Four County Catholic May 2015

Volume 27 Number 5

May 2015

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

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Four County Catholic May 2015

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Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life.

Four County

atholic

- Pope Francis describing the central theme of the special Holy Year of Mercy to begin December 8, 2015.

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

This visit by the Pope, gives me a lot of faith that life will get better and there are better days ahead for the Cuban people.

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- Catalina Rita, a citizen of Cuba, responding to the news that Pope Francis will visit Cuba in September.

Established in 1989 and published each month except July.

Publisher

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

860.887.9294

Editorial Office

31 Perkins Avenue, Norwich, CT 06360-3613

Director of Communications/Executive Editor

Michael Strammiello, 860.887.3933

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We have to rely on a power that has more answers than we do.

- Robert Carini, former Connecticut Department of Corrections Counselor Supervisor and Program Director at York Correctional Institution, discussing recent trends in criminal justice at a screening of the documentary ‘Unlikely Friends’, the Healing Power of Forgiveness.

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Three strikes and 19 you are out.

- Stephen Mendelsohn, disability rights activist, counting out the third attempt of the failed assisted suicide bill in the Connecticut Legislature.

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On the Cover The Blessed Mother holding a single yellow rose was painted by Patricia LeFleur, a local Connecticut artist. The oil painting dates back to 1954 and has been displayed in the diocesan offices of all five Bishops of the Diocese of Norwich, beginning with the Most Reverend Bernard J. Flanagan, Bishop of Norwich,1953-1959. Bishop Cote is delighted to share this image with the readers of the Four County Catholic during “May, the Month of Mary.”

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Four County Catholic May 2015

The Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D.

Bishop of Norwich

The Heart and Soul of a Young Champion

“For me, what I do on the course I want to be secondary to what I do off the course.”

Jordan Spieth, 2015 Masters Champion

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: It has been a few weeks now since many of us witnessed the 2015 Masters Tournament, professional golf ’s premier celebration of spring and a tradition of excellence. This year, it was more than that.

This year, it was a personal tribute to a young competitor who is a true role model for his emerging generation. On a perfectly sunny April afternoon in Augusta, Georgia, Jordan Spieth, at the age of 21, became this year’s Masters champion.

Beyond all the records he tied or set, among them his 28 birdies and his 18-under par final score, young Mr. Spieth showed poise in winning seldom seen on such a worldwide stage. He was considerate of his fellow competitors.

Respectful of those who mentored him. Grateful to family and friends. Humble.

Where did all this composure and humility come from? What path had he walked long before those eighteen holes that Sunday Afternoon?

It turns out, not surprisingly, that Jordan was educated in Catholic schools right through high school. He attended St. Monica Catholic Elementary School in Dallas, Texas, followed by the Jesuit College Preparatory School, also in Dallas.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis, speaking of Jesuit education to a gathering of students and educators in Rome, commented that “School does not only broaden your intellectual dimension but also your human one. Jesuit schools take special care to develop human virtues: loyalty, respect, faithfulness and dedication…true champions at the service of others.” At this year’s Masters, a true champion of that caliber stepped up and dis-

played the human virtues of which the Holy Father spoke. In perfect harmony with Pope Francis, Michael Earsing, the president of the Jesuit school, noted that Jordan always “says what he believes. He believes in supporting others, taking care of others before he takes care of himself.” This giving spirit shows through in the admiration of friends, teachers, fellow golfers and very deeply in the loving closeness of Jordan and his family. His parents, brother and grandfather were right there every step of the tournament; while his 14-year old sister, Ellie, who has a neurological disorder linked to severe autism, was there in spirit.

Jordan and his family are a living example of the love we, who follow the example of Jesus Christ, try to express and share every day with one another. Life is a gift. We as faithful Catholics believe this to be universally true.

To see the Spieth family so profoundly embrace this belief is wonderfully uplifting. Jordan spoke openly and affectionately about his sister and what she means to their family. “She’s an incredible sister, my biggest supporter. She’s the most special part of our family. She is somebody who you can watch and then reflect on the big picture of life and understand that all these frustrations in a day, or in a round of golf, are really secondary.”

This is why this year’s Masters became a story of a young man prepared to champion values above sports exploits. His humble demeanor generated joy and hope to a worldwide audience who thought they were tuning in to watch golf. What they watched was grace on and off the course.

What they watched was a young person of character who helped them appreciate there are paths to walk in life more important than

even the most pristine of golf courses.

Long after the statistics of this year’s winning score are forgotten, the message that young Jordan Spieth delivered about the strength and values of a Catholic education will never be forgotten.

Role models pay attention here – it is time to move beyond the glitz of passing fame and welcome a whole new generation of role models with something substantial to offer. Congratulations to Jordan Spieth for helping to show us what happens when dedication, a sound education, respect for the dignity of life and the blessings gifted to us by God meet. Sometimes it may mean a green jacket. More often, it means hope for the next generation and for a better world.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s love, Bishop Michael R. Cote

El Corazón y el Alma de un Joven Campeón “Para mí, lo que hago en el campo golf quiero que sea algo secundario a lo que hago fuera del campo.”

Jordan Spieth, Campeón del Masters 2015

Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas: Ha sido un par de semanas desde que muchos de nosotros hemos visto el Torneo Masters de golf profesional 2015, estreno de celebración de primavera y tradición de excelencia. Este año, es mucho más que eso.

