Four County Catholic April 2013

Volume 25 Number 4

2012 ~ 2013

April 2013

“...we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others�

Pope Francis

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Four County Catholic April 2013

5 Viva Papa Francesco!

- Jonathan Ficara – “Long live Pope Francis.”

In Rome, witnessing the first moments of The Holy Father Francis’ first blessing as Pope.

atholic at c Four County

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

What this bill promises is public death, not public health.

11

Established in 1989 and published each month except July.

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

860.887.9294

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- Father Ted Tumicki, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese Tribunal speaking out against assisted suicide.

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identity rests in who 17 Ourwe are in Christ.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

The Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D.

Bishop of Norwich

A Pastor in Harmony with Christ’s Heart My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: We have witnessed an extraordinary moment in the history of the Church. His Holiness, Pope Francis has with grace and humility, assumed leadership of the Church.

Even this early in his papacy, the Holy Father, Francis, has shown remarkable pastoral gifts in drawing people of every origin and place to him. We are blessed to have a shepherd so naturally gifted and committed to bringing the faith to new worlds and all people. In this Year of Faith, he has come to encourage us, in faith, to “go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others.” We must now find ways in our daily lives here at home to follow his lead.

When Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aries, Pope Francis chose

as his motto, “Miserando atque eligendo.” Translated, “Lowly yet chosen,” it speaks to his commitment to the poor, the disenfranchised, those living on the edge of society and facing injustice. It speaks to the heart of the ministry of Christ. We have a shepherd who will in words and example help remind us to return to the basics of the faith. Caring for one another, lifting lives in need, giving ourselves to the pursuit of justice for all - these are basic tenets of the faith. The Holy Father inspires us with elegant simplicity, clear thought and humility to be mindful of being our brothers’ keepers.

As we become more familiar with our new shepherd, we will learn that his perspective on all matters of faith is a joyful one. In his very first homily as Pope, the Holy Father spoke of the logic of

the Cross, which he explained “...is not first and foremost a logic of sorrow and death, but one of love and the self-giving that brings life.” He chose “Joy” as the first word of the homily as he built on this central thought, “Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad.

Never give way to discouragement. Ours is not a joy that comes from having many possessions, but it comes from having encountered Jesus who is among us. It comes from knowing that with Him we are never alone.” We are blessed to have a Pope at such a critical time in human history who is in the deepest sense a pastor at heart. In his own words he has said he prays and asks for our prayers that he may be a “Pastor in harmony with Christ’s heart.”

Sometimes those in the journalism world who speculate on how, for example, a new Pontiff will influence doctrinal issues, may miss the moment. What is extraordinary about Pope Francis’ humble manner is that he has a Jesuit background of disciplined critical thinking, scholarship and

the experience of having taught psychology, philosophy and theology. He leads, however, not with academics, but with a pastoral gentleness and a deep concern for the poor. Pundits who often rush to politicize the world, could easily rush past the essence of the faith represented by this gifted pastor.

There is enormous opportunity for this Pope to follow a pastoral path to creating a papacy of unity among all Catholics and all Christians. His connection to the Americas and Latin America most directly, along with his solidarity with the poor as is suggested by the chosen name Francis, make this Pope ready to build historic bridges. His expression, “To walk, to build, to witness” holds the promise of a unifying papacy.

Those immediately concerned about progressive versus traditional doctrinal positioning should take the time to understand this Pope’s message of living the faith with love and joy. This is a powerful message and a testament to the pastoral ministry of Christ, the Supreme Pastor. Walk

this path with the Holy Father. It is a unifying path. Let the work of our new shepherd and pastor unfold.

In Pope Francis, we have a leader who will encourage our faithful outreach to the most distant, those forgotten, those most in need of understanding, consolation and help. Unity begins with respect for all – dignity for all. These early moments of the Holy Father’s ministry bring to mind the familiar prayer of St. Francis with its message so appropriate to this Pope and this moment: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”

With true joy and hope, we welcome His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s love,

Bishop Michael R. Cote

Un Pastor en Armonía con el Corazón de Cristo Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas: Hemos sido testigos de un momento extraordinario en la historia de la Iglesia que nos ha traído a su santidad, el Papa Francisco.

Incluso al principio de su Pontificado, el santo padre, Francisco, ha mostrado dones pastorales notables al atraer hacia él gente de cada origen y lugar. Somos bendecidos al tener un pastor tan naturalmente dotado y comprometido a llevar la fe a nuevos mundos y a todas las personas. En este Año de la Fe, él ha venido a animarnos, en fe, a “salir y dar de nosotros mis-

mos y el Evangelio a los demás.”

Encontraremos aquí en casa en nuestra vida cotidiana maneras para seguir su ejemplo.

Cuando era obispo auxiliar de Buenos Aires, el Papa Francisco eligió como su lema “Miserando atque eligendo”. Traducido, “humilde pero elegido”. Esto habla de su compromiso con los pobres, los marginados, aquellos que viven al margen de la sociedad y enfrentan injusticias. Habla al corazón del ministerio de Cristo. Tenemos con nosotros un pastor quien con sus palabras y ejemplo nos ayu-

dará recordándonos regresar a lo fundamental de la fe. Cuidando los unos a otros, alentando vidas en necesidad, entregándonos a la búsqueda de la justicia para todosestos son dogmas básicos de la fe.

El santo padre nos inspira con elegante simplicidad, pensamiento claro y humildad para ser conscientes de ser protectores de nuestros hermanos.

A medida que nos familiarizamos más con nuestro nuevo pastor, aprenderemos que su perspectiva en todos los asuntos de la fe es de una alegría. En su primera

homilía como Papa, el santo padre habló de la lógica de la cruz, la que explicó”…no es ante todo una lógica de la tristeza y la muerte, sino una de amor y de entrega que da vida.” Eligió “alegría” como la primera palabra de la homilía que construyó en el centro de este pensamiento, “no sean hombres y mujeres de tristeza: un cristiano nunca puede estar triste.

Nunca cedan al desaliento. Nuestra no es una alegría que viene de tener muchas posesiones, sino que viene de haber encontrado a Jesús que está entre nosotros. Viene de

saber que con él nunca estamos solos. “ Una vez más, en un momento tan crítico en la historia de la humanidad tenemos la bendición de tener un Papa quien es en el sentido más profundo un pastor de corazón. En sus propias palabras ha dicho que reza y pide nuestras oraciones para que pueda ser un “pastor en armonía con el corazón de Cristo.”

A veces aquellos en el mundo del periodismo quienes analizan y especulan sobre cómo, por ejemCorazón de Cristo Continued on page 4

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Corazón de Cristo Continued from page 3 plo, un nuevo Pontífice influirá en asuntos doctrinales, pueden pasar por alto el momento en su totalidad. Lo que es extraordinario de la manera humilde del Papa Francisco es que tiene una educación jesuita sólida de disciplinado pensamiento crítico, conocimientos, y la experiencia de haber enseñado psicología, filosofía y teología. Sin embargo, él dirige, con una delicadeza pastoral y una profunda preocupación por los pobres. Los expertos en su afán de politizar el

mundo, pueden fácilmente pasar precipitadamente la esencia de la fe representada por este dotado pastor.

Hay una enorme oportunidad para este Papa de seguir una trayectoria pastoral creando un papado de unidad entre todos los católicos y todos los cristianos. Su conexión al continente Americano y más directamente a América Latina, junto con su solidaridad con los pobres, como está sugerido por su elegido nombre Francisco, preparan a este

Papa para construir vínculos históricos. Su expresión, “caminar, construir, dar testimonio de” mantiene la promesa de un papado unificador.

Mi consejo a los expertos políticos es rehusar a su especulación con respecto a la posición doctrinal reformista contra la tradicional y tomar el tiempo para entender el mensaje de este Papa de vivir la fe con amor y alegría.

Este es un mensaje poderoso y un testimonio del ministerio pastoral de Cristo, el Pastor Supremo.

Recorran este camino con el santo padre. Es un camino unificador.

Dejen que el trabajo de nuestro nuevo líder y pastor se desarrolle.

En el Papa Francisco, tenemos a un líder quien animará a nuestros fieles a llegar hasta los más distantes, aquellos olvidados, aquellos en más necesidad de comprensión, consuelo y ayuda.

La unidad comienza con el respeto de todos-la dignidad para todos. Estos momentos iniciales del ministerio del santo padre traen a la mente la oración familiar de San Francisco, con su mensaje de manera adecuada a este

Papa y a este momento: “Señor, haz de mi un instrumento de tu paz, donde haya odio, siembre yo el amor, donde haya injuria, perdón, donde haya duda, fe; donde haya desesperación, esperanza, donde haya oscuridad, luz, y donde haya tristeza, alegría”.

Con verdadera alegría y esperanza, damos la bienvenida a su santidad, el Papa Francisco.

Sinceramente, en el amor de Cristo, Obispo Michael R. Cote Translated by Paulina Angulo

Diocese of Norwich Pilgrimage to Greece and Rome With Bishop Michael R. Cote

~ November 16 to 25, 2013 ~ For information or reservations call Rebecca McDougal at 860 887 9294.

ost Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, will lead a 10-day pilgrimage to Rome and the historic cities of Corinth and Thessaloniki, Greece, as well as the ancient city of Ephesus. When in Rome, enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of the Palazzo Venezia, the Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum. The group will attend the Closing Ceremonies for the Year of Faith in Vatican City. Price includes local bus to/from JFK Airport, airfare, four-star hotels, departure lunch, all tips; also, breakfast and dinner daily, and departure tax and fuel surcharge.

