moral imperative toserve our nation and our faith bymaking the Catholic school ad-vantage accessible to millions oftalented underserved Latino chil-dren.”

Catholic School Advantage Campaign

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

appointments in the Diocese of Norwich:

Clergy AppointmentsReverend Monsignor Henry N. Archambault, P.A.,

1 year renewal of appointment as Pastor, Sacred HeartParish, Taftville. Effective: April 8, 2015.

Reverend Monsignor James P. Carini,from Pastor, Saint Matthew Parish, Tolland,

to Retirement. Effective: July 31, 2015.

Reverend William Olesik, from Director of Propagationof the Faith, to Parochial Vicar, Saint Bernard Parish,

Rockville, and Saint Matthew Parish, Tolland.Effective: July 31, 2015.

Reverend Richard J. Ricard, from Pastor, Saint BernardParish, Rockville, to Pastor, Saint Bernard Parish,

Rockville, and Saint Matthew Parish, Tolland.Effective: July 31, 2015.

Reverend Brian Romanowski, to Judge,Diocesan Tribunal Office Effective: May 12, 2015.

Reverend Tadeusz Zadorozny, from Pastor,Saint John Parish, Plainfield, and Saint Augustine Parish,Canterbury, to Pastor, Saint John Parish, Plainfield, Saint

Augustine Parish, Canterbury, All Hallows Parish,Moosup, and Sacred Heart Parish, Wauregan.

Effective: July 1, 2015.

~ Monsignor Robert L. Brown, Chancellor ~

By Sister Barbara GouldAssistant Superintendent Diocese of Norwich


The Norwich Diocesan Councilof Catholic Women celebrated its60th anniversary at their annual

convention hosted by the Middle-town District on Saturday, May16th at St. Mary of CzestochowaChurch in Middletown. The themeof the convention was We AreCalled to Witness – Be the Voice ofCatholic Women. The day beganwith a welcome by MiddletownDistrict President Nancy Russo anda short business meeting conductedby President Anne King. JudithPappagallo, a member of St. PatrickCathedral, was appointed by theNDCCW Board and approved byBishop Cote as the incoming Pres-ident. Annette Murphy, a memberof St. Joseph Parish in Willimanticwas elected Secretary, and SandyFreiss from Our Lady of LourdesParish in Gayles Ferry was electedtreasurer. The highlight of the daywas a presentation by Mother Do-lores Hart.

Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., isa Benedictine nun at the Abbey ofRegina Laudis in Bethlehem Con-necticut. During her seven-year ca-reer in film and on Broadway shestarred in ten films, most notablyopposite Elvis Presley in LovingYou. She was also nominated for aTony Award for her performance inthe Pleasure of His Company. Herradical choice to enter a cloisteredAbbey at the height of her career in1963 at first shocked and then in-spired those who admired her as anactress and public figure.

The HBO Documentary FilmGod is the Bigger Elvis about MotherDolores’ life was nominated for a2012 Academy Award in the Doc-umentary Short category. Her ac-claimed autobiography The Ear ofthe Heart: An Actress’ Journey fromHollywood to Holy Vows was releasedin 2013 and is now in its thirdprinting.

Since 1970, Mother Dolores hasbeen the Dean of Education atRegina Laudis. In this role she has

established a new ex-pression of St. Bene-dict’s School of theLord’s Service in whichcontemporary profes-sional women can beawakened to the classi-cal precepts of monasticlife through an arduousprocess of self-knowl-edge and conversion ofheart.

Mother Doloresshared her experiencesstarring in movies withElvis Presley and toldthe group what a trulygood person he was andthat his music was allabout his whole being.She told how she wasguided by God and herown inner self to seekher vocation. She vis-ited the Abbey ofRegina Laudis many times to findher own peace and joy and finally,even though she was engaged to bemarried at that time, stunned theworld by making the decision tobecome a cloistered nun and enterthe Abbey. She said the path youchoose in life comes to you, not likea bolt of lightening, but from deepwithin. Years later, she said, “I justknew that this was what Godwanted from me.”

At noon, the liturgy was cel-ebrated by Most Rev. Michael R.Cote, Bishop or Norwich, Rev.Brian Maxwell, Diocesan SpiritualAdvisor and Rev. Richard Sliwinski,Pastor, of St Mary’s. We were alsodelighted to have as a guest, Rev.Edward Konopka. Fr. Konopka wasthe diocesan Spiritual Advisor from1996 to 2007. He is retired and liv-ing in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

At the luncheon which followed,Bishop Cote was presented with acheck for $18,428.28 which heturned over to Jim Maffuid, Exec-utive Director of Catholic Chari-ties. This is the diocesancontribution from the annualmembership drive held in Septem-ber.

Following lunch, Maribeth Stew-art, NCCW Representative to theWorld Union of Catholic WomenOrganisation. (WUCWO), gave avery informative presentation. Thisorganization represents 100 organ-izations of Catholic women in 60countries and has 5 million mem-bers world wide.

Sixty years ago, on January 29,1955, women from every part ofthe Diocese of Norwich assembledat St. Patrick auditorium in Nor-wich for an organizational meetingof the Norwich Diocesan Councilof Catholic Women. The womenwere invited at the request of HisExcellency, Most Rev. Bernard J.Flanagan, the first Bishop of Nor-wich. At that meeting, BishopFlanagan designated the Council ofCatholic Women as the officialwomen’s organization of the dio-cese. His Excellency stated that thework of women in the church wasas old as Christianity itself and citedthe epistle of St. Paul in which theapostle acknowledged the work ofdevoted women to the service ofthe church. The purpose of estab-lishing the Council was to unite ex-isting parish societies and to

establish new groups to carry on theworks of charity and service to theirchurch, community and fellowman.

As the years have passed, thework of the Council has grown anddeveloped in the districts as well asthe parishes. It would be impossibleto enumerate the ‘works of love’ ac-complished in sixty years of specialactivities, both spiritual and chari-table.

In the fall, there is a diocesan-wide membership drive. Each yearat the Annual NDCCW Conven-tion, sixty percent of all money col-lected throughout the diocese isgiven to Catholic Charities for its

pregnancy program.Over the past 60 years,NDCCW has con-tributed over $659,000to Catholic Charities.

In 1980, the“Layette Program” wasintroduced toNDCCW. In 1981,NDCCW adopted“Project Water Tank.”NDCCW partnerswith the NationalCouncil of CatholicWomen to support na-tion wide projects.

There are seven Dis-tricts in the NorwichDiocese: Middletown,New London, Nor-wich, Putnam,Rockville, Shoreline,and Willimantic. Eachof the districts has ac-tive affiliates and they

support their pastors and parishesin various ways. There are Christ-mas bazaars, bake sales, pot lucksuppers, fundraisers, chemo hats forcancer patients and various speak-ers. Many of the ladies are active inBereavement Committees and asLectors and Eucharistic Ministers attheir churches. The Council con-tinues to invite women of allparishes to join their Ladies Guildsand become a part of this very ac-tive group.

The Norwich Diocesan Councilof Catholic Women is affiliatedwith the National Council ofCatholic Women, now celebratingits 95th birthday!

Norwich Diocesan Council of CatholicWomen Celebrates 60th Anniversary

By Anne King, PresidentNorwich Diocesan Council of Catholic Women

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During his visit to the UnitedStates in September, Pope Francis

will canonize Blessed

Junipero Serra, the Francis-can missionary, originallyfrom Spain, whobrought the Gospel tothe indigenous people ofMexico and the area wenow know as California.

Born Miguel Ferrar in1713, he entered theFranciscan seminary in1730, taking the name Junipero, orJuniper. From the outset, Juniperoexcelled at his academic studies. Heearned a doctorate in theology, andwas appointed a university profes-sor by the time he reached the ageof thirty.

In 1749, Junipero and severalcompanions secured permission totravel from Spain to Mexico, whichwas then a Spanish colony, wherethey were to work with the indige-nous population in missions alreadyestablished in and around MexicoCity. For fifteen years, Junipero dis-tinguished himself as a preacherand confessor, and also as an aca-demic in his lectures at the Collegeof San Fernando, in Mexico City.