Este año, fue un homenaje personal a un joven competidor quien es un verdadero modelo para la nueva generación. En una tarde de abril perfectamente soleada este año en Augusta, Georgia, Jordan

Spieth, a la edad de 21 años, se convirtió en Campeón del Masters.

Más allá de todos los registros de empate o conjunto, entre ellos sus 28 birdies y sus 18-bajo par de puntuación final, el joven señor Spieth demostró al ganar sensatez rara vez vista en un escenario como en todo el mundo. Fue considerado con sus rivales. Respetuoso de aquellos quienes le entrenaban.

Agradecido a la familia y amigos.

Humilde. ¿De dónde viene toda esta com-

postura y humildad? ¿Qué camino había recorrido mucho antes de esos dieciocho hoyos ese domingo por la tarde?

Resulta, que no es de sorprender, que Jordan fue educado en escuelas católicas hasta la secundaria. Asistió a la Escuela Católica Elemental Santa Mónica en Dallas, Texas, seguido por el Colegio de Preparatoria Jesuita, también en el área de Dallas.

A principios de este año, el Papa Francisco, hablando en una re-

unión de estudiantes y educadores en Roma, de la educación Jesuita, comentó que “la escuela no sólo amplía su dimensión intelectual, sino también humana. Los Colegios Jesuitas tienen especial cuidado en desarrollar virtudes humanas: la lealtad, el respeto, la fidelidad y la dedicación…verdaderos campeones en el servicio de los demás.”

En Masters de este año, un verdadero campeón de este calibre se destacó y mostro las virtudes humanas de que el Santo Padre habla.

En perfecta armonía con el Papa Francisco, Michael Earsing, el presidente del colegio de los Jesuitas, señaló que Jordan siempre “dice lo que cree. Él cree en ayudar a los otros, cuidar de los demás antes de ocuparse de sí mismo.” Este espíritu de dar muestra la admiración de sus amigos, maestros, golfistas y muy profundamente en la cercanía amorosa de Jordan y su familia. Sus padres, su hermano y su abuelo esJoven Campeón Continued on page 4

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Joven Campeón Continued from page 3

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for May Universal: That, rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbors who suffer, especially the sick and the poor.

Evangelization: That Mary’s intercession may help Christians in secularized cultures be ready to proclaim Jesus.

taban allí a cada paso del torneo; mientras que su hermana Ellie de 14 años, quien tiene un trastorno neurológico relacionado con autismo severo, estaba allí en espíritu.

Jordan y su familia es un ejemplo vivo del amor, que nosotros

Norwich, CT (860) 887-7468 www.mmpct.com New London, CT (860) 701-9171 www.mmpnl.com

quienes seguimos el ejemplo de Cristo Jesús, tratamos de expresar y compartir cada día los unos con otros. La vida es un don. Nosotros, como fieles católicos creemos que esta es una verdad universal. Ver a la familia Spieth abrazar profundamente esta creencia es maravillosamente sublime. Jordan habló abiertamente y con afecto de su hermana y lo que significa para su familia. “Ella es una hermana increíble, mi principal entusiasta. Ella es la pieza más especial de nuestra familia. Ella es alguien a quien tu puedes ver y luego reflexionar sobre el panorama general de la vida y comprender que todas esas frustra-

ciones en un día, o en una ronda de golf, son en realidad secundarias.”

Es por eso que el Masters de este año se convirtió en la historia de un joven dispuesto a defender los valores por encima de las hazañas deportivas. Su humilde actitud genera alegría y esperanza a una audiencia mundial que pensaba que estaban a punto de ver un torneo de golf.

Lo que vieron fue la gracia dentro y fuera del campo de juego. Lo que vieron fue a un joven de carácter que les ha ayudado a apreciar que en la vida hay senderos para caminar más importantes que incluso el más original de los campos de golf.

Pope Francis @Pontifex • Recent Tweet Mary, Mother of Sorrows, help us to understand God’s will in moments of great suffering.

Tiempo después las estadísticas de ganadores de este año son olvidadas, el mensaje que el joven Jordan Spieth entregó sobre la fuerza y los valores de la educación católica nunca serán olvidados.

Modelos de conducta presten atención aquí-es tiempo de avanzar más allá de la ostentación de fama pasajera y dar bienvenida a toda una nueva generación de modelos con algo substancial para ofrecer.

Felicitaciones a Jordan Spieth por ayudar a mostrarnos lo que sucede cuando se encuentran la dedicación, la buena educación, el respeto a la dignidad de la vida y las bendiciones de Dios. A veces puede significar una chaqueta verde. Más a menudo, significa esperanza para la próxima generación, y para un mundo mejor.

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

Holy Hour for Vocations The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, leads the Holy Hour: Father Greg Galvin, Director of Priestly Vocations vocations@norwichdiocese.net

(860) 887-9294

www.God-Calls.com

May 21, 2015 • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Saint Joseph, Dayville June 5, 2015 • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich Reverend Brian Christopher Maxwell, Ordained to Priesthood on May 25, 2013, by the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich

Juan Aguirre Theology English Studies St. Mary Seminary Baltimore MD

Frank Gilbert 1st Year Theology Pope Saint John XXIII National Seminary Weston, MA

Michael Bovino 1st Year Philosophy Mt. St. Mary Seminary Emmitsburg, MD

Deacon Ron Blank 1st Year Theology Pope Saint John XXIII National Seminary Weston, MA

Jeffrey Ellis 3rd Year Theology Mt. St. Mary Seminary Emmitsburg, MD

Peter Langevin 3rd Year Theology Mt. St. Mary Seminary Emmitsburg, MD

Thomas Griffin 3rd Year Theology Blessed John XXIII National Seminary Weston, MA

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Director of Priestly Vocations

Reverend Gregory Galvin

Mulling Priesthood: “Listening to God in a Very Focused Way” Alleluia! Spring has sprung. Following is a great article regarding seminarian Michael Bovino, written by Ann Baldelli of The Day. The article first appeared on the front page of The Day, Easter Morning, and in other papers around the State during the past few weeks.