TRA LA LA

Unique Gifts, Fine Stationery & Unexpected Necessities

Invitations Save the Dates Guest Books Engraved or Monogrammed Gifts Personalized Stationery

Cost of Tour: $3,899.00 pp double occupancy $300.00 deposit required $239.00 optional travel insurance (paid with deposit) $450.00 single supplement (limited number) Reservations must be made by August 13, 2013.

2012 ~ 2013

Olde Mistick Village - Mystic, CT - Bldg. 8C www.tralalastationery.com 860.536.4344

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Director of Priestly Vocations

Reverend Gregory Galvin

Viva Papa Francesco!

On March 9, 2013, I spoke with Jonathan Ficara, our seminarian who is studying in Rome and is preparing God-willing to be ordained a transitional deacon for our diocese next Fall. One of the things we spoke about with great enthusiasm was the anticipation of the beginning of the conclave for the election of our next Holy Father, following the surprise and historic resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Knowing Jonathan and his desire to stay connected to his home diocese, I asked if he would be willing to write a journal of the experience of being there in Rome that week. Of course he was more than willing. Following is Jonathan’s reflection of that historic, very special moment in our Church’s history: ROME - I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I knew what was going to happen: the white smoke, the tolling of the bells, the hour-long waiting period before the newly elected Holy Father would emerge onto the central loggia of St. Peter’s to address the world and impart his Apostolic blessing... I knew what was going to happen, but I had absolutely no clue what I was about to experience. When the plumes of white smoke billowed from the chimney into the night sky, it seemed like a dream. “Is it really white?!

I think it is…IT IS…We have a pope!” Taken over by excitement, joy and disbelief (the kind you feel when a lifelong dream becomes reality and your mind has difficulty wrapping itself around the events that are unfolding be-

fore your eyes), I turned to my buddies from the seminary who were similarly trying to come to terms with what was happening.

I smile now because the only words that could come out of our mouths during those initial minutes, were: “We have a pope! I can’t believe it! We have a pope!”.

St. Peter’s Square had erupted with a sort of child-like fervor as shouts of praise and thanksgiving reverberated throughout Vatican City. “Viva il papa!” we all chanted, “Long live the Pope!”

And though we still didn’t know who the Holy Father was at this point, it didn’t matter. Nothing seemed to matter. We had a pope.

All was right again. But then, of course, the curtains were drawn, and out came the Cardinal deacon to announce to the world: “HABEMUS PAPAM!” It was electric. Archbishop Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was now Pope Francis. “Fran-ces-co!” “Fran-ces-co!” we yelled, as our new shepherd stepped out onto the balcony to address his flock for the very first time. “Dear brothers and sisters,” he said, “good evening!”. Goose bumps ran down my arm. I was overjoyed and couldn’t stop smiling. No one could. He had captured the hearts of us all. As he continued his first address, I listened intently to his words while at the same time trying to take in the whole experience. The Universal Church was alive, that was clear, and the silent presence of the Holy Spirit could be felt. We prayed for him and he prayed for us. We were one: united in faith

Pope Francis @Pontifex

under the new successor of St. Peter; united as the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. The election of Pope Francis was un-

doubtedly the most remarkable experience I’ve had since arriving in Rome now three years ago. As I said, I knew what was going to

happen, but I had no idea what to expect. One thing is certain: The Lord never fails to guide his Church. Viva Papa Francesco!

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

April 18, 2013 • 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Saint Augustine, Canterbury May 24, 2013 • 7:00 8:00 p.m.

Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich June 20, 2013 • 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph, Willimantic July 18, 2013 • 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Saint Patrick, Mystic August 22, 2013 • 7:00 8:00 p.m.

Sacred Heart, Vernon September 19, 2013 • 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Saint Mary, Clinton October 17, 2013 • 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Saint Mary, Baltic

Father Greg Galvin, Director of Priestly Vocations vocations@norwichdiocese.net

November 21, 2013 • 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph, New London

(860) 887-9294

December 19, 2013 • 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Saint Edward, Stafford Springs

We pray for our Seminarians....

March 28, 2013

Support your priests with your love and prayers, that they may always be shepherds after Christ’s heart.

Kurt O Brien 2nd Year College Holy Apostles Seminary Cromwell, CT

Jeffrey Ellis 1st Year Theology Mt. St. Mary Seminary Emmitsburg, MD

Juan Palacio 1st Year English Studies Clark University Worcester, MA

Martin Noe 3rd Year Theology Holy Apostles Seminary Cromwell, CT

Jonathan Ficara 3rd Year Theology Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State

Ruben Sanchez 1st Year English Studies Clark University Worcester, MA

Brian Maxwell 4th Year Theology Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, MA

Peter Langevin 1st Year Theology Mt. St. Mary Seminary Emmitsburg, MD

Thomas Griffin 1st Year Theology Blessed John XXIII National Seminary Weston, MA

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Saturday, April 13 3rd Annual Catholic Women’s Conference: Be My Witness For women of all ages. 8:30am3:30pm at Saint Bernard School, Uncasville. This conference is about

building up an army of strong, spiritfilled women of God, women committed to living out their baptismal call to be Christ’s witnesses in the world. Listen to two dynamic speakers. For more information and regis-

NORWICH DIOCESAN COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN

Be the Voice of Catholic Women 58th Annual Convention

Saturday, May 4, 2013 • 9:00 AM Our Lady of Lourdes Church 1650 Route 12, Gales Ferry, CT 9:00 am

Registration & Coffee

9:30 am

Welcome: Ann Marie Landry, District President, New London

10:00 am Speaker: Fr. Ron Meyer, OMI, Catholic Women: A Voice of Faith 11:00 am

Celebration of Liturgy: Celebrant: Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich. Concelebrants: Rev. Charles LeBlanc, NDCCW Spiritual Advi sor; Fr. Brian Converse, Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes; District Spiritual Advisors

12:00 pm Luncheon & Presentation of Check to Bishop Cote 1:00 pm

Resume Business Meeting & Hold Raffle

Please detach & mail registration with check made out to:

Judy Pappagallo 79 Lafayette Street, Norwich, CT 06360 Registration: $25 (includes lunch & materials) Booklet Sponsor: $2.00 Individual $5.00 Parish Affiliate

$10.00 District

Name: ____________________________________ Parish: ________________________ Phone Number: ____________________________ District: ______________________ Registration Deadline: April 22nd

For more information call 860-889-1617.

tration go to: www.norwichdiocese.org under ministries, click on Office of Faith Events or call 860 848-2237 ext. 312.

Sunday, April 14 23rd Annual White Mass St. Matthias Church, 317 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme at 9:00am.

Principal Celebrant Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich; Concelebrant Very Reverend Michael T. Donohue, Pastor of Saint Matthias, East Lyme; Deacon of Word and Homilist Deacon William H. McGann, III of Our Lady of Lourdes, Gales Ferry. Brunch will immediately follow in Saint Matthias Church Hall.

The featured speaker will be Setu Vora, M.D., who will speak on Mindfulness in Medicine. Dr. Vora specializes in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich. There is a $25.00 brunch offering per person. All are welcome.

Monday, April 15 Philips Retreat Preparation Meeting 6:30 pm at the Spiritual Renewal Center. 860 887-0702.

Friday-Sunday, April 19-21 A Retrouvaille Weekend Reaching for a lifeline for your troubled marriage? Serious marriage building and repair: couples are given tools to heal, re-establish communication and work on issues. Six post sessions follow the weekend. For information or to sign up for the next weekend in the Hartford area, call 413-525-1634.

Saturday, April 20 New Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion The Office for Worship will hold a workshop for new Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (both ministries in one group) from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

Registration and distribution of materials begins at 9:00am at St. Columba Parish Hall, Junction of Routes 66 and 87 in Columbia. There is a $10.00 registration fee. The workshop will cover the Diocesan Guidelines for these ministries and all requirements contained in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal This workshop must be supplemented by the practical aspects of both ministries unique to each parish community. Pre-register by April 15 at: worship@norwichdiocese.net or call: 860-848-2237x203.

Saturday, April 20 ‘For the Love of a Child Gala’ to Benefit Haiti’s Children Held at Saint Clements Castle, Portland, the gala is the annual fundraiser for Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti to support programs that feed, shelter, medically treat, and educate children in Port-au-Prince. Tickets to attend are $150.00, with $75.00 taxdeductible. The event begins at 6:00pm with a cocktail welcomehour, followed by a three-course meal, entertainment, and an auction that includes vacation opportunities. Dinner attire is suggested, and we ask that you make reservations by contacting Outreach to Haiti at: 848.2237 ext.

206; or info@outreachtohaiti.org.

Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21 Philips Retreat Call Spiritual Renewal Center to register 860 887-0702.

Monday, April 22 Reflections on the Year of Faith St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel presents Dr. Joan Kelly, of Sacred Heart University and Holy Apostles College & Seminary on “The Catholic Laity: Called and Gifted!” At 7:30 pm in the Aquinas Student Center, 46 North Eagleville Road on the UConn Storrs Campus. Admission is free. Come

and learn how this Year of Faith renews our call to witness to the Gospel as members of the body of Christ.

Tuesday, April 23 18th Annual Secretaries Mass Cathedral of St. Patrick at 12:00pm.

A reception to follow in the Cathedral auditorium.