In 1768 Junipero was asked byhis superiors to leave “Baja” or“Lower California,” and establishmissions in the area then known as“Alta California.” He and some

companions set out walking north.For the next sixteen years, until hisdeath in 1784, Junipero walked thelength and breadth of “Alta Califor-

nia,” from San Diegoto San Francisco, es-

tablishing mission

churches, preaching and evangeliz-ing the indigenous people. Underhis leadership nine missions andmission churches were established.Perhaps the most famous is MissionSan Juan Capistrano. Built in 1782,it is thought to be the oldest stand-ing building in California, and theonly remaining original mission inwhich Blessed Junipero celebratedMass.

There has been some controversyabout how to understand the mis-sionary work carried out by BlessedJunipero. Some see him as a man ofextraordinary faith, who gladly suf-fered hardship and deprivation forthe sake of the Gospel. Others seehim as a symbol of oppression withrespect to the indigenous people,since with their embrace of Chris-tianity, they were constrained togive up their own culture andlifestyle. Detractors also point to the

number of indigenous people whocontracted fatal diseases because oftheir contact with European colo-nizers.

Defenders see Blessed Junipero asa man of his own time, and moti-vated solely by a love of the Gospel.

Archbishop Jose Gomez ofLos Angeles said of BlessedJunipero: “(He) believed withall his heart that the Gospelwas true. Out of love, he waswilling to give up everything– family and home, securityand fortune, even his very life– to bring the truth of salva-

tion to people living on theother side of the world, people hedid not know, people who did notshare his language and customs.”

In January 2015, when an-nouncing the upcoming canoniza-tion, Pope Francis made twoimportant points. The first was thatBlessed Junipero was to be canon-ized through a legal provision called“equivalent canonization.” Thatmeans that the petition for saint-hood did not go through all thesteps required, right down to themiracles. Rather, a person who hasbeen designated as “blessed” forsome time, and is venerated as asaint by the people, is brought tothe end of the canonization processbased on the evidence of his or herlife. Junipero Serra, who died in1784, had been beatified by PopeJohn Paul II in 1987.

The second point Pope Francismade was that Blessed Junipero,“the evangelizer of the westernUnited States,” is one of a groupwho either have been or will be can-onized because they gave their livesto the service of the Gospel. Theyare examples of what it means topreach the Gospel without reserve.In addition to Blessed Junipero,others being publically declaredsaints through this equivalentprocess are Peter Faber, who spenthis life preaching the Gospel in Eu-rope; François de Laval and Mariede l’Incarnation who evangelizedCanada, José de Anchieta of Braziland Joseph Vas of Sri Lanka. Allthese, Pope Francis said, are “Im-pressive evangelizers along the linesof Evangelii Gaudium. That is whyI chose them. That was the reason.”

By Sister ElissaRinere, CP, JCDOffice of Worship

Blessed Junipero Serra

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According to the National Insti-tute of Mental Health, one in four

adults−approximately 61.5 millionAmericans−experiences mental ill-ness in a given year. One in17−about 13.6 million−live with aserious mental illness such as schiz-ophrenia, major depression orbipolar disorder. Additionally, ap-proximately 20 percent of youthages 13 to 18 experience severemental disorders in a given year.For ages 8 to 15, the estimate is 13percent. Certainly these numbersare alarming and the demand onbehavioral health services often ex-ceeds the available number ofproviders.

In any given year, CatholicCharities provides more than 7,500units of service to more than 750individuals. Clinical services areprovided to people of all ages ad-dressing issues such as depression,anxiety, domestic violence, sexual

abuse, grief, behavioral problems aswell as adult and adolescent sub-stance abuse treatment. These psy-chiatric group, family andindividual services include thera-peutic interventions designed to

meet a variety of family needs toimprove the well-being of familymembers, reducing risks of crisis,abuse and neglect, with the goal ofkeeping families together.

When asked why she decided towork in the mental health field, Sis-ter Elsy, who currently is complet-ing a clinical internship at CatholicCharities, responded, “ When I wasin India I worked with the devel-

opmentally disabled and those suf-fering from mental illness. Becauseof their loneliness, worries, and ten-sion, I was drawn to help them.They need someone to talk to andlisten to them”.

While discussing what problemsand obstacles our clients face, DaveKetner, LPC, LADC, Supervisor ofBehavioral Health Services in

Catholic Charities New Londonoffice, reported, “ Clients lack re-sources, housing, basic needs andaccess to medication services as wellas transportation”. According tothe US Department of Health and

Human Services, per-sons living below thepoverty level are nearly2½ times more likely tohave depression thanthose at or above thepoverty level.

Sylvia Laudette,LCSW, Supervisor ofBehavioral Health Serv-ices in the Norwich of-

fice, indicates that “services arehelpful as they provide solution-fo-cused therapy, allowing people tothink outside of the box. Our

providers help people to learn self-care when dealing with difficult sit-uations.” Catholic CharitiesMiddletown office supervisor, KimAbram, LCSW, states that “clientsfeel validated when they come infor therapy. Therapy helps clientswalk through past and presentproblems.” As a trauma specialist,Kim points out that often resolvingpast traumas is an extremely im-portant part of the healing process.

If you are looking for counselingservices in a compassionate envi-ronment, our counselors are avail-able at our Norwich, New Londonand Middletown offices. For moreinformation, please visit our web-page, www.ccfsn.org, or contactWilliam Gilbert, Ph.D., MSW at860-889-8346.

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Every day it seems we are greetedwith more difficult news, whether itbe about social unrest here in our

Country, natural disasters through-out the world or the shockingly hor-rid terrorist actions taken across theglobe. When confronted with dis-may and sadness, we turn to the oneconstant in our lives, our faith, ourbelief in the love and salvation ofJesus Christ. When our heads feel

like dropping and our mood is low,that is when we must look up, prayand remember thatGod is alwayswith us and willgive us thestrength weneed.

I na d d i -tion tofightingthe ten-dency to let worldly influences affect

our spirits, many people also expe-rience the feeling that they cannot

make a dif-

ference in the world, they are onlyone person in the vast sea of hu-mankind. How much can one per-son do? Once again, we must thinkof Christ and remember his words-“Truly, I say to you, as you did it toone of the least of these my broth-ers, you did it to me.” Matthew25:40. Jesus is telling us that oneperson can make a difference. Ac-tion taken to help even just one per-son is enough. Pope Francis echoesChrist’s words over and over againon a daily basis as he travels theworld. Pope Francis asks, “Are our

lives truly filled with the presence ofGod? How many things take theplace of God in my life each day?”

He reminds us to let the messageof Christ influence all of our de-cisions.Each year, the Diocese of Nor-

wich pro-claims Juneas “Leave aL e g a c y ”m o n t h .

Through thisinitiative, parishioners are remindedof the importance of giving throughestate planning. As we all turn ourhearts upward to Christ and takeour strength from Him during thesechallenging times, let us all knowthat we can each make a differencein this world by helping otherswithin our Diocese. Through yourgenerosity and planning you canmake a gift through your future es-tate, or even right now, if you desire.There are a number of tax benefitsassociated with planned giving aswell. Your kindness will be extended

to many through the works of theChurch and its continued care ofthe less fortunate and disadvan-taged. You may direct your supportto any of our Diocesan ministries,organizations, parishes, or schools.You truly can have a huge impact onthe lives of your Diocesan neigh-bors.

Here are some of the top 10 waysto “Leave a Legacy”:1. Prepare or update your will.2. Set aside a gift in your will for

your parish, the Diocese, or oneof the many Annual CatholicAppeal supported ministries.

3. Name your parish, the Diocese,or an ACA funded ministry asthe beneficiary of an existing lifeinsurance policy; or purchase anew policy and name your se-lected charity as the beneficiary.

4. Remember your loved onesthrough a charitable bequest intheir honor.

5. Name your parish, Diocese, orACA funded ministry as thebeneficiary of your pension planor IRA.

6. Discuss with your advisors thetax advantages you can enjoynow by leaving a gift in yourwill to the Church.

7. Consider using assets for yourlegacy gift.

8. Ask your financial or estateplanning advisor to includecharitable giving as part of youroverall financial plan. Encour-age them to do so with otherclients.