We now look forward with great anticipation to the coming transitional Diaconate Ordination of Jeff Ellis, Peter Langevin and Tom Griffin, each just recently called to orders by Bishop Michael R. Cote, to take place on June 6, 2015 at 10:30 am at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich. Congratulations to each of these fine men.

Please keep them and each of our seminarians in your prayers.

Gratefully, I also ask your prayers for Dharen Brocherro, Sebastian Catano, and Michael Chacon, each of whom will be joining us from Medellin Colombia later this summer to begin their journey of learning English, continuing their seminary studies before hopefully being ordained to serve here in the diocese in our bilingual parishes.

Lastly, I call your attention to Bishop Cote’s pastoral letter regarding the Seminary Education Fund Collection held just recently. I add my thanks and gratitude to the many generous donations to last year’s collection which assisted in covering 26.8 percent of our total cost of supporting the education of our seminarians. We are adding three additional men and possibly

even a fourth which would bring our total seminarian number to 11 next Fall and push our cost close to $350,000! Therefore, if you are able to assist us by making a gift, please do so. We appreciate your continuing support and prayers.

Stonington, CT - Coach A.J. Massengale remembers when Michael Bovino joined the high school football team in 2006.

“He was a kid that didn’t play freshman or sophomore year. He was a basketball kid. But I would see him in the weight room, hanging out with some of my players, and he was a well-built kid to play football.”

“He came out junior year and he played and started every game for two years, offense and defense, and he did a great job,” recalled Massengale, who has been coaching and teaching at Stonington High for 12 years.

“He was just the nicest kid. He never lost his cool, and he always had his wits about him. And I was so thrilled to have Michael Bovino walking around with our jersey on, you know, to offset some of the knuckleheads who couldn’t behave properly.”

Massengale is still in touch with Bovino, now 25 and in his first year at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., where he is “discerning” whether to become a Roman Catholic diocesan priest.

“I have been here seven months

now,” Bovino said, “and I certainly feel confident that God wants me here, but He has not revealed to me that, yes, I want you to be a priest.”

“I am still in this period of listening to God in a very focused way.

I’m here because I have an inkling, but I’m not 100 percent certain that God wants me to be a priest.”

A student of philosophy in the first of his six-year journey to ordination, Bovino was raised Roman Catholic but never gave serious thought to becoming a priest.

“When I was in high school, there was not even an inkling on my part,” he recalled. “I remember a couple of instances when my friends said, ‘Hey Mike, you should be a priest,’ because I never dated anyone and they figured I’d never get married. And they knew I’d go to Mass every Sunday with my family. But that was the extent of their insight.”

As a freshman at the University of Connecticut, he started out majoring in natural resources, imagining himself as a forest ranger, living a quiet life, out of the public eye.

“I just wanted to go live away from society and culture, and just kind of be out there alone,” he said.

But when he felt a tug, perhaps a call to the priesthood, he realized, “my desires to go off and be a park ranger and live in solitude, my reasons for wanting that were selfish.”

After taking — and enjoying — a statistics class, Bovino switched his

major.

His college roommate David Vandal, a friend since elementary school, said he wasn’t surprised by the seminary choice.

“He was meant to do something like this,” he said. “With most young people, it’s how are we going to do something? But not Mike. He Vocations Corner Cont. on page 14

For the Answer go to Page 23.

Please join us for the

Mass of Ordination to Transitional Diaconate of Rev. Mr. Peter Langevin, Rev. Mr. Thomas Griffin & Rev. Mr. Jeffrey Ellis

Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 10:30 am Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Thursday, May 7 St. John, Plainfield & St. Augustine, Canterbury Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 7:00pm at St. John Church, Plainfield.

Friday, May 8 St. Joseph & St. Mary, New London Confirmation

Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 7:00pm at St. Joseph Church, New London.

Saturday, May 9 St. Mary, Coventry & St. Thomas Aquinas Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown at 11:00am at St. Mary Church, Coventry.

Sunday, May 10 Saint Joseph, Chester Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown at 10:00am at St. Joseph Church, Chester.

Tuesday, May 12 St. Phillip, Ashford & St. Jude, Willington Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown

Diocese of Norwich Pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, Austria & Hungary With Bishop Michael R. Cote

October 5­15, 2015 ost Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, will lead an 11­day pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. The itinerary will include Prague, Melk, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

Cost of Tour:

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

This price includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation from Norwich to New York JFK Airport; Rountrip airfare from New York JFK Airport; Airline taxes/fuel surcharges as currently levied; Acco­ modation in First Class hotels; All hotel taxes; Luncheon on day of departure in Norwich; Breakfast and dinner daily at each hotel; Farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Budapest; Land transportation by deluxe motorcoach; All transfers and baggage handling at hotels; Sightseeing with professional local guides; Professional tour manager; All entrance fees per itinerary; Gratuities to tour manager, local guides, drivers and hotel/restaurant staff; Daily Mass.