Wednesday, April 24 New England Bishop Liaisons Meeting 10:00 am at St. Joseph in Auburn, Mass.

Friday-Sunday, April 26-28 Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Weekend If you are silently grieving after an abortion; healing, forgiveness and peace can have a beginning with Rachel’s Vineyard. Inquiries are confidential. Retreat in Stockbridge, MA. Call 413-452-0661. Retreat May 3-5 in Hamden, CT call 203-631-9030.

Website: www.rachelsvineyard.org.

Saturday, April 27 Unbound Prayer Ministry At the Renewal Center, 10:00am1:00pm. Call 860-887-0702 to schedule an appointment Saturday, May 4 58th Annual Council of Catholic Women Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1650 Route 12, Gales Ferry. Celebrant Bishop Michael R. Cote. Featuring speaker Ron Meyer, OMI. His presentation is Catholic Women: a voice of Faith. Registration/Material/Lunch -- $25.00 payable to NDCCW; mail registrations to: Judy Pappagallo, 79 Lafayette St., Norwich, CT 06360.

For more information please call at 860-889-1617.

Saturday, May 11 One Day Life In The Spirit Seminar From 9:00am-5:00pm at the Renewal Center. Must call 860-887-0702 to register.

23rd Annual White Mass Sunday, April 14, 9:00 am St. Matthias Church, 317 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme For reservations or more information call 860-887-9294, ext. 232

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Renewed in Grace, in Mission and in Witness to the Presence of Christ in His Church Diocese Mass of Chrism Celebrated at St. Joseph Church in Willimantic It was an unusual but magnificent setting for the annual Diocese Mass of Chrism. Due to the

By Michael Strammiello Office of Communications

continuing restoration work at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich, the Chrism Mass was held this year at St. Joseph Church in Willimantic on Tuesday, March 26.

For some of us among the 750 who attended the ceremony, it was our first visit to St. Joseph Church. As Bishop Cote noted in his opening words to the congregation as he welcomed his priests, deacons, religious and faithful laity, “We are fortunate to be here today in this beautiful church.” It is a strikingly beautiful and carefully preserved Gothic church.

There are even certain architectural elements that provide a direct connection to the diocese.

High above the sanctuary, there are five arched stained glass win-

dows, one of which depicts St. Patrick casting the snakes from Ireland. Less noticeable, but familiar to parishioners, is the inscription on one of the bells in the bell tower that reads “In honor of Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, make a joyful noise to God our Savior.” St. Patrick and St. Anne, of course, are the patron saints of the Diocese. A diocesan celebration such as the Chrism Mass was right at home in this welcoming surrounding.

There were some challenging logistics in moving the event between churches, such as several gallons of oils to be blessed, Lectionaries, Roman Missals, fourteen chalices, priests vestments for Jubilarians, six large silver urns, glass pitchers, close to one thousand Mass programs and many other essentials. By Mass time, all were in place.

The Chrism Mass, celebrated at the beginning of Holy Week and during this Year of Faith, is the oc-

casion when the Bishop concelebrates with the priests of the diocese and consecrates the Holy Chrism and blesses the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick. The Holy Chrism is used to anoint the newly baptized, those Confirmed and to anoint the hands of priests and bishops at ordination. It is also used for the dedication of churches and altars.

A supply of all three of the sacramental oils that serve the Catechumens, the newly Baptized and the sick is made available at the Chrism Mass to representatives of each parish to bring back to his/her church.

In his homily, Bishop Cote referenced the anointing of Christ and called on all present to “anoint the Anointed One in prayer, and to renew our commitment to the Mystical Body of Christ, the one true, holy , Catholic and Apostolic Church … this is the Church we love, and Chrism Mass Continued on page 8

(Above photo) Jubilarians, from the left: Rev. Robert Washabaugh (35 years), Rev. Peter B. Liszewski (35 years), Rev. Msgr. Richard P. LaRocque (50 years), Rev. Thomas W. Ahern (65 years), Rev. Joseph Castaldi (50 years), (Bishop Cote), Rev. John F. Ashe (50 years), Rev. Msgr. Willis W. West (50 years), Rev. Joseph Tito (25 years), Rev. John Gallagher, OFM Cap. (35 years).

Photos by Donna Antonacci

Bishop Cote recognizes priest jubilarians for 2013: 65 Years Reverend Thomas W. Ahern Reverend Albert C. Giaquinto

May 6, 1948 May 27, 1948

50 Years Reverend John F. Ashe Reverend Joseph Castaldi Rev. Msgr. Richard P. LaRocque Rev. Msgr. Willis W. West

June 29, 1963 July 14, 1963 June 29, 1963 May 23, 1963

40 Years Reverend Thomas Sickler, MS

June 16, 1973

35 Years Reverend John Gallagher, OFM Cap. Reverend Peter B. Liszewski Reverend Patrick A. Martin Reverend Robert Washabaugh 30 Years Reverend C. Paul Boudreau Reverend Bradley W. Pierce, MSA 25 Years Reverend Joseph Tito

May 27, 1978 June 10, 1978 October 7, 1978 June 10, 1978 May 28, 1983 September 8, 1983 September 24, 1988

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Four County Catholic April 2013

You (your name) are the Salt of the Earth.

But, if salt loses its taste, it is no longer good for anything – but to be thrown out -- You (your name) are the Light of the World. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden (neither can you!) Nor do they LIGHT a LAMP and put it under a bushel basket…just so, Your LIGHT (your example) must shine before OTHERS, so that they may see YOUR GOOD DEEDS (the reflection of the Holy Spirit in You!)”....

…and Glorify Your Heavenly Father in Heaven!”

Matthew 5:13

Television Mass Wednesday, April 3, 2013 @ 10:00 am Channel 20 WTXX Charter; Channel 11 WCCT Comcast Fr. Ray, Celebrant

Prayer Group Mass of Healing and Hope Thursday, April 4, 2013, St. Patrick, East Hampton

Life In The Spirit Seminars begin throughout the Diocese April – May – June In various Parishes Call Renewal Center for schedules

Philips Retreat Preparation Meeting Monday, April 15, 6:30 pm-Renewal Center

Philips Retreat Saturday, April 20 and Sunday April 21 Call Renewal Center to register

New England Bishop Liaisons Meeting

Chrism Mass Continued from page 7 today we reaffirm that love.”

One of the traditions of the Chrism Mass celebration is the renewal of priestly promises, as the Bishop asks his priests, “Are you resolved to renew, in the presence of your Bishop and God’s holy people, the promises you once made?” The response was a collective and resounding, “I am.” Then the Bishop asked the congregation to “pray for your priests, that the Lord may pour out his gifts

Wednesday, April 24, 10:00 am, St. Joseph Auburn, Mass

Unbound Prayer Ministry Saturday, April 27, @ Renewal Center, 10:00am – 1:00 pm Call office to schedule an appointment

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Holy St Anthony gentlest of Saints. Your love for God and charit for His creat res made you wor hy when on ear h possess miraculous power which you were ready to speak for those who are in t ouble or anxiet .

Encouraged by this thought I implore to you to obtain for me (request) The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so you are the saint of miracles Oh gentle and loving St. Anthony whose hear is f ll of human sy pathy whisper my petition into the ears of sweet infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your ar s, and the g atit de of my hear will ever be yours. This 13 day Novena has never been known to fail. Say three Hail Mar 's and three Glories and promise publication.

~ LT ~

abundantly upon them, and keep tion and acknowledged the them faithful as ministers of Bishop’s anniversary. He spoke of Christ.” To which those present Bishop Cote as “our Bishop, our responded, “Christ, graciously shepherd, our spiritual leader.’ Fahear us.” ther Janik’s heartfelt words of This moment offered an op- gratitude for Bishop Cote portunity to brought the recognize the congregation Jubilarian once again to God of healing, priests who are its feet apGod of hope, celebrating a plauding in apGod of freedom preciation of significant anand of peace, niversary, each His Excellency, named aloud with compassion Michael R.

by Bishop Cote Cote, Bishop make us whole -- followed by a of Norwich. rousing wave and heal us body, There were of applause so many volunmind and soul and a standing Song For The Blessing of th Oils teers who made ovation. this celebration This year on possible – too May 14, Bishop Cote himself will many to name. However, I couldbe celebrating his 10th anniver- n’t help but pay close attention to sary as Bishop of Norwich. Father the students from Xavier High Leszek Janik, Vicar General of the School in Middletown who Diocese, addressed the congrega- served as oil bearers and the young ladies from The Holy Family Academy in Baltic who served as greeters. Could there be any more inspiring example of the future of the Church than these faithful young servants in their blazers with their school crests?

All participating so enthusiastically. This was an extraordinarily uplifting ceremony as it celebrated service, sacrifice, diversity, promise, the Blessed Eucharist and all the Holy Sacraments.

9

Four County Catholic April 2013

Norwich Marks the Passion of Christ Norwich - More than 100 people joined in the annual Way of the Cross procession through the streets

AR UNLIMIT TED ED

By John Barry Reprint from The Bulletin

of Norwich to mark Good Friday.

Christian churches throughout the city took part in the event, a symbolic recreation of Jesus’ sacrifice.

The ceremony began at the Civil War memorial on Chelsea Parade near the intersection of Washington Street and Broadway, crossed the Parade and followed Broadway and Union Street to the Central Baptist Church in Union Square. The route was nearly a mile long. Norwich police vehicles cleared traffic ahead and behind the procession.