9. Explore the advantages of acharitable gift annuity or chari-table trust.

10. Spread the word! Let your fam-ily, friends, and fellow parish-ioners and advisors know thatyou have taken responsibilityfor your legacy and for the well-being of the Church.

To learn more, contact MaryEllen Mahoney, DevelopmentManager- Major Gifts by telephoneat 860-886-1928 ext. 14 or [email protected] the Planned Giving portion ofthe Development Office website atwww.norwichdiocesedevelopment.org.

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How did your life’s journey pre-pare you and lead you to thisparticular calling so importantto the Church and to society as awhole?My education and background arein science, which is the field Iworked in for ten years after col-lege. When my children wereborn, I decided to change careers,so I would be more available tothem. I started two child care cen-ters, which I successfully ownedand operated for 18 years. I believethat part of my life prepared mefor this position. I understoodhow vulnerable children are; howit is the calling of every parent tonurture and love their children,yet it is the responsibility of all ofsociety to provide an environmentfor them where they will be safe.

Are the protective measures nowin place across the diocese fo-cused on education, training orscreening of employees and vol-unteers? In 2002, the United States Con-ference of Catholic Bishopsdrafted the Charter for the Protec-tion of Children and Young Peo-ple. The Charter mandated thatevery diocese is to maintain “safeenvironment” programs whichwould be responsible for back-ground screening and education ofall diocesan personnel and volun-teers who have ongoing contactwith minors. It should be men-tioned, however, that the Dioceseof Norwich already had policies inplace, since 1993, which addressedthis issue. In this diocese, volun-teers and contractors who haveregular contact with children, allclergy, all members of institutes ofall forms of consecrated life, andall employees are backgroundscreened and educated in safe en-vironments. This exceeds what theCharter mandates. No one com-ponent of our ministry is moreimportant than another. To effec-tively protect our children andyouth, background screening, edu-cation and monitoring activitiesare equally important.

Are children and young peoplethemselves trained in addition to

employees and volunteers?In our diocese, there are educa-tional programs for children andyoung people. Safe Environmentseducation is included in theHealth or Family Life curriculumin our Catholic Schools. For thoseyouth attending parish religiouseducation programs, the curricu-lum is reviewed annually with theyouth, utilizing brochures pro-vided by the Office for Safe Envi-ronments.

How successful have the currentpolicies been? Are there thirdparty audits conducted?The Diocese of Norwich has writ-ten and promulgated four policieswith regard to safe envi-ronments. These havebeen revised overthe past 11 yearsto reflect thechanges in theCharter, aswell as to ad-dress thechangingneeds of ourparishes,schools andinstitutions.The most re-cent policy, theElectronics Com-munication andComputer Use Policywas developed to addressthe ever changing challenges ofusing electronic communicationin ministry. Adults who are work-ing or volunteering with minorsmust maintain appropriate behav-ior and take care to avoid any situ-ation that might bemisinterpreted. This policy pro-vides them with the rules for com-municating via the internet withour youth.

Our database now contains thenames of over 15,000 diocesanpersonnel and volunteers whohave gone through the safe envi-ronments program. Since the in-ception of this ministry in 2004,an annual informational audit, aswell as an on- site audit every threeyears is conducted by a third-partyauditing firm. Diocesan offices are

audited for compliance to theCharter. In addition, our office as-sesses the compliance of individualparishes, schools and institutionswith the Diocese of Norwich poli-cies and procedures. This is ac-complished through databaseanalysis and visits to individual or-ganizations to clarify our policiesand provide support.

How effective has theDiocesan Report-ing Line been,and the avail-ability of thediocesan As-sistance Co-ordinator?

TheOffice ofInternal Af-fairs main-

tains aDiocesan Re-

porting Line tofacilitate the filing

of incident reports. Itis intended to be a non-

emergency line. That number is 1-800-624-7407. When a report ismade, the Assistance Coordinatoris contacted. The Assistance Coor-dinator provides outreach and as-sistance in the healing process tovictims and their families.

Appreciating that maintainingsafe environments for children isnot the responsibility of just oneor two people, how are allparishioners in the diocese en-couraged to participate in safetyvigilance?Each diocesan parish, school andinstitution has a Child Advocate.The Child Advocate assists thepastor, principal or administratorin their responsibilities relative toensuring safe environments. Theyare an important link between this

office and their or-ganization. All

parishioners andemployees ofthe diocesehave accessto the Pas-toral Codeof Conduct(availableonwww.nor-

wichdio-cese.org). This

policy outlinesthe steps that

must be taken byall adults so that not

only our children, but theadults working with them canminister in a safe environment.Brochures and handouts are madeavailable to all parishes, schoolsand diocesan institutions, for dis-tribution to their members.

In what ways do the programsand initiatives of the diocesemirror the national Church poli-

cies as instituted by the UnitedStates Conference of CatholicBishops? In the Diocese of Norwich, FatherRick Ricard, the Bishop’s Delegatefor Safe Environments, and I, havethe continued support of BishopCote. He is committed to protect-ing our youth and providing safeenvironments in which to minis-ter. Also, Pope Francis has spokenmany times on the need for theCatholic Church to address theissue of child safety. So this topiccontinues to be of great impor-tance to our Church, both locallyand world-wide.

I would just like to add that thisministry could not function effec-tively without the continued sup-port of Fr. Rick Ricard, theBishop’s Delegate for Safe Envi-ronments; nor could we processand interpret the large volumes ofdata this office receives withoutthe hard work and expertise ofMrs. Randy Bouley, Administra-tive Assistant.

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On June 9, 2013, the USCCB’sSubcommittee on Hispanic Af-fairs convened pastoral leaders of

the Hispanic/Latino communityto engage once again in theprocess of Encuentro. Since themid 1970’s, Hispanic Ministry inthe United States has seen four na-tional gatherings, called “Encuen-tros,” which have been profoundlyinstrumental in moving the min-istry forward. It is an opportunityfor in-depth self-study, beginningon the parish level, then movingto the diocesan and regional levels,and finally ending on the nationallevel. On each of the levels theprocess ends with an event – En-cuentro – which recognizes andcelebrates what has been learned.Proposals are formulated and del-egates appointed to take the pro-posals to the next level. At thefinal celebration, the nationalgathering, delegates from acrossthe country work to synthesize theproposals which have been gar-nered from the different levels andput them together in a workingdocument, with practical applica-tions.

The Encuentros have shapedHispanic Ministry in this country.They have given it a focus and di-rection which has been importantin guiding the ministry as the His-panic/Latino presence continuesto grow amid increasing chal-

lenges. They have given the His-panic/Latino people the opportu-nity to interpret and to projectinto the future their own identity,presence, and contribution to theChurch and to U.S. society as awhole.

This Fifth Encuentro - V En-cuentro - was convened in thecontext of the New Evangeliza-tion. Its primary objective is todiscern the way in which theChurch responds to the His-panic/Latino presence, and tostrengthen the way in which His-panic/Latinos respond as Church.In particular, it will be a process oflistening with close attention tothe voice of the poor and margin-alized and it will seek to build up

the faith of young, second andthird generation Hispanics/Lati-nos and to involve them in the lifeof the Church. The Encuentrowill help to discern the Church’sbest pastoral and evangelizing re-sponse to parishes, dioceses, andecclesial movements, both at a re-gional and at a national level.

The vision and theme of the VEncuentro is one of “missionarydiscipleship,” a spirit of accompa-niment based on the Emmausstory from the Gospel of St. Luke.The V Encuentro calls for a con-tinual pastoral conversation thatallows the Church, consistentwith its missionary nature, to re-spond with more fidelity and en-thusiasm to the Hispanic/Latino

presence in parishes and dioceses,thereby empowering the His-panic/Latino people to live theirdiscipleship more fully as joyfulmissionaries to the whole Church.Bishops Arturo Cepeda, GeraldBarnes, Nelson Pérez and Arch-bishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller wereelected by the Subcommittee tolead the Encuentro process.