For information or reservations please contact: Rebecca McDougal (860) 887­9294 or George’s International Tours 9265 Dowdy Drive, Suite 232 San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (800) 566­7499 Fax: (858) 271­6692 Email: sales@georgeintl.com Website: www.georgeintl.com CST#2035995­40

at 7:00pm at St. Phillip Church, Ashford.

Thursday, May 14 Ascension Thursday Friday, May 15 St. Mary, Jewett City, St. Catherine, Preston, SS Thomas & Anne, Voluntown Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 6:00pm at St. Mary Church, Jewett City.

Saturday, May 16 Reaching the Heart of Mary thru Prayer & Reconciliation with Father Pat World renowned Christian music legend, Catholic evangelist, world singer, song writer, composer and recording artist. Thousands have experienced the healing touch of his unique ministry- lives forever changed spiritually, emotionally and physically. Join us from 9:00am - 4:00pm at My Father’s House, 39 N Moodus Rd, Moodus. Cost is $40.00 which includes lunch. For more information or to sign up call Dottie at 860-873-1906.

Saturday, May 16 St. Andrew, Colchester & St. Francis, Lebanon Confirmation Join Monsignor Leszek T. Janik, Vicar General at 11:00am at St. Andrew Church, Colchester.

Saturday, May 16 60th Annual Convention: Be the Voice of Catholic Women St. Mary’s Czestochowa, 79 South Main St., Middletown. Registration begins at 9:00am. The speaker is Mother Dolores Hart.

Registration is $25.00, includes lunch and materials. For more information please call Judy Pappagallo, at 860-889-1617.

Saturday, May 16 Family Day at Mount Saint John From 10:00am – 2:00pm at the Academy of St. John, 135 Kirtland Street, Deep River. Tour the castle, explore our grounds, games and activities for all ages, food and lots of fun, with free admission.

Check our website for more information. www.mtstjohn.org or call 860-343-1335.

Annual

Mother’s Day Flower Sale Saturday & Sunday May 9 & 10 • 10am-6pm

St. Joseph Church, 11 Baltic Road, Occum There are hanging baskets, veggie flats, bedding flats, geraniums, hydrangea’s, perennials & much more.

Rain or shine.

For questions, please call Roland at 860-376-5204.

Sunday, May 17 St. Peter, Higganum Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown at 11:00am at St. Peter Church, Higganum.

Thursday, May 21 Vocation Holy Hour St. Joseph, Dayville, from 6:007:00 p.m.

Friday, May 22 Corpus Christi Community of Sagrado Corazon, Windham, St. Joseph, Willimantic & St. Mary, Willimantic Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 7:00pm at St. Joseph’s Church, Willimantic.

Friday, May 22 St. Joseph, Dayville Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown at 7:00pm at St. Joseph Church, Dayville.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Saturday, May 23 St. Patrick, East Hampton & Our Lady of Lourdes, Gales Ferry Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 10:00am at the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich.

Saturday, May 23 St. Mary, Groton Confirmation Join Monsignor Robert L. Brown at 5:30pm at St. Mary Church, Groton.

Sunday, May 24 Pentecost Sunday Monday, May 25 Memorial Day Saturday, May 30 Holy Cross Community of St. Patrick, Mystic, St. Michael, Pawcatuck, St. Thomas More, North Stonington & St. Mary, Stonington Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 10:00am at the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich.

Saturday, May 30 St. Maurice, Bolton & Sacred Heart, Vernon Confirmation Join The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at 5:00pm at St. Maurice Church, Bolton.

Saturday, May 30 St. Francis of Assisi’s Giant Tag Sale & Flea Market 9:00am– 3:00pm Fox Parish Center, 10 Elm St. Middletown.

Breakfast & lunch available.

Contact Sherry Schlechtweg, at 860- 346-4383.

Wednesday, June 3

Television Mass At 10:00 a.m. Channel 20 WTXX, Charter.

Channel 11 WCCT, Comcast Celebrant is Reverend Joseph Ashe

Friday, June 5 Vocations Holy Hour St. Patrick Cathedral, Norwich from 7:00-8:00pm.

Friday, June 12, 2015 Blue Mass Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser To benefit the Blue Mass Committee to defray expenses associated with the Annual Mass honoring law enforcement personnel. Spaghetti, salad, bread & butter, soda and water. From 5:30-7:00pm at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick Auditorium, 213 Broadway, Norwich. $10.00 adults, $8.00 seniors, $5.00 children 12 and under. For more information or tickets please call Monsignor Brown at 860-8879294, ext. 232 or Becky Cady 860-887-9294, ext. 235.

Saturday, June 20 Strawberry Festival & Craft Fair St. Lawrence Church is having its

Sunday, May 31 Trinity Sunday Sunday, May 31 Academy of the Holy Family Dinner Come join us, along with Bishop Michael R. Cote, for an evening of fine food, wine, academy tours, and visual arts at the Academy of the Holy Family, as we celebrate our past and present. Tours and hor d’oeuvres begin at 4:00pm followed by dinner at 5:00pm. Special dietary needs should be expressed when ordering tickets. For more information please call Sister Stella Maria at 860-822-9272 or adminassist192@ahfbaltic.org or visit their website at www.ahfbaltic.org.