The Rev. Nicholas Dellerman, of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, one of 14 clergy members to carry a wooden cross along part of the route through Norwich, said he was happy to take part, even though Orthodox Easter isn’t until May 5.

“It gives us a chance to celebrate with our fellow Christians,” Dellerman said.

The Most Rev. Michael R. Cote, Roman Catholic Bishop of Norwich, was the first member of the clergy to take the 8-foot-tall cross on his shoulder. Followed by the crowd and walking to the slow, solemn beat of a drum, Bishop Cote carried it from one end of Chelsea Parade to the other, where the first station was located.

“In each step, we recall our own sinfulness and need for repentance” Bishop Cote said.

At 14 stations, a reading from the Gospels described Jesus’ arrest, trial

and eventual death on the cross. A layperson read a Bible passage, and the member of the clergy who had carried the cross read a short passage reflecting on each episode. Then the crowd joined in a prayer from a Psalm.

Mother Mary Jude Lazarus, conducted a reading and prayer in Spanish at her station.

As the crowd set out again to the next station, Nancy Hopkins, of the Central Baptist Church, led people in hymns. Except for joining in the singing, participants stayed silent as they traveled the route.

“It was amazing,” said Louisa LeCompte, of Lisbon, a member of the Newent Congregational Church. She carried her 1-year-old daughter, Charisma, in a sling along the route. “It was the first time I’ve been,” LeCompte said.

Margaret and Steve Blumie, of Griswold, said they have been attending the event since its inception.

“It’s nice to see all the different denominations coming together,” Steve Blumie said.

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Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony Holy St Anthony gentlest of Saints. Your love for God and charit for His creat res made you wor hy when on ear h possess miraculous power which you were ready to speak for those who are in t ouble or anxiet .

Encouraged by this thought I implore to you to obtain for me (request) The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so you are the saint of miracles Oh gentle and loving St. Anthony whose hear is f ll of human sy pathy whisper my petition into the ears of sweet infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your ar s, and the g atit de of my hear will ever be yours. This 13 day Novena has never been known to fail. Say three Hail Mar 's and three Glories and promise publication.

~ JD~

10

Four County Catholic April 2013

History of the Diocese: The Bishop Hart Years Most Reverend Daniel A. Hart was installed as the fourth Bishop of Norwich on NoBy Sister Elissa Rinere, CP, JCD Office of Worship

vember 1, 1995. He came to Norwich from the Archdiocese of Boston, where he had been ordained in 1953, and had served as an auxiliary bishop since 1976.

Within two months of his installation,

Bishop Hart had visited each of the seven deaneries of the Diocese. Within the first year, he held weekly luncheon meetings with small groups of priests, visited nursing homes, schools, and other institutions in the diocese.

Bishop Hart’s leadership of the Diocese was

marked by several other pastoral initiatives. He established The Catholic Foundation which disburses the funds to various ministry initiatives in the Diocese. In 1998 the first full-time director for the Office of Hispanic Ministry was appointed.

Bishop Hart established the Diocesan Millennium Committee in

1997 to prepare for the observance of the Jubilee Year, 2000. In May 2000, Bishop Hart dedicated the new offices of Catholic Charities/Catholic Family Services in downtown Norwich. In October 2000 he dedicated a newly relocated St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen in Norwich.

In December 2 0 0 0 , Bishop Hart led a diocesan jubilee pilgrimage to Haiti, to confirm and strengthen ties between the Diocese of Norwich and the Arch-

diocese of Port-au-Prince. During that pilgrimage, Bishop Hart and Archbishop Miot of Port-auPrince signed

se of Nor Dioce 1953-2013 wich

Bishop Hart established the Bishop Hart Fund for the Homeless, which today is directed by the Diocesan Develop-

ment Office.

During his time in Nor wich, Bishop Hart also served as

a covenant joining their dioceses in a spirit of mutual assistance and charity.

On October 18, 2001, Bishop Hart celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination as a bishop. The

the Chancellor of Holy Apostles College and Seminary in

He was ever the teacher.

Ever the pastor. Ever the servant of the people and of God’s will.

Mass, attended by more than 30 bishops and archbishops, was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

With the donations he received from well-wishers on this occasion,

Cromwell, a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Catholic Conference, the Christian Conference of

Connecticut, and the Knights of Columbus.

On August 24, 2002, when he turned 75, Bishop Hart submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II, as mandated by canon law. The resignation was accepted in March 2003, when Bishop Michael Cote, was named the fifth Bishop of Norwich.

After years of quiet service following his retirement, Bishop Hart died on January 14, 2008. In his homily at the funeral Mass, Bishop Cote described his predecessor in these words: “He was ever the teacher. Ever the pastor. Ever the servant of the people and of God’s will.”

11

Four County Catholic April 2013

Imagine driving across the Gold Star Bridge from Groton to New London and seeing a person trying

By Reverend Ted F. Tumicki Judicial Vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal

to jump off the bridge and commit suicide. Would you stop and try to talk the person off the bridge? Or would you stop and help the person jump off the bridge and commit suicide and require everyone else to keep driving by?

Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would have the same effect as helping the person jump off the bridge and requiring everyone else to drive by.

Under proposed legislation in Connecticut, a patient deemed competent and diagnosed by the attending physician as having a terminal illness, defined as having less than six months to live, can request in writing a prescription for lethal drugs, and upon receipt the patient ingests them and dies (or at least expects to).

While the bill is intended for those with terminal illness, there is no indication that the deaths will stop there, as diagnoses can be wrong. While lethal medication must be “ingested,” the bill leaves open the possibility of another person helping the patient to ingest the medication, opening the door to euthanasia or murder.

While a person could be “competent” when requesting the medication, the person could be “incompetent” when taking the medication (with or without assistance) months or even a year later.

While proponents claim that there are safeguards against euthanasia or murder, no one is required to actually witness the suicide, so there may not be any witnesses to an act or group-conspired act of euthanasia or murder.

Legalizing assisted suicide destroys a fundamental equality of life and dignity and replaces it with two new categories of people: Those who have a life no longer worth saving or fighting for and those who do; those who society should help to die and those who society should

not help to die. Once society accepts this distinction for assisted suicide, and euthanasia performed under the guise of “assisted suicide,” the pressure will mount to end the lives of patients who have lives no longer worth saving or fighting for or even worth the cost of caring for.

One only has to read the testimony of people with disabilities who are against assisted suicide to understand the additional pressure it would create to end life. When assisted suicide proponents assert that losing one’s autonomy or becoming a burden on family or having no dignity because of the inability to feed oneself constitutes reasons for committing assisted suicide, people with disabilities remind everyone that such reasons describe the disabled; and if society accepts such reasons as valid for causing death by assisted suicide, the message is sent - intended or not - that the disabled would be better off dead as well. When does the “right to die” become the “duty to die?”

In the midst of it all, the bill expects everyone to pretend none of this is happening by requiring that no report of a public agency use the

accurate words “suicide” or “assisted suicide” and instead use the euphemism “aid in dying” when assisted suicide is done according to the proposed law. Whatever happened to commitments to open and transparent government? Welcome to the Orwellian brave new world of Connecticut.

One very disturbing aspect of this bill is that it describes - and thereby dictates - the method by which qualified patients must die in order to enjoy the legal safety of the proposed law. Is it the role of the Public Health Committee to dictate how a person must die in order to enjoy the favor of the law?

Should a Public Health Committee write and pass a law that results in death?

What this bill promotes is public death, not public health.

Rev. Tumicki earned degrees in theology, specializing in moral theology, in 2001 and in Canon Law in 2003 from the Catholic University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium. He is presently the judicial vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal and the pastor of three parishes in Jewett City, Voluntown, and Preston.

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Deacon Michael L. Puscas Appointed Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel Succeeds Deacon Douglas A. Hoffman NORWICH – The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich has announced the appointment of Deacon Michael L. Puscas as the new Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel. Deacon Puscas succeeds Deacon Douglas A. Hoffman who is stepping down due to increased scheduling demands at his law enforcement workplace.

In his new role, Deacon Puscas will assist Very Reverend Dennis M. Perkins, Vicar of Clergy, in ministering to the needs of the permanent deacons. Deacon Puscas earned a Masters degree in Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and holds an Ed.D in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Norwich Diocese on June 11, 2005, and was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lebanon on September 30, 2005.

When St. Francis of Assisi in Lebanon was yoked with St. Andrew Parish in Colchester in June of 2011, Deacon Puscas was assigned to St. Andrew Parish as well as St. Francis Parish. Deacon Puscas lives in Colchester with his wife, Colleen, and their four children.

Bishop Cote joins with the deacons of the Diocese in thanking Deacon Douglas Hoffman for his faithful service during the critical period of restoration of the permanent diaconate to the whole Church since June 9, 2012. Our prayers and confidence are with Deacon Puscas as he has taken on this important diocesan assignment effective March 12, 2013.

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circumstances of life. Most times, putting faith into action is relatively unremarkable in the exterior world; but at other times, putting faith into action can be clearly and obviously extraordinary. The group of saints known as the Martyrs of Mexico present an extraordinary account of what it means to put faith into action.

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through some very turbulent times in the second half of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Much of the turbulence, unfortunately, centered around religion, and the

relationship that should or should not exist between the Roman Catholic Church and government.

In 1917 came the third in a series of constitutions for the Country, and the document outlawed all public practice of religion. The antireligion laws were most strongly enforced in the 1920’s. The Church could not own property, nor teach its doctrine, and priests needed licenses from the government to engage in their sacramental ministry.