The national gathering of VEncuentro will take place in 2018,and preparations are underway.Last February, in Baltimore,Bishop Nelson Perez convened theNational Team which will guidethe process. Their first task is tocreate Regional Teams in each ofthe 14 Episcopal Regions, as wellas Diocesan Teams. In April, the

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well as all of Connecticut and beyond, offers a Mass daily at 10:00amon Comcast, channel 11, WCCT andchannel 20, WTXX.

Priests from the Diocese of Norwich volunteer to celebrate the Masson the irst Wednesday of everymonth.

This is a wonderful opportunityfor you or your ill family members toenjoy the “greatest prayer” thatJesus left for us. You could have thename of your loved one(s) living ordeceased placed on the TV screen atthe beginning of every Mass for adonation of $10.00 per name. For$50.00 or more donation per name,during the prayer of the faithful,

your loved one(s) name will appearon the screen and will be read aloudby the reader.

We also honor special days youwish to remember, birthdays, baptisms, graduations, weddings, retirement, etc. However, please makesure you notify us at least 2 monthsin advance. You and your loved oneswill be blessed by sharing in thesedaily celebrations.

All requests must be received bymail at the following address: Oficeof Radio and Television, 15 PeachOrchard Road, Prospect, CT 067121052. Emergency requests are allowed by phone only for accidentvictims or those facing unexpectedsurgery. Checks or money ordersshould be made payable to the Oficeof Radio and Television. We also accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover.

For more information please callFr. John Gatzak at 2037587367.

Conference of Diocesan Directorsof Hispanic Ministry for Episco-pal Region I – our Region –hosted an orientation/training ses-sion whose purpose was to givethe participants more detailed in-formation on the vision, purposeand process of the V Encuentro,to form the Regional Team, and toprepare them to form the Dioce-san Teams. In attendance werepastors with their pastoral staffsand selected lay leaders in His-panic Ministry from the Diocesesof Portland, Maine to Bridgeport,CT and of course, the Diocese ofNorwich.

The event was facilitated by

Alejandro Aguilar-Titus, chair ofthe Subcommittee on HispanicAffairs of the USCCB’s Secretariatfor Cultural Diversity, Estela Vil-lagrán, president of the NationalConference of Diocesan Directorsof Hispanic Ministry, and Dr.Hosffman Ospino, professor atBoston College’s School of Theol-ogy and Ministry. The day and ahalf event ended with a Mass cel-ebrated by Bishop Cote. The firsttask of the Regional Team will beto form Diocesan Teams in eachof the dioceses, in preparation forthe grassroots consultation to takeplace in the parishes by the end ofnext year.

Rev. Daniel C. CroninDecember 25, 1927 – May 3, 2015

Norwich - The Reverend Daniel C.Cronin, retired priest of the Dioceseof Norwich, died Sunday, May 3,2015, at St. Joseph Living Center inWindham, Connecticut. He was 87.Father Cronin is fondly rememberedby all who knew him and grew spir-itually from his caring presence. Fa-ther Cronin, son of the late MichaelCronin and Hannah (Nagle) Cronin

of Gneeveguilla, Rathmore, East County Kerry, Ireland, wasborn in Rathmore, County Kerry, and educated in Ireland atSt. Joseph College in Freshford, County Kilkenny. He con-tinued his studies in philosophy and theology at St. Joseph’sMissionary College in Rozendaal, Holland, and Mill Hill,just north of London. It was in Mill Hill, July 10, 1955,where Father Cronin was ordained to the priesthood for serv-ice as a Mill Hill Missionary by Bernard Cardinal Griffin.Immediately following ordination, Father Cronin began anextended missionary assignment in Borneo from 1955 to1963. Shortly after returning to Freshford, Ireland in 1963,Father Cronin joined the Diocese of Norwich as AssistantPastor at St. Luke Parish in Ellington. Subsequently, he servedas Assistant Pastor at Sacred Heart in Norwichtown and, in1969, St. Mary in Portland. In 1977, he became Pastor of St.Stephen in Quinebaug until 1984 when he was appointedPastor of St. Columba in Columbia, where he served faith-fully until his retirement in January, 2012, at the age of 84.The Funeral Mass was celebrated by The Most ReverendMichael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, Thursday, May7, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Columba Church. Intermentwill be in Ireland.


www.kofc.org or (203) 752-4270

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Every major achievement that has taken place within the American enterprise - the American Revolution; the abolition of slavery; the civil rights movement; reforms in education, labor and woman’s rights - has been at the urging of religious people seeking a more just and humane society.

In this light, the Knights of Columbus recognizesreligious liberty as an indispensable conditionfor authentic human development.

Immediate OpeningYouth Minister

A part-time (25 Hours per week) position is available for a Youth Minister atthe Office of Faith Events, Diocese of Norwich. Major responsibilities

include coordinating youth events and assisting in other events of the office.Email [email protected] for the complete

job description and qualifications.

SENIOR RENEWAL DAY:Father Roger Couture, OMI, invites all seniors to join him

for this month’s program entitled “The Parable of theGood Samaritan” on Wednesday, June 17, from 9:00 AM

to 1:00 PM. Offering is $10.00 and includes lunch.

FRENCH HERITAGE DAY:On Sunday, June 14, beginning with Mass at 11:00

AM, Immaculata will host a French Heritage Day,celebrating the French-Canadian heritage of the areaand the retreat ministry here at Immaculata. Come

and join us for French-Canadian food, friends, musicand much more. To register, please call Immaculata,

so that we can properly plan for the celebration.

DAY ON THE HILL:Do you feel a need to get away and get refreshed?

Come and spend the first Wednesday of each monthat Immaculata. Just come and be alone with your God.

The fee is $15.00 and includes lunch.Call ahead.

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

E-mail: [email protected]

IMMACULATARETREAT HOUSEA Ministry of the Missionary Oblates

of Mary Immaculate

289 Windham Road, Rte. 32Willimantic, Connecticut

Memorial Day at St. Mary Cemetery, New London

Photo on left: Memorial Day dedication of St. Mary Statue donated to St. Mary Cemetery by Knights of Columbus, Waterford & New London, EVA Seaside Council 17, Niantic K of C Council5633 and New London 4th Degree K of C. This initiative was organized from outset to completion by Harrison Fortier, Deputy Grand Knight, Seaside Council 17 and 4th Degree FaithfulNavigator. Photo on right: The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, celebrating Memorial Day Mass at St. Mary’s Cemetery in New London. Photos by Trina Fulton.


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Any informed Catholic knowsthat challenges to our religiousfreedom are increasingly prevalent

here in the USA and around theworld. Religious freedom is beingargued about in the courts, con-tested in the media, and attackedviolently in the streets of the Mid-dle East. Christians of all faiths, aswell as our Jewish brothers and sis-ters, are increasingly aware that ifwe don’t start standing up for ourreligious freedoms more firmly wewill start losing them one by one.We already see that happening,don’t we? Some people in theMiddle East, even children, havealready lost their lives for refusingto denounce Jesus Christ.

Churches are being destroyed,priests are being kidnapped orkilled, laws are changing in waysthat are starting to remove our re-ligious rights. Whether attackedby terrorists or faced with ever-in-creasing erosion of our rights inour own country, it is time for allof us, to speak out in one way oranother.

You may not be an eloquentspeaker, writer, or politician. Youmay not be comfortable protestingon street corners with signs thatread “Save our Religious Free-dom”. You may not be good at de-bating the issues with friends,families, or co-workers. But thereis something simple that you cando. You may have already heardabout the Candle Project for Reli-

gious Freedom, which started insoutheastern CT in 2012, and isslowly spreading throughout theUnited States, and as of this lastChristmas, the word started tospread beyond our country too.Your help is needed.

This movement is simple andanswers the call of our bishops forthe laity to stand up for religiousfreedom however we can. TheCandle Project asks us to put bat-tery or electric candles in ourhome or business windows and tokeep them on constantly as a silentbut beautifully glowing message toall communities that we want ourreligious freedom protected. (Noreal candles please, for obvioussafety reasons.)

After reading this article youcan help by taking out your bat-tery/electric candles from yourChristmas storage box and plac-ing them in your windows today,or buy some if you need to, andalso help pass the word by givingor sending out free “candle cards”to everyone at your parish. Ifyou’d like some free candle cardsor more information on how youcan help the movement you maycontact: [email protected], [email protected],or 860-599-2613.