Tickets are $100.00 per person.

annual strawberry festival, craft fair and auction at St. Lawrence Church, 7 Hemlock Drive, Rt.81 in Killingworth from 10:00am4:00pm. There will be crafts, plants, silent auction, quilt raffle, tag sale, book sale, children’s games, clowns, food, and homemade strawberry shortcake. Live auction begins at 11:00am. For more information call Rick Henderson at 860-663-5476.

Mon., June 22-Thurs., June 25 Pilgrimage to the Canadian National Shrines Enjoy a beautiful 4-day pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Cape, Canadian National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother, St. Anne de Beaupre, St. Joseph’s Oratory, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Beavoir Shrine to the Sacred Heart, & others throughout Quebec. $400 p.p. double occupancy. Price includes deluxe motor coach, shrine hotel, all meals & tips for all 4 days. A valid U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card required. For information and applications, please call Fr. Brain Maxwell at (860) 267-6644 ext.4 or email him at fr.brianst.pats@gmail.com Application deadline is May 16, 2015.

“Now Jesus did MANY OTHER SIGNS in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this Book. But these are written that you (your name), may come to BELIEVE that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, the SON of GOD, that through this BELIEF, you (your name) may have LIFE (ETERNAL LIFE) in HIS NAME!” John 20:30-31

Philips Retreat (Head to Heart Experience)

An opportunity of a lifetime Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (with Mass) Spiritual Renewal Center Must register, (860) 887-0702 (limited capacity) Free will offering $25.00 • Fr. Ray, Judith and team

Prayer and Discernment Board Meeting Monday, May 4, 2015 @ 10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Children of Light Prayer Group Mass Wednesday, May 6, 2015 @ 7:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Lourdes Adoration Chapel

Healing Mass, Monday, May 11, 2015 @ 2:00 p.m.

Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT Masses are held on 1st floor – handicap accessible Fr. Ray, Celebrant, Judith Hughes-Healing Prayer

Diocesan Prayer Meeting Sunday, May 31, 2015 @ 2:00 p.m.

Cathedral of St. Patrick Hall, Norwich, CT

Healing Mass, Monday, June 8 & 22, 2015 @ 2:00 p.m.

FIRE AND WATER DAMAGE 24 Hour Emergency Service Fire, Water and Smoke Cleanup and Restoration Carpet, Upholstery and Drape Cleaning Odor Removal Complete Move-Outs

Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT Masses are held on 1st floor – handicap accessible Fr. Ray, Celebrant, Judith Hughes-Healing Prayer

Taftville Hearts of the Spirit Prayer Group Mass Thursday, June 11, 2015 @ 6:30 p.m.

Sacred Heart Church Chapel

Healing and Freedom Conference (Unbound) of Norwich/Windham County

860-887-0447 Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration Independently Owned and Operated

Like it never even happened

Saturday, June 13, 2015 - 8:30 a.m. (coffee & registration) to 5:00 p.m.

Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT Must pre-register @ 860-887-0702 – Donation $25.00 Fr. Ray, Judith Hughes and Team

Prayer, Praise, Worship Every Tuesday evening @ 6:30 pm Spiritual Renewal Center, Norwich, CT “Everyone’s welcomed to these programs!

“Beautiful Things For Children”

Come See Our Exquisite Collection of Flower Girl Dresses Available in All Sizes!

On the bridge, downtown Mystic Open Seven Days • Personal Attention

860.536.4895

www.thebluehorse.com

spiritual renewal services Diocese of Norwich

Dial-A-Prayer (860) 887-7767

P.O. Box 6 • 11 Bath Street Norwich, CT 06360 • (860) 887-0702 email: Renewal@catholicweb.com

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Four County Catholic May 2015

25th Annual White Mass Celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick The 25th Annual White Mass for Health Care Workers was celebrated at the Cathedral

By Sister Elissa Rinere, CP, JCD Office of Worship

of Saint Patrick on Sunday, April 19th. The gathering, which was a regularly scheduled parish Mass, included doctors, nurses, health care administrators and other health care providers. Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, was the main celebrant for the Mass, and Deacon Gerald Shaw was the homilist. The celebration was greatly enhanced by the music provided by Douglas Green, music director at the Cathedral, the Brass Ensemble and the Cathedral choir.

In his opening remarks, Monsignor Rosaforte, Rector of the Cathedral, welcomed health care providers of all faiths to the celebration. He expressed the hope that the day would provide those present with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication in the work they so tirelessly do for others.

The homilist, Deacon Gerald Shaw, who is also a medical doctor, spoke of the gathering as an opportunity to praise God, in whom all gifts and talents find their source.

He spoke of Jesus who healed the sick, not to show his power over nature but to show his true identity as the Messiah, who had come to bring light to those who live in darkness. Deacon Shaw reflected on the Gospel reading (Luke 24:35-48) of the post-Resurrection

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appearance of Jesus to the disciples, but focused on Jesus’ desire, in that passage, to be recognized by his followers. Deacon Shaw then challenged all in the Cathedral, but especially the health care providers, to recognize Jesus in their patients; the sick, the dying, the injured, the poor. He called the health care profession a noble challenge, since it demands seeing the God-given dignity of every person, from conception to natural death.

Mass was followed by a brunch, and a presentation entitled “Keeping the Faith: Caring for Wounded Marines” given by LCDR Seth Flagg, MD., the regimental surgeon at the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, based in Washington, DC. (NOTE: The Wounded Warrior Regiment is completely different from the Wounded Warrior Project which is privately funded.) LCDR Flagg said the women and men of today who volunteer to serve in the military “sign a blank check,” meaning that they are ready to give all their resources, even their lives, in defense of their Country. In turn, the Country is obligated to do whatever is necessary to assist these volunteers to reintegrate into society after they have experienced the trauma of war.