By 1934, according to one source, there were only 334 priests licensed by the government in Mexico to serve more than 15 million people.

Pope Pius XI spoke out strongly against this persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico, and issued encyclicals on the topic in 1926 and again in 1932. The strong enforcement of these laws subsided in the 1940’s, with the election of a new president, and several laws were changed to ease some restrictions on the Church.

In the midst of the years of upheaval and civil war, many citizens

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of Mexico exhibited extraordinary love of their faith and of the Church. A group of these heroic individuals is known as the “Martyrs of Mexico.” The majority of these martyrs were priests who, despite government sanctions, risked and then gave their lives for their people. When called upon to bear witness to the truth, remained steadfast, regardless of the cost.

Here are just a few examples of heroism in the face of persecution. Father José Maria Hurtado, a diocesan priest, was arrested on June 25,1927 as he prepared to celebrate Mass. At midnight on that same day he was executed by firing squad. Father Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán was arrested in October 1927 and hanged for trying to keep the names of seminarians from being discovered by government agents. Father Mater Correa Magallanes was arrested in February 1927 as he carried the Eucharist to the sick. He was executed in prison for refusing to tell authorities the content of the confessions of other prisoners. Father Maldonado Lucero was arrested on Ash Wednesday 1937, while distributing ashes to his people. He was beaten to death by the soldiers and left to die in the street.

This extraordinary piece of history and heroism contains several lessons for the Year of Faith. First, these martyrs are examples of fidelity at home. They did not go to foreign countries to evangelize, but simply stayed at home and did the right thing, no matter how difficult the situation got for them. Although their actions were extraordinary, they were guided by the same values that should guide each Christian: never deny through your actions what you truly believe in your heart.

As part of its permanent collection, the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Connecticut tells the story of these and other martyr-priests who were Knights at the time of their deaths. The Martyrs of Mexico were beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1992, and canonized by him on May 21, 2000. Their feast is celebrated on May 21.

13

Four County Catholic April 2013

Making a Difference:

Deepening Our Love for God & Neighbor The 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal, “Faith with Charity and Love,” is officially underway. The Annual Catholic Appeal serves as a

By MaryLou Gannotti Director of Planned Giving

lifeline to the over 25 ministries and programs that benefit from the generous donations of parishioners within the Diocese.

Each year, as an introduction to the ACA, parishes throughout the Diocese are given the opportunity to air the ACA video.

This DVD presentation, produced each year thanks to a generous gift in kind, typically highlights some of the incredible work accomplished by the ministries of the Annual Catholic Appeal.

This year, the presentation took a proverbial “stroll down memory lane,” capturing some past footage and chronicling the history of the Diocese with photographs as we celebrate our 60th anniversary. This Diamond Jubilee is not the only milestone occasion for our Diocese.

Bishop Cote will also celebrate his ten year anniversary as our Bishop, having been installed in 2003.

In his opening remarks Bishop Cote tells us “Christ taught us that our faith can move mountains. In our 60 years as a Diocese, God has enabled us to accomplish so much, allowing us to see that with God all things are possible. Our anniversary is proof of our endurance and strength and it is a time to reflect on the good works which have flowed from our faith in God who has drawn us together as a Christian family.”

It was with great spirit and determination that our journey of faith as a Diocese began when the Diocese of Norwich was established in 1953 and the Church of Saint Patrick on Broadway in Norwich was consecrated as our Cathedral

under the leadership of Bishop Bernard Flanagan. A photo montage which starts this year’s 2013 ACA video, chronicles our historic groundbreaking and also features photographs of our second Bishop, Vincent J. Hines. With the changing times came changing technology and our subsequent Bishops were captured on film. Our third Bishop Daniel P. Reilly is featured in live action footage, as is our fourth Bishop Daniel A. Hart. It was Bishop Reilly who began the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, now known as the Annual Catholic Appeal.

There is archival footage in the 2013 “Faith with Charity and Love” presentation of St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich, Campus Ministry, Faith Formation, Prison Ministry, Ministry to the Sick, Catholic Charities, Outreach to Haiti, Hispanic Ministry, and Vocations. This look back allows parishioners to reflect on some of the amazing acts of “Faith with Charity and Love,” that have taken place in our Diocese over many years.

Bishop Cote notes, “As we look to the future, the past 60 years are proof that with God all things are possible.” He continues, “During this year of ‘Faith with Charity and Love,’ allow me to thank you, the faithful, the clergy and religious, all who teach, work or volunteer in our

parishes and institutions, young and old, for all that you do in the name of Christ. Together we have made a difference. Together we will continue to make a difference as together we deepen our love for God and neighbor.” These words and images capture the essence of the Annual Catholic Appeal. To view the video, visit www.norwichdiocesedevelopment.org and click on Annual Catholic Appeal.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Catholic Charity Hosts Open House Local social service agencies, corporations and individuals came out to support Catholic Charities and begin a dialogue

Norwich - Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich welcomed a new executive direcBy Anna DeBiasi Development Coordinator, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich

tor, James Maffuid of Colchester, at the beginning of the calendar year. On Friday, March 22, in conjunction with The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Charities opened their doors to the community to introduce Maffuid and to share the work happening at Catholic Charities. Community members visited with the new leader over breakfast, met with staff members, and

began a dialogue about community needs and social service collaboration.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich functions as the social service arm of the Catholic Church in Eastern CT, and has been serving people of all faiths in this area since 1921. In the past

year alone, over 4,500 individuals and their families have received much needed services throughout Eastern CT. Norwich Mayor, Peter Nystrom

attended the event, in addition to State Representative Kevin Ryan and Norwich Councilman Tucker Braddock. Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Todd Postler, introduced Maffuid to the crowd. Many people in attendance voiced their surprise at just how many services Catholic Charities has to offer the community.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich is an independent 501(c)3 and serves all people regardless of faith or religion.

Services offered include emergency basic needs, a licensed and accredited outpatient behavioral health clinic, licensed adoption agency, mortgage and credit counseling, pregnancy help, and refugee migration and immigration services. “Catholic Charities is one of the best kept secrets in the region. You may not see our name in lights, but there is a very good chance we have helped someone you know, said Maffuid, And we hope to share that secret with the community at large.�

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Living by Biblical Principles G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been

By Mary Tunison

found difficult and not tried” – a play on words but profoundly true. Sadly, there are some who live their whole Christian lives on the peripherals – not really “trying” to live out the more challenging and enriching aspects. Yet if one goes through life, day after day, never really feeling stretched or upended on a regular basis by the inward spiritual challenges of the faith, then something is wrong.

Sometimes, every instinct within us, runs counter to what Scripture tells us to do. This is especially true of forgiveness and reconciliation. When someone misjudges us, maligns our character or lies about us, everything within us wants to strike back. But the Bible says, “Bless those who persecute you.” Not an easy task!

In fact, it requires a lot of inner struggle at times to arrive at true forgiveness or simply to pray for those who have hurt us.

Blessing those who persecute us also means to speak positively of them. General Robert E. Lee was reportedly once asked by the President for his opinion of a military colleague. Lee offered generous and positive feedback regarding the officer. Later, someone who overheard the conversation said to him, “Don’t you realize that officer hates you and criticizes you at every opportunity? Lee replied, “Sir, the President asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”

Clearly, Lee processed life’s situations through a mind well trained and conditioned in solid principles. The result was a life of integrity.

Not long ago, someone wrongly misjudged me, and their negative criticism effected some serious damage. Suffice to say, it caused a great deal of heartache and suffering. In retrospect, I can now see the hand of God was in it. But at

the time, I was so incredibly angry at the injustice of the offending party that it took every fiber of my being not to knock their block off.

After a lot of prayer and reflection, I came to terms with it. I realized that God was ultimately the judge of the situation and He would take care of it - in His own way,

in His own time. If recompense was necessary – it would be His call, not mine. Often in these valleys of life, I am reminded of the words of Scripture,” “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19 This personal experience taught me the invaluable lesson that one must not judge anyone because we really do not know what a person’s motives are, what they are going through or what they are really thinking. This is God’s territory. If someone does something that causes us pain, if possible, we should confront them and ask what their intentions or reasoning was behind a certain action in-

stead of entering the danger zone of allowing our own perceptions to make erroneous assumptions.

Sometimes people do things without any wrongful intentions at all but another person perceives it from an entirely different perspective and misinterprets the whole action. That is why communication and sincere interaction is so important. Most conflict can be resolved if approached in a loving and straightforward way.

It is also important to remember that what people think of us does not define who we are. What they say against us should not affect our self-image or our life principles. The only one worthy to define us as individuals is God – not our mistakes or failures, and certainly not the toxic words or expectations of others. Our identity rests in who we are in Christ.

To quote Christi Paul of CNN, “True transformation begins. . .when we realize how valuable we are in God’s eyes.” But that is fully realized only if our sense of worth is anchored in the right place.

God loves us above and beyond anything we could imagine. People see the external things but God sees the heart. . . and that is what matters.

Mary Tunison works for Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Hartford, and is a freelance writer, photographer, artist, and graphic designer.

She can be contacted at mtunison@comcast.net.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

USCCB Committee Chairs Urge Congress to Protect Poor and Vulnerable as Debate on Budget Continues Washington, D.C. - The two bishops who lead the justice and peace efforts of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged Congress to address the moral and human dimensions of the federal budget and protect the poor, in light of the budget resolutions under current consideration.