Let Your Light Shine forReligious Freedom

DefendingReligious Liberty

Pope Francis has said: “Religious freedom is notonly that of private thought or worship. It is the lib-erty to live, both privately and publicly according tothe ethical principles resulting from found truth.” Thisis why it is important that we continue to influencelawmakers to change the federal health care mandatewhich forces religious institutions to pay for medicalprocedures that violate their moral principles.

If you haven’t done so already, please voice your op-position to the federal health care mandate by callingU.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services SylviaMathews Burwell at 202-205-5445, and your electedstate representatives. Let them know that the mandateis in violation of our First Amendment right to reli-gious freedom.

Submitted by Linda Norton

Chairman of the Ad HocCommittee for ReligiousLiberty of the U.S. Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops,Archbishop William E. Loriproclaims this as a timewhen Catholics can unite

themselves in prayer. “For allthose who serve us in electedoffice, that they may enactlaws and policies that upholdthe sanctity of human life tonatural death, the beauty ofGod’s plan for marriage and

authentic Liberty for all. Letus pray to the Lord.” Unitedin faith, we anticipate thepower of solidarity of princi-ples as we prepare to cele-brate the Fortnight forFreedom.

For the protection of conscience rights and religious liberty, andthat all people of good will may work together against the increasing

threats to these fundamental rights, Let us pray to the Lord.

The Fourth Arrival Fortnight forFreedom to be observed June 21-July 4, 2015

Freedom to Bear Witness!

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The Diocese of Norwich Out-reach to Haiti was very fortunateon January 12, 2010, as a devas-

tating earthquake hit Haiti. De-spite its two facilities being at thecenter of the damage, there wasno loss of life among staff, and

only one permanent, significantinjury.

The facilities were not as lucky.Our two buildings were de-stroyed. However, the altarshown in the picture was recov-ered, despite being buried underthe destroyed Norwich MissionHouse. Both the Haitian metalart pedestal, and the glass top,

were unscathed under a pile ofrubble. Clearly, we were meant torebuild around the altar.

Outreach’s immediate effortsafter the earthquake, were to re-build a temporary health clinic tocontinue serving the poor inPort-au-Prince, and rent a Mis-sion House to continue hostingparishes visiting their twinnedparishes in Haiti, and providingthe opportunity for immersiontrips to Haiti.

In the meantime, Outreachcarefully determined how to mosteconomically rebuild in Haiti. Asingle building is planned to re-place the two that were destroyed.The lower floor will be the clinic,and the upper floor will be theGuest House. The cost of theproject is now projected at$350,000. A campaign waslaunched the end of last year,with a letter from Bishop Cote,and discussions have taken placeat a number of the parishes in thediocese.

Donations and pledges are nowat $210,000. We are nearing thehome stretch. When the buildingis completed, it will reduce Out-reach’s expenses, allowing more ofthe money donated to go intoservices for the Haitians.

Please consider a donationtoday. The Diocese of NorwichOutreach to Haiti is a 501(c)(3),so your donation is tax de-ductible. Donations can be sentto Outreach to Haiti at 815Boswell Ave, Norwich CT,06360, or you can go to the web-site at www.outreachtohaiti.org,and donate on the capital cam-paign page.


Saint John The EvangelistReverend Robert F. Buongirno, PastorAddress: 22 Maple Avenue, Montville, CT 06382

Phone: 860-848-1257Email: [email protected]

Sunday Masses: 11:00am (Saturday 4:00pm)Holy Day Masses: Eve of Holy Day 6:00pm

Yoked with Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Quaker Hill &Our Lady of Lakes, Oakdale

Earthquake SurvivorBy Dan O’SullivanDirector of Administration & Programs, Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti

Father Frank Rouleau, Chaplain and Director of Twinning in Haiti,shown admiring the altar that survived the earthquake of 2010.



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

St. 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.

143 Graduate From Middletown’sMercy High School

Middletown - All of Mercy HighSchool Class of 2015 are headed to col-

lege next year.Sister Mary McCarthy, a longtime

principal of the school and its currentpresident, said the class was notable forits dedication and community service,and for the students’ commitment to thestandards expected of the “Women ofMercy.”

“You have proven time and again how

much you appreciate and love yourschool and the values that define Mercy,”McCarthy told the graduates.

Class of 2015 donated $10,000 to theschool’s capital campaign for future proj-ects, she said.

Valedictorian Madeline Carroll saidMercy was a special place to each of thegraduates. She said her classmates werea daily inspiration and motivated her tosucceed.

“As we move on from our Mercy fam-ily, I would encourage us all to maintainour character. It has been shaped by our

four years here but will always beuniquely our own,” Carroll said.

She said the Class of 2015 maintainedhigh standards, but noted the expecta-tions of families and faculty members atthe school that “made our outstandingaccomplishments and determination thenorm, rather than the exception, amongus.”

Norwich Diocese Bishop Michael R.Cote cited a recent Pew Research Centerstudy that shows the number of Ameri-cans who identify as Christians has fallenfrom 78 percent in 2007 to 70 percent

By Shawn R. BealsReprint from the Hartford Courant

Mercy Graduates, Hannah Albert (L), and Katie Bernard take a selfie before commencement exercises. Photo by Melanie Stengel, Hartford Courant.

“The only essential equipmentfor seeing birds is a pair of eyes.

Good ears are a help too.”The first edition of “Birds: A

Guide To The Most FamiliarAmerican Birds” smells like an oldmissal and reads like a manual forliving well – birding as a hobby, alifestyle and a meditation.

Its intro is written in the voiceof a sensible grandma, and the bestlines in the 1949 Simon and

Schuster book are the ones that gotcut from the 1987 edition releasedby Golden Press: “Don’t be in ahurry to buy [field] glasses.” “Prac-tice is essential. Go looking forbirds as often as you can.” “Dash-ing through the woods will get younothing but shortness of breath.”

There is none of the panicky,pandering language used today byaging clubs in search of the nextgeneration. No, this little clothbook lets you come to it. Andwhat tremendous rewards await ifyou do.

For the retail price of $1, it de-

livered 118 paintings, maps, meas-urements and the most lovinglygathered details. The book cele-brates every centimeter: yellow-crowned, gray-cheeked,black-chinned,ruby-throated,r o s e - b r e a s t e d ,white-rumped. Itconjures all theirsongs: “a low-pitched croak,”a “hoarse‘quock,’” “harsh,rattling call,” an“unforgettable drumming sound.”

“Birds” is not much much big-ger than an iPhone 6 Plus and feelslike its antidote: a faded ticket to abygone era, an invitation to sim-pler living through the tools wewere born with, “a pair of eyes”and “good ears.”

Rachael Butek, a 23-year-old from Colfax,Wis., sees it that way.She doesn’t look likeyour stereotypicalbirder of the silver-headed variety, butshe can identify 100birds by their song.

Birding haschanged the way shesees the world anddeepened her Catholicfaith, attuning her tothe intricacy of God’screation. “People underes-timate the importance ofbeauty in our lives,” she toldme. “It’s not practical, per se, butit is vital.”

In her mind, most of us haveblinders on, oblivious to the flightsof fancy in our very own back-yards. “More young people shouldbe birders,” she says. “They’re allburied in their phones.”

Rachael has filled 10 journalswith penciled-in notes and haswitnessed an array of memorablemoments: courting kinglets, duel-ing orioles, sipping humming-

birds, a stretching crow. Herfavorite bird, she likes to say, iswhichever one she’s currentlywatching.

Thissummer Rachael is working as awildlife technician for the DNRand surveying the ChippewaCounty Forest through dozens of“point counts”: parking herself in

a specific point for eight minutes,tallying the birds there and thenmoving on.