LCDR Flagg explained some of the advances made in artificial limbs, which now contain computers and even gyroscopes, but reminded his audience that the invisible wounds of war can be far more devastating and difficult to treat. He cited especially depression, traumatic brain injuries and PTSD as the most common invisible wounds, and even the self-inflicted wound of reluctance to share memories, hurts and the experiences of war. “There is no perfect solution for these problems” LCDR Flagg explained, but everyone can contribute in some small way to the recovery process.

The Wounded Warrior Regiment strives to guide veterans through the process of recovery at

Deacon Gerald Shaw, M.D., speaking of healthcare providers “Recognizing Jesus in their patients: the sick, the dying, the injured, the poor.”

Photo by Donna Antonacci. all levels from beginning to end, and also works with their families, since they share in both the care and the woundedness of the returning veteran.

The final section of LCDR Flagg’s presentation was an explanation of what he termed “moral injury” often suffered by veterans, and the healing of which is

uniquely suited to religious groups.

Many veterans, he explained, are often haunted by memories of actions required in war that result in the taking of lives. The moral injury is to the conscience of the individual soldier who, in other circumstances, would have acted differently. Religious groups, it was suggested, by welcoming veterans,

accepting them into the community, and understanding the pain they have experienced, can assist in healing these moral injuries.

At the close of his presentation, LCDR Flagg addressed this question to the participants in the White Mass: “What is the doorway into community that you can provide to our veterans?”

9

Four County Catholic May 2015

Twentieth Annual Diocesan Mass for Secretaries Celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick “Help me remember, Loving God, that what I do for others as a secretary, I do for You. May every act of service I offer, reflect my faith in You.” A Secretary’s Prayer

Norwich - April 21, 2015, The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich celebrated the From the FCC News Desk Photos by Donna Antonacci

Twentieth Annual Diocesan Mass for Secretaries at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich. In recognition of the vital contributions of secretaries of all faiths within and outside the Church, Bishop Cote was the principal celebrant and

was joined by Monsignor Leszek T. Janik, Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Robert L. Brown, Chancellor of the Diocese and a distinguished gathering of concelebrants supporting secretaries on this special occasion.

The customary presentation of pink roses was made by representatives from the four counties and seven deaneries and one central diocesan representative: Sandy Benjamin, Marijane Crawford,

Cynthia Mageski, Linda Precopio, Traci Racklyeft, Joni Tramontozzi, Mary Cho, Sherri Denomme, Laura Malone, Kimberly Quinn, Sheila Taylor and Terri Zampini.

Reverend Brian J. Romanowski, JCL of the Diocesan Tribunal delivered a very appreciative homily honoring the critical and dedicated role the secretary plays in all organizations.

Following the Mass, a well-at-

tended luncheon was held in the Cathedral Auditorium for secretaries, participants in the ceremonies of the day and guests.

Congratulations to the Mass Committee for such a memorable day of celebration. The Committee, chaired by Alice Pudvah, in-

cludes Cynthia Mageski, Marlene Peer, Joan Balestracci, Judy Pappagallo, Kimberly Quinn, Christine Siart and Monsignor Robert L. Brown as Chancery Liaison. A special note of continuing appreciation goes to Founding Chair Emeritus, Paula Newman.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

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Year of Mercy On April 12th, Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis proclaimed to the whole Church

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his plan for a special Holy Year, the Year of Mercy. Usually Holy Years, which are times of special prayer and pilgrimage, are proclaimed every twentyfive years. The most recent Holy Year was proclaimed by Saint John Paul II in the millennium year, 2000; thus, the Holy Year just announced is given the added designation of “special.”

In the document of proclamation (formally called the Bull of Indiction), Pope Francis writes of the need he sees in the Church for a greater understanding of the never-ending Mercy of God, and the need for all members of the Church to reflect the reality of that mercy in our lives.

“The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person.”

The Holy Year of Mercy will begin on December 8, 2015, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Additionally, this day will mark the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis writes of the significance of this anniversary of Vatican II: “The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive. With the Council, the Church entered a new phase of her history. The Council Fathers strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. It was a fresh undertaking for all Christians to bear witness to their faith with greater enthusiasm and conviction. The Church sensed a responsibility to be a living sign of the Father’s love in the world.

Pope Francis continues in this document to emphasize that the Church must undertake new efforts to show to the world the unending mercy of God. He says, “Mercy is the very

foundation of the Church’s life.

All her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.”

Central in all the symbols and traditions associated with a Holy Year is the symbol of the Holy Door. In 1499, in preparation for the Holy Year of 1500, Pope Alexander VI declared that two specially designated doors at St. Peter’s Basilica were to be opened only during a Holy Year.

Since then, pilgrims and penitents pass through the Holy Door as a sign of their inner repentance and conversion.

On December 8, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s for the first time since it was sealed by Saint John Paul II in 2000. Pilgrims traveling to Rome during the Holy Year of Mercy will enter the Basilica through this Holy Doors as a sign of their passage into a new life of faith. As Pope Francis wrote in his proclamation, “ … by crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us.”