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“We support the goal of reducing future unsustainable deficits, but insist that this worthy goal be pursued in ways that protect poor and vulnerable people at home and abroad,” said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.

“The moral measure of this budget debate is not which party wins or which powerful interests prevail, but rather how those who are jobless, hungry, homeless or poor are treated. Their voices are too often missing, but they have the most compelling moral claim on our consciences and our common resources. The bishops stand ready

to work with leaders of both parties for a budget that reduces future deficits, protects poor and vulnerable people, advances the common good, and promotes human life and dignity,” wrote the bishops in a March 18 letter to Congress.

The bishops support preserving programs that help the poor and vulnerable, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly “food stamps”), poverty-focused international assistance programs, and funding for the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program.

The bishops also offered three moral criteria to guide budgetary decisions: • Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and dignity.

• Every budget proposal should be measured by how it affects “the least of these” (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or in poverty should come first.

• Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times.

“As pastors, we see every day the human consequences of budget choices. Our Catholic community

defends the unborn, feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, educates the young, and cares for the sick, both at home and abroad. We help poor families rise above crushing poverty, resettle refugees fleeing conflict and persecution, and reach out to communities devastated by wars, natural disasters and famines,” the bishops wrote.

In his Inauguration Mass, Pope Francis urged the protection of human dignity. “To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love is to open up a horizon of hope,” he said.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Obama’s Pope Francis Challenge: Appoint a New Ambassador to the Vatican The Obama administration and the Vatican haven’t enjoyed the smoothest relationship over the

By Brian Resnick National Journal

past four years. In the wake of the Affordable Care Act, more than 40 Catholic organizations brought lawsuits against the administration, in opposition to the law’s mandate that Catholic hospitals and charities have to comply with its perspective on birth control.

“There is the art of diplomacy that the Holy See totally understands.” — Miguel H. Díaz, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See But the president has a symbolic gesture coming up that could patch up or further unnerve the U.S.Vatican relationship. He has to appoint an ambassador to the Holy See, a position that has been left unfilled since the election. This appointment, as the National Catholic Register explains, is “a test for the kind of relations the administration wishes to have with the Catholic Church in President Obama’s second term.” And that test has no easy answer for an administration that supports abortion rights and contraception.

“This is a particularly awkward position for the Obama administration to fill,” says Maureen Ferguson, a senior policy analyst with the Catholic Association, an advocacy group. It would seem “quite undiplomatic,” she says, to send an ambassador whose views are offensive to the Vatican.

But the job isn’t to act as a political prop; it is to be the United States’ representative working with the Vatican on foreign policy initiatives.

Obama’s former ambassador to the Vatican, Miguel H. Díaz, describes the job as a tough balancing act. On the one hand the job requires speaking for the president, but on the other it means understanding where the church is coming from. “There’s never going to be an ambassador, even to the Holy See, where there is going to be 100 percent agreement,” Díaz says, speaking of the relationship be-

tween the U.S. and the Vatican.

“Was there a strain? Yes, but not with respect to foreign policy.”

In 2009, Obama encountered some blowback floating names for the position. Reportedly, the Vatican “balked” at his suggestions, which included Caroline Kennedy.

Catholic groups thought a Kennedy appointment would constitute a “a calculated insult to the Holy See” because of her position on abortion.

“The Holy See has always set a very simple standard: the person should not be in opposition to fundamental teachings of the church that belong to our common shared humanity,” a State Department official told the Catholic News Agency at the time.

Díaz left the post in November to become an academic at the University of Dayton. But even he, a theologian, met some criticism when he was appointed. He and 25 other Catholic leaders signed a document calling Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who favors abortion rights, “a woman of deep faith.”

But Díaz says focusing on the optics of it all misses the point of the ambassadorship. “For many people in the United States, they don’t really understand that role,” he says.

The ambassador is not in Rome to dispute U.S. domestic policy with the church; the church, through its various arms, will engage with the administration directly on those matters. The ambassador is there to work with the church on various global initiatives—such as dialogs between leaders in the Middle East, climatechange initiatives, and foreign aid.

While the two sides don’t see eyeto-eye on everything, they do engage in a respectful diplomatic dance. One example, Díaz says, was working with the church to support AIDS-prevention initiatives in Africa.

“We all know that the Holy See’s perspective on contraception and the prevention of AIDS—especially with respect to condoms— would not be in agreement with

U.S. government policy, which has been consistent whether Republican or Democratic,” he says.

“What I did was to think creatively, what we did was to focus on the prevention of HIV-AIDS from mother to child.”

The Vatican also serves as a good forum to engage countries the U.S. doesn’t have formal diplomatic relations with, such as Cuba.

“You have to remember we are a friend, right, we are a friend to the Holy See,” Díaz says. “The Holy See has relations with, for instance, Iran, with Cuba, which we don’t even have diplomatic relations with. What I’m trying to say there is the art of diplomacy that the Holy See totally understands.”

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Safeguarding Creation Expected to be Major Theme at WYD in Rio VATICAN CITY (CNS) - When hundreds of thousands of young Catholics

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

gather with Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro in the summer, reflections on safeguarding the environment will be part of the program.

“From the beginning of planning, we thought that a major theme in Brazil, known as ‘the lungs of the world,’ would have to be the environment,” said Marcello Bedeschi, president of the John Paul II Foundation for Youth, a Rome-based organization that assists with World Youth Day planning.

“We did not know that

there would be a new pope and that in his first three major addresses, he would speak about safeguarding creation, not in political or ideological terms, but as a Christian obligation,” Bedeschi said.

Corrado Clini, Italy’s environment minister, has been working with the foundation, the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Brazilian government and the Rio church’s World Youth

Day organizing team to promote the reflection of young people on the importance of biodiversity and protecting the environment.

W Y D 2013 is scheduled for July 2328. Clini, his Brazilian counterpart, scientists, theologians, U.N. officials and members of Catholic groups devoted to safeguarding creation will lead the reflection with young people.

Catholic Bishops: It’s Pro-life to Ban Assault Weapons Some things seem naturally abhorrent – forceps to crush a cranium in an abortion, a needle to

By Sister Mary Ann Walsh Director of Media Relations for the USCCB

deliver a sentence intravenously on death row, and an assault weapon in the hands of the man on the street.

Each instrument may have a purpose some time, somewhere, but as used above, each reflects brutality in our society.

The Catholic Church opposes use of all three instruments to take a life. The church’s pro-life stand against abortion is undisputed. So is its pro-life stand in opposition to the death penalty. It can only be justified if there is no other way to keep a deadly criminal from hurting more people. And in the most recent – and all too common – threat to human life, the church opposes the growing preponderance of lethal weapons on the streets. It stands as another important pro-life

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position.

The injustice of taking innocent life lies at the heart of the church’s pro-life position. There is no question about the innocence of preborn children. And Americans are becoming more and more uneasy as we learn of people on death row eventually found innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. And surely, after the gunning down of primary grade children in Newtown, Connecticut, it is clear assault weapons stand out dramatically as a threat to innocent life.

The U.S. bishops now call on people to support federal legislation to require background checks for all gun purchases, to limit civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines and to make gun trafficking a federal crime. The bishops also want a ban on assault weapons.

A mere look at the evening news drives home the fact that we are living in a culture of violence and it affects us all. It undercuts the sense of peace we all need. It clouds our view of the beauty about us. It drives away joy and fuels a pervading sense of sadness.

Catholics have opposed abortion for centuries and have become activists against it since 1973, when the Supreme Court voted to permit abortion up until a child was born.

With society’s increased ability to isolate murderers from those they would harm, the death penalty, which seems to deny the possibility of redemption, no longer can be justified. The church now sees that protecting innocent life also means limiting the means of taking it, that is, limiting weapons that pose a danger to anyone going off to kindergarten, strolling on a college campus, watching a movie at a cineplex or speaking at a political rally at a shopping mall.

A pro-life stance is a noble one.

Sadly it must confront the ignoble reality of abortion, the death penalty, and another threat to peace and human life, the preponderance of assault weapons.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh is Director of Media Relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Liberty Choosing Between Religious Integrity and Participation in Health Care System Unacceptable Conscience Rights Protections Essential to Catholic Ministries Washington - Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013. H.R. 940 was introduced

by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) on March 4; the bill has 66 co-sponsors.

“Protection for conscience rights in health care is of especially great importance to the Catholic Church, which daily contributes to the welfare of American society through a network of schools, social services, hospitals and assisted living facilities,” Cardinal O’Malley wrote in a March 8 letter to Congress. “These institutions, which have been part of the Church’s ministry since the earliest days of the Republic, arose from religious conviction. They provide a substantial savings to communities and states throughout the nation, and we believe they contribute to the common good.”

“The legal protections which allow us to fulfill our obligation to

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serve others, without compromising our religious or moral convictions, are essential to the continued vitality of these ministries,” he said.

Cardinal O’Malley wrote that “while those protections have long enjoyed bipartisan consensus, they are under greatly increased pressure today.” He cited the mandate for coverage of contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs and devices under the Affordable Care Act’s “preventive services” provision and referred representatives to a letter written by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Reli-

gious Liberty, who set forth the need for such legislation in greater detail.

“A failure to provide clear and enforceable protection for a right of conscience could undermine Americans’ access to quality health care. Providers of health care, as well as those who offer or purchase insurance, should not face an unacceptable choice between preserving their religious and moral integrity or participating in our health care system,” the cardinal wrote.