She filled out her application forthe internship during Eucharistic

adoration at St.John the Baptist

in nearby CooksValley. She has the

7-to-8 Tuesdaymorning slot.“Having thathour of peace

and solitude withChrist is very helpful

to review my week, givethanks to God and get per-

spective,” Rachael said.God’s call in her life may not

ring out as clearly as a Song Spar-row, but she’s allowing for the si-

lence to hear its faintest hums. Like Rachael, the most vi-brant young Catholics I

know embrace elementsof the old as they rely onthe new. Their Insta-gram feeds showcomic books andvinyl records, knit-ting needles and cal-ligraphy, gardens,libraries, things thattake time. They arecompelled to insert

the vintage amid themodern, stimulated by

the contrasts, drawn tothe tactile in a touch-screen

world. We can claim the oldest

Christian faith, the one with themost patina, the first edition. Weinscribe our name in its book, theultimate field guide.

Christina Capecchi is a freelancewriter from Inver Grove Heights,Minn., and the editor ofSisterStory.org.


At the time of death, the Church confidentlyproclaims God has created us for eternal life.

“Through the saving death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, werise at your word to the glory of the Resurrection.”

(PREFACE - CHRISTIAN DEATH IV)

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By ChristinaCapecchiFour County Catholic Contributor

The Call of the Birds: Slowing Down and Tuning In

Mercy Graduates Continued from page 21

this year. He encouraged the grad-uates to maintain their faith be-cause of the ideals and personalstrength it will provide them asthey pursue careers and buildfamilies.

“Do not neglect your faith andyour inner life,” Bishop Cote said.“Seek to love the Lord more andmore each year of your lives. Mayyou always know His presence in

your lives.”McCarthy, during her remarks,

recognized Sylvia Garstka, who isretiring this year after nearly 50years teaching at Mercy.

Salutatorian Allison Woj-ciechowski said the graduationceremony is a celebration of edu-cation and what it will mean forstudents in coming years.

“Why take the time to partici-

pate in an event that is largelyreigned by symbolism and thepast? We do so because we believein our power to design a moreperfect future,” Wojciechowskisaid. “When my fellow graduatesand I cross this stage, it is not toreceive proof of attending MercyHigh School, it is to bridge thegap between obtaining knowledgeand using it.”


Norwich - Most recent highschool graduates are still figuring outwhat they want to do, and often feel

confused, scared and anxious aboutthe future.

Less common are those whoknow exactly what they want to be-come.

Dr. Brian McKeon, keynotespeaker at the Saint Bernard Schoolgraduation Friday, was one of thoserare students who knew exactly whathe wanted — he just faltered on hisway to achieving it.

“I knew from day one that Iwanted to be a doctor. I wanted tohelp people,” said McKeon, whograduated from the Catholic highschool in 1984 and is now the chiefmedical officer and team physicianfor the Boston Celtics.

McKeon credited his the two

years he spent at Saint Bernard, afterdoing poorly during his first twoyears at a public high school, withgiving him the foundation heneeded to persevere.

“You may be a late bloomer likeme, but this education you got hereis amazing,” said McKeon, address-ing the 73 graduates in the cere-mony at Saint Patrick Cathedral.

Student speaker Alexandra Santi-ago of Griswold said that while thelast four years at Saint Bernard havepassed too quickly, they have shapedher and her classmates in positiveways that will last a lifetime.

“We have become part of a placethat will accept us as a family for-ever,” she said. “We are a commu-nity, a family, an interconnectingnetwork of saints. We provide forthose less fortunate. We have pridein our school. We smile brightly aswe hold the door open for astranger.”

The graduates of the 57-year-oldUncasville school included studentsfrom 21 towns in Connecticut andone in Rhode Island, as well as 13Chinese students from seven differ-ent communities there. Sixteen ofthe graduates are the sons, daughtersor grandchildren of Saint Bernardalumni.

In closing remarks, the bishop ofthe Diocese of Norwich, the MostReverend Michael R. Cote, urgedthe students to draw on the religiouseducation they received at SaintBernard to continue growing intheir faith. He noted a recent PewResearch Center poll showing that70.6 percent of Americans identifyas mainline Christians, a declinefrom 78.4 percent seven years earlier,and that 22.8 percent identify asatheists, agnostics or without reli-gious affiliation, up from 16.1 per-

cent in 2007.“My hope is that none of you will

fall into the group that is growing,”he said. “Faith is important. Don’tneglect your faith. Don’t neglect thatinner part of you, the spirit withinyou. A good life is answering God’scall.”

Graduating class at Saint BernardSchool:

Shannon Amarello, Natalie An-derson, Kaitlyn Berkel, ShoshanaBerkman, Charles Bonser, MeganBosetti, Timothy Bouchard, Court-ney Bove, Jonathan Burianek, HopeBurnside, Jonathan Cabral, AmandaCarpentier, Kiona Carter, WilliamCarver, Ashley Catala, RuixianChen, Yuqing Chen, Laura Costello,McKenzie Coughlin, Jingyan Dai,Sarah Ferraro, Shannon Foley, Shan-non Forrester, Crystal Grabowski,Patrick Griffin, Marina Hanna, Zix-

uan He, Meredith Hird, JinchengHu, Elizabeth Jezierski, AudreyJones, Gavin Jones, Nicholas Kane,Danielle Keefe, David Kennedy Jr.,Logan Lacroix, Yajun Li, Keze Lin,Pengcheng Liu, Ryan Londregan.

Also: Eilish Maher, MadeleineMahoney, Erica Massad, GraceMayeda, Kathryn McKinley, Cas-sandra Meehan, Aaron Michaud,Nicholas Morrow, Monica Muriel,Olivia Novak, Eric Ostaszewski,Paul Pepas, Jr., Daniel Percy, Mar-garet Reagan, Emma Rose, RachelRossier, Alexandra Santiago, Mar-garet Shea, Autumn Sutton, DanielTerracciano, Christen Teskey, Mal-lory Thomas, Molly Turban, GabrielVallario, Eric Vallieres, Heather Wal-lace, Kangze Xu, Peter Yackovetsky,Yuanhao Yang, An Zhang, QindongZhang, Yifan Zhang, NicholasZuczek.

Graduates Urged to Value Their Time atSaint Bernard as a Foundation for Success

By Judy BensonReprint from The Day

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Sprague - No graduating class inEastern Connecticut is smallerthan Sprague’s Academy of the

Holy Family, which on Tuesdaybestowed diplomas to the eightgirls comprising the Class of 2015.

But it would be difficult to finda group as tightly knit and appre-ciative of their education as theyoung women who walked acrossthe St. Michael’s Center stage dur-ing 140th commencement cere-monies.

“It was a very good experience.I met people from all over theworld and was able to find outwho I want to be,” said 18-year-old Alicia Wessel, of Ledyard.“And I’m ready to go do whateverit is I’m going to do.”

Wessel will attend Three RiversCommunity College later this yearand plans to study journalism.

Academy Principal MotherMary David Riquier said Tuesday’scommencement capped off “awonderful day of memories.”

“Our graduates have grownfrom immature, insecure little girlsinto the confident young womenwe honor tonight,” she said. “Inthe past several days, I’ve been

touched by the affection the girlshave for the sisters and the laystaff, and that feeling is mutual.Never forget: once an academygirl, always an academy girl.”

The school is also sending itsfirst ever graduate to Harvard. JiinAshley Kim was accepted to theIvy League school on Dec. 12 ona full academic scholarship. Sheplans to double major in interna-tional relations and biology.

Just before ceremonies began,several of the girls gathered infront of St. Michael’s Center forlast-minute pictures and to helpone another adjust their gowns.They also took a moment to revelin their accomplishment.

“Oh my gosh! This is real,” anexcited Francy Camacho said toMartha Preciado.

Salutatorian and senior classpresident Sarah Majewski, a tal-ented athlete who made the Con-necticut State Conference all-firstand second softball teams duringher four-year career and an aspir-ing FBI agent, credited her peersand teachers for helping herthrive.

“I learned a great deal these pastfour years. I’ve been given the op-portunity to become friends withgirls from all over the world,” Ma-

jewski said. “I have learned how tolive with a group of girls that aredifferent from my friends andfamily. I have grown to becomepersonally responsible for myselfand my behaviors, and the deci-sions that I make.”

Majewski said getting involvedin sports helped instill in her apositive attitude that carried overinto other parts of her life.