The Holy Year of Mercy will also bring about two specific efforts to make mercy more evi-

dent in our lives. First, all the Church will be encouraged to look with fresh eyes at the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and to put them into action. “It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Let us rediscover the corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.

And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offenses, bear wrongs patiently and pray for the living and the dead.”

The second effort is to take place during Lent 2016, when special confessors, given the title Missionaries of Mercy, will be sent from Pope Francis to churches throughout the world as a sign of the Church’s care for all people. “They will be missionaries of mercy because they will be facilitators of a truly human encounter, a source of liberation, rich with responsibility for overcoming obstacles and taking up the new life of Baptism again.”

Bishops of the world are asked to welcome these Missionaries when they are sent, “so that they can be, above all, persuasive preachers of mercy” and “heralds of joy and forgiveness.”

The Jubilee Year of Mercy will close on November 20, 2016, the solemnity of Christ the King. “On that day, as we seal the Holy Door, we shall be filled, above all, with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an extraordinary time of grace.” Amen.

All quotations are taken from Misericordia vultus, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Available at http://vatican.va.

11

Four County Catholic May 2015

Flames of Charity Dinner & Gala The 2nd Annual Catholic Charities “Flames of Charity” Gala was

By Christine Jackel Development Coordinator, Catholic Charities

held on Saturday, April 25th at the Mystic Marriott. Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, began the evening with a blessing of the “Flames of Remembrance” candles and the opening prayer.

K e v i n Ho g a n news anchor at WFSB, Channel 3 was Master of Ceremonies.

It was a very special evening honoring individuals in our community who have made a difference in the lives of others, through their charitable works. Honored were “Humanitarian of the Year” – Dr. Herbert V. Levinsky, a native of the Czech Replublic. After a rewarding 28-year career, Dr. Levinsky retired from Pfizer in 2002 as Senior Director, Toxiologist Emeritus. He is very committed to Catholic Charities, and currently serves as a Board member.

The Norwich Diocesan Council of Catholic Women was chosen as “Community Servants of the Year.”

An organization founded in 1955, they have been strong supporters of Catholic Charities, donating 60% of the receipts from their Diocesan Membership Drive at their Fall meeting to the Pregnancy Program which helps young mothers, mothers-to-be and birth parents through parenting education, as well as fostering homes for infants awaiting adoption placement. Over the past 53 years, the NDCCW has donated over $410,000 to Catholic Charities.

Lois Geary received the “Honoring our Heritage Award” for her contributions to Catholic Charities.

She has served as a Board member for over 20 years.

Catholic Charities “Employee of the Year” chosen by her peers, is Rosalinda Bazinet. Rosalinda has worked extremely hard for over 16 years at Catholic Charities, begin-

ning her career as case manager for Emergency Basic Needs in Norwich and New London. Today she oversees the offices in New London, Norwich and Willimantic as Program Manager for Emergency Basic Needs and Case Management.

The Silent Auction created a “bidding war” on several items, from the Red Sox vs. Yankees loge

box seat tickets to a “Build-YourOwn-Sneaker” the latest craze from Reebok. The top presenting $5,000 sponsor was Kenneth Capano and family, owners of ShopRite, State Street Salon and the Harp & Dragon, and three (3) $1,500 Table Sponsors: Dime Bank, Circle of Friends and The Worker Bees.

Like most social service agencies, Catholic Charities recognizes the need for food, clothing, utility assistance, rental assistance and especially the young mothers with babies in need of diapers and formula. The funds raised at the Gala will help to continue the mission of Catholic Charities to provide help and create hope for the poor and disadvantaged.

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Pictured are left to right: Honoring our Heritage, Lois Geary; Employee of the Year, Rosalinda Bazinet, Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich; Community Servants of the Year; NDCCW, Anne King President and Catholic Charities Development Coordinator, Christine Jackel.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

A Mother’s Day Tribute M ay the Lord send His blessing to you today and every day.

O pening your heart to His word.

T elling you how special you are to your family in every way.

H elping you realize you’re special to the Lord.

E ven though Mother’s Day is celebrated in May. R emember you’re loved for all you do and your prayers are always heard.

Diocese of Norwich will travel to Krakow in July 2016 for 11 days with the Archdiocese of Boston.

The Norwich Diocesan group will follow the Young Adult catechesis track, appropriate for those college age and older. Only a few seats left!

Contact: Pamela Plasse Office of Faith Events Cell (860) 333-4790 (860) 848-2237 ext 311 pplasse@norwichdiocese.net

One Sunday each May we honor and remember our mothers on Mother’s Day. However, the

By Kathy Gaito Stewardship Coordinator, Office of Development

job of being a mom is not a job that happens just one day of the year. A mom is there to share in the happy moments of life, to comfort us during the sad times and to reassure us during times of uncertainty.

If we think about it, the life that our mothers gave to us is like a garden. We are the seeds that are planted. She takes care of us in

her womb so we can grow into beautiful flowers. When we are born, our mothers continue to nourish us making sure that we a r e given the

mom’s job is not easy. In keeping with the garden analogy, I’m sure most moms encounter days in which the thorns of their “roses” pierce their hearts. Being a mom presents many challenges,

physical, emotional and spiritual guidance we need to continue to blossom.

There are many times when a

but despite those trials, moms feel the rewards are great. It is because of this attitude that we honor our moms on Mother’s Day. It’s our way of paying tribute to them for the hugs, the talks and the smiles, that they offer every day.