He closed by urging support for the bill and the incorporation of its policies into upcoming “mustpass” legislation.

136 Sachem Street Norwich CT 06360 860-889-2374 Fax 860-886-2396

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty O God our Creator, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome— for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will always be “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

22

Four County Catholic April 2013

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Academic Excellence. Character. Self-confidence.

St. Patrick Cathedral School, Norwich 860-889-4174 www.stpatscathedralschool.org Sacred Heart School, Taftville 860-887-1757 www.sacredhearttaftville.org Sacred Heart School, Groton 860-445-0611 www.sacredheartgroton.org St. Edward School, Stafford Springs 860-684-2600 www.stedward-stafford.org St. James School, Danielson 860-774-3281 www.stjamesdanielson.com St. John School, Middletown 860-347-3202 www.stjohnschoolmiddletown.org St. John School, Old Saybrook 860-388-0849 www.saintjohnschoolos.com St. Joseph School, Baltic 860-822-6141 www.stjosephbaltic.org St. Joseph School, North Grosvenordale 860-923-2090 www.schoolofstjoseph.com

Academy of the Holy Family Shares Meal, Solidarity with Seniors The Sprague Senior Center had a capacity crowd at its

by Janice Steinhagen Reminder News

weekly Café Bistro luncheon when the entire student body of the Academy of the Holy Family, along with faculty and staff, made the two-block

stroll to support the local Meals on Wheels program. It was a festive meal, with plenty of cheerful chatter among the girls and the senior citizen “regulars”, but AHF Principal Sister Loreto, SCMC, said that it also fulfilled one of the works of mercy: feeding the hungry.

Before the trip, teachers and students discussed in class how senior citizens on fixed incomes often depend on Meals on Wheels for a daily nutritious meal. “We told the girls what’s going on with the government [funding]” and how sometimes money is so tight that the elderly are re-

duced to eating dog food.

“We asked them to imagine if that was your elderly friend or your grandmother,” she said.

“It’s reaching out to the community we live in. I think they’re happy to do this.”

Timothy Grills, director of nutrition services for the AHF Shares Meal Cont. on page 24

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

St. Joseph School, New London 860-442-1720 www.sjsnl.com St. Mary School, Middletown 860-347-2978 www.stmarymiddletown.com St. Mary-St. Joseph School, Willimantic 860-423-8479 www.smsjschool.org St. Michael School, Pawcatuck 860-599-1084 www.stmichaelschoolct.com St. Matthew Pre-School, Tolland 860-872-0200 www.stmatthewct.org St. Bernard Pre-School, Rockville 860-875-0475 www.saintbernardchurch.org

24

Four County Catholic April 2013

AHF Shares Meal Continued from page 23 Thames Valley Council for Community Action, said that cuts to statewide funding would have reduced the Meals on Wheels program from its current four days of deliveries to three. “Some seniors, the only people they see are the Meals on Wheels [delivery] people,” he said. It also would have meant cutting back from five to four the daily lunches served each week at the senior center, which are paid on.

The Café Bistro program was devised to fill the breach, said Sprague Senior Center Director Buddy Meadows. Unlike the

Monday through Thursday meals, which are donation-only, the Friday meal has a set fee of $5 but is open to anyone.

Fees from the Friday meals “will fill that money hole and help us maintain what we’re doing,” said Grills. “The school caught wind of what was going on and said they wanted to help our seniors.”

Helen Cooper, a longtime volunteer at AHF, a Catholic high school for girls, said that she often sees elderly shoppers in the grocery store as they deliberate on what they can afford. “I see

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them looking at the price and putting it back, and I feel so bad,” she said. “I think that [coming here] has really impacted the girls.”

Zoe Robb, an AHF senior, said that each of the students paid the $5 lunch fee herself, and that Sister Loreto talked to the students about attending as a group on a regular basis to help out local seniors. “My dad is 73, so that really struck me,” she said.

Sister Loreto said that the school plans to visit Café Bistro monthly, and that its home economics students will contribute homemade desserts to the program to help further reduce the TVCCA’s costs.

Café Bistro lunches are served each Friday at 11:45 a.m. at the Sprague Senior Center. The meals cost $5 and are open to anyone of any age from any town, but reservations must be made the prior Monday by calling 860-822-3000 ext. 210.

Take-out meals are also available.

Two students from St. Joseph School took part in the Annual Spelling Bee held at St. Bernard High School. Hosted by Knights of Columbus Connecticut State Council Catholic School Regional Spelling Bee. They were among several competitors in grades 4-6 at the spelling bee at St. Bernard Middle School in Uncasville, CT. Congratulations to Jack and Alexander! Jack Adase (left) came in 3rd for 5th grade and Alexander Boligan (right) came in 2nd for 6th grade. Submitted by Phyllis La Belle, St. Joseph School.

Here Today, Here Tomorrow We’ve Been Here Since 1882 Fill out the form below and return it to: Thomas P. Kenny, FICF, General Agent-Eastern CT 8 Vista Drive Old Lyme, CT 06371 Office: (860) 434-7002

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Faith of Our Fathers: Deep Roots & Online Ancestry Last night, while many of my peers tuned into the finale of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” a

By Christina Capecchi Four County Catholic Contributor

three-hour event dubbed “historic” by the show’s ratingsminded host, I delved into some real history. I joined more than 2 million people and subscribed to the genealogy website Ancestry.com.

No, I don’t fit the target demographic of silver-haired bird watchers, but somewhere in my 20s, the curiosity sprang up. If the charge of early adulthood is to develop a better understanding of who you are and where you come from, then exploring my heritage seems a logical pursuit.

I began with the ancestor who has loomed largest: the great grandpa who emigrated from Florence, Italy to St. Paul, Minn., in 1906, a 17-year-old who didn’t speak English and broke his mother’s heart.

I entered all the information I had, working off research gathered by my dad’s cousin. In less than a second, 47 matches for my great grandpa appeared: census data, his death certificate, a passport application and his WWI draft card.

Suddenly I was studying his pointed cursive and reading his self-assessments: a brown-haired, gray-eyed sculptor with no missing limbs and a dependent wife and child. I could almost see his fingerprints.

After three hours and one call to Mom, I had grafted six generations to my family tree. The work wasn’t loaded with flashy discoveries, but I found a rhythm. And I felt connected, rooted. These were my people. I liked saying their names. On the Italian side, a host of lyrical monikers: Pacifico, Gaspero, Angelo. On the Irish side, sturdy single syllables: Frank, James, George.

The farthest back I traced was my great, great, great grandma Teresa Romagnoli, born in 1841, when Gregory XVI was pope. She married a fellow Florentine,

Joseph Capecchi, who died three years later, giving her one child.

Teresa outlived Joseph by 44 years.

Their son grew up and fell in love with the daughter of a charcoal salesman. They hid a JewishItalian family in their attic during World War II and enjoyed a happier romantic fate, reaching their 70s together and dying three days apart of natural causes.

Another great, great grandpa, meanwhile, five years older played the fiddle and studied in an Irish seminary, ultimately abandoning his vision of priesthood and setting sail to America.

Their stories amaze me: teenaged brides, parents burying multiple children, cross-Atlantic voyages, ancestors from both sides

settling into the same St. Paul ward and attending Mass for the sounds and smells of home.

How improbable it is that we’re here, that each of us was conceived and survived, that all the pilgrims who could’ve met or missed each other crossed paths exactly as they did.

I love that my heritage and my faith are inextricably linked. For Catholics, family traditions were both religious and cultural: St. Patrick’s Day, St. Lucia’s Day. The same christening gowns and recipes were held dear

and passed down. Ancestry.com understands this, archiving the funeral Mass cards that served as placeholders in missals and history.

“To be deep in history,” Blessed John Henry Newman once said, “is to cease to be Protestant.” Beyond 1517, when Martin Luther nailed down his 95 Thesis, it’s all Catholic – incense and sacrament, monks who preserved the Bible,

nuns who taught children and ran hospitals, whose faith-filled pupils and patients produced the world’s great cathedrals. Somewhere in their midst – across the alley, around the river – two people met and married, forging the lineage that leads to you.

Our job is to let their stories speak, anchoring us to a deeper faith and buoying us with a greater sense of adventure.

Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights, Minn. She can be reached at www.ReadChristina.com.

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Senior Renewal Day Come and join your fellow seniors on April 24 for a morning centered around the question of “Is Joy Possible in this Life?” Offering is $10.00 and includes lunch. The day begins at 9 AM.

Women’s Mid-Week Retreat Come and join us for a women’s retreat from Tuesday, May 21 through Thursday, May 24 for a retreat centered on the theme of “Walking on the Path of Faith.”

Opportunity is provided for private prayer, Daily Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Fee is $175.00 per person.

Day Upon the Hill Would you like a day alone with your God? Do you need some personal time? On the first Wednesday of each month, you can come for a Day Upon the Hill from 9:00 to 3:00. Fee is $15.00 and includes lunch.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Not Too Young to Make a Difference

St. James School Basketball Teams Capture Championships Every tournament has an underdog. In the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, Florida Gulf Coast, a 15 seed with an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, faced the University of Florida, a three seed with approximately 50,000 students.

Jay Cyr, head coach of the St. James School girls varsity basketball team, compared his team to Florida Gulf Coast as it heads to the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) New England Regional Championships in Boston.