“Taking the next step forwardin my life, I will miss so muchbeing able to go out on the field

or court with my teammates andknowing that no matter what, Igave my all and did the best Icould,” Majewski, of Wantanah,Ind., said. She will attend SaintJoseph’s College in Indiana. “Weare ready to step into our future.”

“We Are Ready to Step Into Our Future!”By Adam BensonReprint from The Bulletin

The Most Rev. Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, congratulates Alicia Wessel, center, and Sarah Majewski atthe St. Michael’s Center in Sprague for Academy of the Holy Family’s 140th commencement. Photo by Adam Benson, The Bulletin.

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Middletown - Xavier HighSchool’s Class of 2015 celebrated thestart of a new chapter Sunday with

the school’s 49th commencementexercises.

Xavier High School, a Catholicschool for boys founded in 1963,graduated 203 students during theceremony.

Friends, family and loved onespacked the gymnasium at the schoolto honor the graduates, who woreplain black robes over collared shirtsand ties. Many also wore various col-ored tassels and medals around theirnecks, signifying academic achieve-ment.

During the ceremony, the schoolrecognized students with awards inareas such as religion, mathematics,campus ministry and several worldlanguages.

Valedictorian Nicholas J. Indorfof Wallingford, who will doublemajor in molecular biophysics andbiochemistry and music perform-ance at Yale, said that despite thestress and struggles, the students’time at Xavier has made them whatthey are.

“As challenging as those four yearswere, I believe what we learned herehas not only prepared us for what

lies ahead, but has given us confi-dence in our ability to contend withwhat’s around us,” Indorf said.“Xavier [has] left its mark on us.”

The Most Reverend Michael R.Cote, Bishop of Norwich, gave thegraduates their diplomas on stageSunday. Bishop Cote also encour-aged students to strive to live outtheir faith going forward, saying, “Agood life is answering God.”

“Faith is important,” he said. “It’s

my hope that your time here atXavier has taught you the value offaith. If you are to be well-roundedand focused, you must continue todevelop the inner freedom and aspirit of service, which can only re-

sult from your ongoing spiritual for-mation.”

Headmaster Brian Davis echoedBishop Cote’s remarks and told stu-dents that their four years spent atXavier were simply practice for life

to come. Davis told them

to “have faith inGod...and have faithin yourself as youcontinue to growinto the man thatGod created you tobe.”

“While our workwith you at Xavier isdone, your work isnot. You have somuch yet to do,”

Davis said. “You and I like to knowthings quickly, completely and rightnow, but there are important thingsahead of you that you just don’tknow yet. Life will continue to revealits secrets to you a little bit at a time.”

By Jordan OteroReprint from the Hartford Courant


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Xavier High SchoolClass 2015 (from left)Matthew Daigle, TomFredericks and JoeCambareri poses forphotograph before com-mencement Exercises.

Photo by Marc-YvesRegis I, Hartford

Courant.

203 Graduate From Middletown’s Xavier High School

An eighth grade teacher at Sa-cred Heart School in Groton, Sh-eryl McCarthy, used the internet

to attract interested volunteers toenhance teaching practical Math-ematics. Evelyn Kennedy, owner ofSewtique in Groton respondedand the result was a suc-cessful quilted pillowproject in 2014. Theprogram was againemployed thisschool year.

One mightask what a pil-low project hasto do with math?Everything! Theclass of eight stu-dents was lead to com-bine their mathknowledge of linear equa-tions, angles, geometry and use oftools such as the straight edge andprotractor with sewing skills.These skills, new to most, includeeverything from threading a needleto making templates, pattern de-sign, knowledge of textiles and

hand stitching.Using a 14” square paper block

and appropriate math implements,each designed a quilted pillow topusing notions, supplies and fabricdonated by Sewtique. The papertemplates of squares, diamonds ortriangles came to life as they were

cut out offabric each selected and applied tothe pillow top. Some students hadnever used a needle and were skep-tical about “sewing”, but each pro-gressed nicely and learned or

improved their skill with eachstitch.

Mrs. McCarthy energeticallyand most enthusiastically empha-sized that the special project pro-vided student skills beyond theclassroom. All students found theproject interesting and a challengewith Math as the core function.

She firmly believes that experi-ences such as the quilt proj-

ect enables students toobtain new skills

adaptable to highschool and be-yond.

Two from Sew-tique have partic-ipated in this

journey—SusanLandon of Groton

and Damaris Riveraof New London. Also

giving assistance were Gris-wold resident Angela Howard

and Thena Cranfill of Gales Ferry. The completed pillows will be

displayed for viewing by SacredHeart students, staff and adminis-trators. It is anticipated this prac-tical Math adventure will continuefor the third time around, next fall.

Submitted By Evelyn KennedyOwner of Sewtique in Groton, CT


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Math-tastic!Appointment of Ms. Abby L. Demars,Principal of SMSJ School

We are delightedto inform ourparish communi-ties that Ms.Abby L. Demarshas accepted theappointment asprincipal of St.Mary – St. JosephSchool beginningJuly 1, 2015. Ms.Demars receivedher B.S. degreefrom the Univer-sity of Connecti-cut in Molecularand Cell Biologyin December2000 and her M.A. in Teaching from Sacred Heart Universityin 2013. Ms. Demars has been a research assistant at the Uni-versity of Connecticut, a teaching assistant at the Marine Bi-ological Laboratories at Woods Hole, a staff scientist andprogram coordinator for the Connecticut Biobus and fromJune 2004 through February 2010 she was associated with theDNA EpiCenter, Inc. in New London and served five yearsas its executive director. Ms. Demars has received numerousscholarships and awards in addition to Phi Beta Kappa recog-nition in 2001. Ms. Demars is a resident of Norwich and anactive parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Patrick Parish.

Submitted by The Very Reverend Laurence LaPointeand the Reverend Roger J. Lamoureux, O.M.I.

From left to right: 8th Grade students at Sacred Heart School, Groton, Jonathan Foster, Robert Ventura, NicoleLawton and Teacher, Mrs. Sheryl McCarthy. Photos submitted by Jeannette Lang.


St. Mary – St. Joseph School35ValleyStreet–Willimantic,CT06226860-423-8479•www.smsjschool.org

A Magnet School for Values

• PreK—3yearolds(3halfdays)• PreK–4yearoldsfullorhalfdays• FulldayKindergarten–Gr.8• Beforeandafterschoolcare• WeeklyArt,P.E.,Music,Library,TechnologyClasses• StudenttoTeacherRatio:18:1• Challengingacademicprogram

Trust your child to a Catholic Schoolwhere faith, knowledge and life meet.

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AnEducationYou CanBelieve In.Inspiring Achievement. Celebrating Community.Embracing Service. Li ving Faith.Supported financially and spiritually by 10 parishes in the Middletown Deanery.Currently the only regional Pre-K to 8th grade school in the Norwich Diocese.

St. John Paul II Regional Catholic School87 South Main Street / Middletown, CT 06457

Telephone: 860-347-2978 / www.jpii.org

SAVE THE DATE!6th AnnualSETON

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Science CollaborationMercy High and Albertus Magnus College

Mercy High School students, members of the Class of 2017 and 2018, attended a two day workshopat Albertus Magnus College to perform PCR on some of their own DNA. PCR, Polymerase ChainReaction, is a technique for amplifying the DNA that is present in a sample. It is used for genetictesting and forensics work. Ms. Gianna Iannucci of the Mercy Science Faculty has organized thiscollege collaboration with Dr. Mark Barreuther, biochemist at Albertus Magnus College, for the pastseveral years for a select group of underclasswomen who excel and have an interest in this field of study.Photo L to R: Jessica Abel, daughter of Howard and Brenda Abel of Guilford; Autumn Anderson, daughterof Anthony and Rosemarie Anderson of Hamden; Nicole Cizauskas, daughter of Daniel and DawnCizauskas of Middletown and Rachael Finch, daughter of Robert and Patricia Finch of East Haddam. Submitted by Marie Kalita-Leary, Director of Communications and Public Relations.