“The problem we have is we are going up against schools that are two to three times our size,” Cyr said. “The school that we are playing, Blessed Sacrament from Walpole (Mass.), they have a girls varsity A team who is like 30-0, and then from the same school they have a B team who is 12-12 or something like that, so they have two full teams. We have sixth-graders starting on varsity.

“But that’s the deal. We’re a tiny little small-town school.”

The St. James junior varsity boys squad will join the varsity girls team in Boston. Both squads advanced to the New England tournament by winning the Norwich Diocese Championship on March 16-17.

The varsity girls team has made a habit of qualifying for New Englands, going in five of the last six seasons. For the JV boys, it will be a new experience.

“Last year, we didn’t make it and the varsity team did,” St. James JV coach Steven Pambuku said. “So they really wanted to make it this year. This is my third year with this same group of kids on the JV team. To have a dominant season like we did, it was pretty impressive.”

The St. James boys went undefeated (12-0) in the Route 395 Basketball and Cheerleading Conference, won the tourney title and defeated last year’s New England champion — St. Patrick Cathedral School, of Norwich — for the Norwich Diocese title.

Pambuku said St. James has been tough to beat because of the play of Luke Desaulnier, Steven Pambuku and Shane Bigelow.

“They can’t really defend us one particular way because our scoring options are pretty wide,” Pambuku said.

During this The Year of Faith we celebrate the 60th Jubilee of the Diocese of Norwich and the tenth anniversary of Bishop Michael R. Cote as Bishop of the Diocese of Norwich. Bishop Cote’s motto “Above All Charity” is the underpinning of an essay contest among sixth grade students. Each student wrote an essay entitled “What Charity Means to Me”. The winning essay from each school is submitted for publication in the Four County Catholic. The following essay is by sixth grade student, Waverly Dombkowski from Saint James School in Danielson.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, charity is defined as an act of good-will or love for humanity; an act or feeling of generosity, but really, charity means so much more. It is the feeling you have after you do something nice for someone. The only way of describing the feeling is, “you are on top of the world”!

Charity is being truly selfless. It

is not being selfish, and being nice to someone even when it is difficult. Doing something nice for someone, and not caring if you get something in return, is truly what makes m a n k i n d unique.

As a sixth grade student at Saint James, I have witnessed charity when volunteering at the local food pantry.

As a student council representative, I have volunteered at the Friends of Assisi food pantry. There, I saw people who were wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the middle of January. Seeing this makes me realize how lucky I am

that my parents both have jobs and I go to a great school!

Charity is not just caring about humans, but also about pets. Doing simple things like giving a dog love, or playing with a cat can make a huge difference.

You never know; there may be a dog or cat that could use your love.

That’s why we need to help pets not just humans.

If you want to make a difference, don’t think you’re too young, because, “one really is what begins one million”. The act of charity you do today, will be tomorrow’s helping hand to someone else.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

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Victory for the Eagles. On Sunday, March 17, 2013 the boy’s varsity basketball team (7th and 8th graders) of St. John School of Old Saybrook defeated St. Patrick’s Cathedral School of Norwich in the Norwich Diocesan Tournament. This win qualifies St. John’s team for the New England Catholic Youth Organization Basketball Tournament held on April 5-7, hosted by the Archdiocese of Boston. These young players will proudly represent St. John School and the Norwich Diocese. Congratulations and good luck to the boys.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Curran.

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Sacred Heart School in Taftville celebrated St. Patrick’s day with a performance from the Spirited Soles Irish dancers. A team of 11 dancers, ranging in age from 6 to 18 entertained the school with toe tapping reels, hornpipes and festive costumes. Pictured here are (left), Maeve Jacobs and Lane Perkins of St. Patrick’s School and Juliet Brady of Sacred Heart School in Taftville. Spirited Soles Irish Dance Academy is located in Montville.

Submitted by Melissa Brady, Sacred Heart School Taftville.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

Did You Know?

National Day of Prayer Thursday May 2nd is the National Day of Prayer. This is a special day to pray for our Country and our leaders. Prayer is how we talk with God. We can tell God anything and He will listen. He wants to answer our prayers with the best answer for us even if it is not the answer we want. On the national day of prayer we want to pray for peace and for God to care for poor people in our country as well as for God to give our leaders wisdom. It’s a time to also pray that people will learn about Jesus and believe in Him. Try these prayer activities to pray for our country and other prayer needs: • Make prayer memory cards. Cut index cards in half or cut other cardboard into small squares. Write, draw, or glue on pictures of things to pray about. This can include pictures of leaders (including the new Pope Francis), a photo of someone who is sick to pray for healing, answers you have received from God to remember to thank God; and smiles to pray for peace. You can also write names for God to praise God. You can also write the Our Father and other prayers on cards to learn the prayers.

• Refrigerator prayer wall. Use magnets and put up photos of leaders in your community, state, and country. Pray for them each day.

• Use a map of the U.S., close your eyes, and put your finger on a spot. Look up that state and pray for the people living there.

• New life praise walk. Be happy that Jesus rose to give you new life. Take a walk and look for signs of new life. Praise God for life every time you discover signs of life. Thank God for the freedom of faith in this country.

• Have a prayer cup of beads (or string them into a bracelet or zipper pull). Use different colors as reminders to pray. Use red for praying for loved ones, green to thank God for the world He made, blue for peace for all people under the sky, yellow to thank God for daily bread (food) and to ask God to provide food for the poor; purple (the color of royalty) to pray for leaders and thank God for being your leader; and orange for the helper called the Holy Spirit God sent and to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to make good choices.

Pray every day. Read the promise from God that he listens to our prayers, in 1 John 5:14-15 and Jeremiah 29:12. Read in Romans 13:1 to learn that all authority comes from God. God is the ruler of everyone.

by Karen H Whiting

Tree-mendous Quiz (or Poplar Trees of the Bible) April 26 is Arbor Day. In Hosea 8:14 God said. “I am like a luxuriant evergreen tree bearing my fruit in all seasons.” Check out your Bible tree knowledge with this quiz. Look up the Bible verses when in doubt

1. What kind of tree did Zaccheus climb? (Luke 19:4) a. Balsam b. Sycamore

c. Oak

2. Isaiah prophesied that trees will express joy by: (Isaiah 55:12) a. Bearing fruit b. Clapping hands c. Barking 3. God compared this animal’s tail to a cedar tree: (Job 40:15) a. Leviathan b. Behemoth c. Shamu, the whale 4. What virtue is called a tree of life? (Proverbs 3:18) a. Love b. Wisdom

c. Understanding

5. Type of wood used for Noah’s ark? (Genesis 8:14) a. Oak b. Acacia

c. Gopher

6. What Jacob put near mating sheep to cause spotted sheep: (Genesis 30:37) a. Bark of trees b. Tree branches c. Peeled tree branches 7. What ruined all the trees in the fields of Egypt? (Exodus 9:25) a. Lightning b. Hail c. The grim reaper 8. In what year after planting fruit trees could Israelites eat the fruit? (Lev 19:23-25) a. 3rd b. 5th c. 7th 9. How did Moses give the people sweet water? (Exodus 15:25) a. Threw a tree into the water b.Threw tree branches into the water c. Added maple sap to the water 10. What did the trees do in the Jotham’s parable: (Judges 9:7-11) a. Talked b. Fought c. Withered 11. Where did Jesus curse the fig tree: (Matthew 21:18-22) a. By the road b. On the shady side of town

c. Outside the temple

12. Jesus said with faith this type of tree will obey you and be transplanted: (Luke 17:6) a. Mustard b. Sycamore c. Mulberry Answers: 1b 2b 3b 4b 5c 6c 7b 8b 9a 10a 11a 12c

The church has a new pope named Pope Francis. He is from Argentina. His dad worked for the railroad, and he likes to travel by bus. Pray for God to give Pope Francis wisdom to lead the church.

April 10 National farm animal day. Play an animal game, find facts about farm animals online, and make animal sounds.

April 14 Moment of Laughter Day so see if you can make someone laugh. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine.

April 22 Earth Day and a great time to thank God for creating the earth! Plant a tree or flowers. Read about creation in Genesis 1.

April 27 Sense of smell day, so enjoy good smells! Cook something that smells good. Read in Revelation 5:8 and Psalm 141:2 how prayers are a sweet smelling incense to God.

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Four County Catholic April 2013

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Four County Catholic April 2013

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Four County Catholic April 2013

World Day of Prayer for Vocations Set for April 21 Building a Stronger Culture of Vocations WASHINGTON—The Vatican has set the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations for April 21, the fourth Sunday of Easter, commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith.” The theme underscores the hope that vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life bring to the entire Church.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, echoed the challenge.

“The Church’s basic mission is to preach the Gospel and help build a civilization of love in our world today,” he said. “We need good holy priests and dedicated men and women committed to

e 24 Num Volume

the consecrated life to help build the Kingdom of God here and now. Therefore, we want a stronger culture of vocations in our own nation to help each Catholic realize that we all have a responsibility to invite young people to consider if God is calling them to the priesthood or consecrated life.”

The U.S. Bishops’ website at the URL www.usccb.org/vocations hosts resources to help laity and clergy build a culture of vocations in home and parishes. Elements include videos of priests and religious men and women giving witness to their vocations,

videos of testimonies from parents whose children have answered a vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life, prayers and discernment resources for men and women.

“We have seen a slight increase in religious vocations in the U.S. over the past few years. It is our hope to continue this development by helping every member of the Church to encourage and promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life,” said Father John Guthrie, associate director of the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

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