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St. Michael’sInstitute of Sacred ArtJune 2125, 2015Mosaics With Vonn HartungJune 28July 5, 2015WoodcarvingWith Vonn Hartung

Guided RetreatsJuly 511, 2015Scripture by the SeaWith Sister Eugenia Brady, SJCJuly 1117, 2015The Joy of the GospelWith Deacon Steven DeMartino

SilentDirected RetreatJuly 26August 1, 2015With Sister Eugenia Brady, SJCand Dr. Phyllis Zagano

Day of RecollectionJuly 15, 2015 With Mother Olga,Daughters of Mary of Nazareth

Our Lady of Sorrow, EssexOn Sunday, May 3rd 2015, Father Arul Rajan Peter and the parishioners of Our Lady of Sorrows Churchwelcomed The Most Reverend Bishop Michael R. Cote to confer the sacrament of Confirmation. Submitted by Caitlin Riley.


Abhishek Gupta ‘16 was se-lected as one of thirty of Con-necticut’s top juniors designatedas a Governor’s Scholar. Spon-sored by the Connecticut Associ-ation of Schools (CAS), thepurpose of the program is to rec-ognize academically talented highschool students in schoolsthroughout the state, and presentthirty students for special recog-nition to the Governor of Con-necticut. All students recognizedfor this prestigious award werehonored at the Nineteenth An-nual Governor’s Scholars Lunch-eon which was held at the AquaTurf in Southington on May 21.

Each honoree received a plaquedesignating him/her a Connecti-cut 2015 Governor’s Scholar aswell as a letter of congratulationsfrom Governor Malloy. Twenty-nine of Connecticut’s collegesand universities also support thisprogram by making gratis collegelevel courses available to thethirty scholars. The University ofConnecticut will award an Aca-demic Excellence Scholarship(currently valued at $5,000 a year

for eight semesters of undergrad-uate work) to all Governor’sScholars who are enrolled for thefall 2016 entering class.

Photographed (left to right): Rita McDougald-Campbell, Chair of the Gov-ernor’s Scholars Committee and House Principal, Trumbull High School,Abhishek Gupta ‘16 and Donna Schilke, President of the Connecticut As-sociation of Schools and Principal, Smith Middle School in Glastonbury.

Xavier Student AbhishekGupta ‘16 Named 2015

Governor’s Scholar

Enjoy our full breakfast, strollthe beach and Kennebunkport shops.

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Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court All Saints #1435 from Somersville, CT are pleased toannounce the state level winners of the annual national education contest with the theme: “Be aGood Neighbor” or “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself ”. Madison Gebo, Grade 4, Somers Elemen-tary School, placed third in art while Jasmine Yard, 8th grade student at St. Martha’s school in En-field, CT placed first in poetry. Jasmine’s poem has also been entered into national competition.The contest was open to all “Faith Formation” students in the parish. Pictured from left to rightare: Jasmine Yard, Mary Ann Julian (education chirperson and Madison Gebo.


by Karen H Whiting

Banners and FlagsLast fall our country celebrated the 200th anniversary of our national anthem, The

Star Spangled Banner. It praises our flag. Banners symbolizing a nation or citizenship arenot new. The word banner is used eighteen times in the Bible. Another word in theBible for a flag is a standard. Moses built an altar and called it “My Lord’s my banner.”The Israelites had a flag for each of the tribes. In our country each state has a flag. Flagsinspire people to be patriotic and to have pride in their country.

June 14th is Flag Day in America. We celebrate by wearing red, white, and blue andflying the flag. It’s not just a simple design. People took time to consider the colors anddesign. The stars represent the fifty states, the stripes remind us of the history of our na-tion and the thirteen original colonies who fought for our freedom. The colors are alsoin the great seal of our Country. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Con-gress in 1777, reported to Congress:

“...White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color ofthe Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.”

Did You Know?

Celebrate Father’s DayMake promise coupons for your dad. Cut out a shape Dad likes (hamburger, baseball bat, golf club, boat) and write promises on the cutouts. Or simply cutrectangles and write the promises on each coupon.

Promise ideas:

A snack A joke A back rub An extra chore Take a walk

Sing a song Wash his car Make breakfast Hugs and kisses Play a game

Play catch Dad’s TV choice Quiet time (1 hour) Photo Listen quietly

June 4Feast of Corpus Christi(the body of Christ). Read1 Corinthians 11:23-28and chat about preparingyour heart for communion.

June 14Family History Day and a great time to sharestories about your family. Remember too thatyou are part of God’s family. Stained glasswindows often depict the stories from theBible about the history of God and his people.

June 20American Eagle Day: the eagle is the cen-tral image in the Great Seal of the UnitedStates and used on American coins. Inthe Bible, an eagle reminds us that Godwill renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).

June 29Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Thesetwo great leaders of the church followedJesus and worked heart to spread God’slove. Talk about how you spread God’slove and how you share your faith.


Vatican City - Cuban PresidentRaul Castro paid a call Sunday onPope Francis at the Vatican to

thank him for working for Cuban-U.S. detente — and said he was soimpressed by the pontiff he is con-sidering a return to the CatholicChurch’s fold.

“Bienvenido (welcome)!” Fran-cis said in his native Spanish, wel-coming Castro to his studio nearthe Vatican public audience hall.The Cuban president, bowing hishead, gripped Francis’ hand withboth of his, and the two menbegan private talks. The meetinglasted nearly an hour, as the Argen-tine-born Francis and Castrospoke in Spanish.

Francis will visit Cuba in Sep-tember en route to the UnitedStates.

After leaving the Vatican, Cas-tro, the brother of Fidel, the revo-lutionary leader who brought theCommunists to power in Cuba,gushed with praise for Francis.

The pontiff “is a Jesuit, and I, insome way, am too,” Castro said ata news conference. “I always stud-ied at Jesuit schools.”

“When the pope goes to Cubain September, I promise to go toall his Masses, and with satisfac-tion,” Castro said at a news confer-ence at the office of Italian PremierMatteo Renzi, whom he met withafter the Vatican talks.

“I read all the speeches of thepope, his commentaries, and if thepope continues this way, I will goback to praying and go back to thechurch, and I’m not joking,” hesaid.

It was a startling assertion forthe leader of a Communist coun-try, whose crackdown on dissi-dents in the past had drawn sharpVatican criticism.

“I am from the Cuban Commu-nist Party, that doesn’t allow (reli-gious) believers, but now we areallowing it, it’s an important step,”Castro said.

Speaking about Francis, Castrosaid he has been “very impressedby his wisdom, his modesty, andall his virtues that we know hehas.”

Castro had already publicly

thanked Francis for helping tobring Havana and Washingtoncloser together after decades ofU.S. government policy of strictisolation of the Communist-ruledCaribbean island. On Sunday, he

stepped up his praise on Francis’push for the two nations to put en-mity aside and work for reconcili-ation for the benefit of Americansand Cubans.

As he took his leave from the

V a t i c a n ,Castro toldjournalists,“I thankedthe pope forwhat hedid.”

Va t i c a nspokesman,the Rev. Fed-erico Lom-bardi, saidthe presidentalso “laid outto the popethe senti-ments of theCuban peo-ple in thewait andpreparationfor his up-coming visit

to the island in September.”Francis gave Castro a medal de-

picting St. Martin of Tours, knownfor caring for the destitute.

“With his mantle he covers thepoor,” Francis told Castro, saying

more efforts on behalf of the poorare needed.

Fidel Castro met with PopeJohn Paul II at the Vatican in1996. That encounter helped pavethe way for John Paul’s 1998 pil-grimage to Cuba, the first visit bya pontiff to the island. John Paulwas also eager for Cuba to grantmore visas for foreign priests tobolster the dwindling corps ofclergy on the island.

The Vatican’s general policy ofopposing economic sanctions as aforeign policy tool carries appealfor Cuban leaders and people, afterdecades under a U.S. economicembargo. With the Vatican keenon protecting the interests of itsCatholic followers under CubanCommunist rule, Pope BenedictXVI also visited the island.

Castro told reporters that “weare trying to carry forward im-provements of our political, socialand cultural system. But it’s verydifficult to do it without causingshocks, without leaving some inthe street.”

Castro: Pope Francis So Impressive I Might Return to Church

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Four County Catholic June 2015