Whatever gift you traditionally give to your mom on Mother’s Day, please consider supplementing it with a donation to the 2015 Annual Catholic Appeal, “Strength through the Holy Spirit,” in her honor. You can let her know you made a contribution to help others who are in need – a lesson you learned from her as she helped you to blossom into the person you are today. If your mom has already joined God in Heaven, and you make a donation to the Annual Catholic Appeal to honor her memory, know in your heart that she is aware of your kindness. Whether your mom is still on earth or with God in Heaven, your gift to the “Strength through the Holy Spirit” campaign is sure to put a smile on her face this Mother’s Day and throughout the year.

To donate to the 2015 Annual Catholic Appeal, “Strength through the Holy Spirit,” please visit www.norwichdiocesedevelopment.org or call The Office of Development at 860-886-1928.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Ministry to the Sick

An Interview with Sister Rita Johnson, S.S.N.D. How would you describe your role within the Ministry to the Sick?

In my role as hospital chaplain, I serve to offer the compassion that Jesus Christ asked of us. I am asked to meet the spiritual needs of all patients, regardless of religion. I can tell you that no two days are alike. I work with the critically ill, those scheduled for major surgery, and those approaching death. Being a chaplain is not what I do for someone; but a way of being with someone.

In what ways does your ministry complement the clinical healing by doctors, nurses and technicians?

I try to remember that skills are ineffective unless one has a listening heart. The patient is more than his body. The sick suffer not only physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well. I provide presence, prayer, even humor. Doctors, nurses and social workers focus on the physical and the psychological. As a chaplain, I focus on the spiritual. Where does the patient get his/her strength? From faith? When they experienced a crisis before, who or what got them through it? A significant relationship? A strong sense of meaning and purpose in life?

Doctors and nurses naturally look for what’s wrong. I look for what’s right with the patient.

How closely connected must you be with patient and family?

Families often reach out to me for support when dealing with the illness of a loved one or

when experiencing acute grief – looking for the spiritual comfort and peace that comes through Christ. If one person in the family has cancer, the whole family has

takes our suffering, not makes it.

We learn the hard way that bad things do happen to good people. The Lord never promised to protect us from this pain, rather he is with us when we experience it. We seek the healing touch of Jesus.

Sister Rita receiving congratulations from Bishop Cote for receiving the distinguished Pro Ecclesia Papal Medal for exceptional dedication and service to the Church.

Photo by Donna Antonacci cancer. The whole family has needs. I try to bring the family into the positive power of prayer.

All the while, I remember that I am a guest in the patient’s gathering of family and friends.

How does faith light the way the final steps of a patient’s earthly journey?

We die the way we live. There is no magic. We invite the Lord into the darkness. No one is outside of God’s mercy. Unresolved spiritual needs can be there every step of the way.

There is sometimes regrets, guilt and bitterness. It’s important to forgive and be forgiven. Some patients are looking for forgiveness – not just from God, but from loved ones they may have hurt in the past. The patient’s room is sacred ground. I don’t know about you, but I used to struggle with the finality of the word “goodbye”. I am happy to say I discovered the real meaning of this expression.

Centuries ago when our ancestors left their homeland and came here to live, they gave each other a blessing – “God be with ye”. How sad that we shortened it to “goodbye”.

How do you accept and help others overcome the hardship that bad things can happen to good people?

I have seen profound grief experienced by those who have lost a spouse; lost a child in a tragic accident; delivered a stillborn baby; been diagnosed with cancer. When asked why God let this happen, I explain that God

A final self-reflection?

Yes. I feel so blessed to be here in Norwich serving my brothers and sisters who are sick. Service is not a technique; it is a way of life. There is in all of us a deep desire to befriend life, to make a difference, to serve because life is holy. This is the calling of all of us fortunate to be engaged in ministering to the sick.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Vocations Corner Continued from page 5 always looks at a situation and asks ‘why am I going do something?’

He’s introspective. And a very good athlete. And he’s smart. He majored in statistics. Who majors in statistics?

He was trying to find a direction and he finally did, and it’s something that he is passionate about, and that is tremendous,” Vandal said. “It takes a special person to dedicate their life to God and the service of others.”

Michael is the oldest of Mike and Paula Bovino’s four boys. His siblings, Thomas, a senior, and Chris, a sophomore, are studying at Sacred Heart University, and his youngest brother, Steven, is a freshman at Stonington High. His father works at Electric Boat and was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family.

His mother, who works in the cafeteria at Mystic Middle School, was a Congregationalist who converted to Catholicism when he was about 3 years old.

“I didn’t receive (Communion) but I was going to Mass with Mike every Sunday,” she recalled. “I was raised in the Road Church on Pequot Trail, but one day I woke up and said, ‘I want to become a Catholic.’ It was something I believed God wanted me to do.”

Michael Bovino never thought his family was overly religious. They said grace before dinner and he par-

ticipated in religious education classes at their parish, St. Michael the Archangel in Pawcatuck, but “I was just going through the motions,” he said.

It was the same with Sunday Mass. He went every week with his parents and brothers, “but I definitely wasn’t always willing and eager, at least when I was a youngster.”

As he grew older, his feelings about his faith began to change, dramatically so during his junior year at UConn. That spring, he joined college students from around the country on a mission trip to Kentucky.

“These students that I encountered, they talked about their faith, and God and Jesus, like they were real people you could know, and I found it kind of weird at first,” he said. “But reflecting back later, I realized that they had this sense of joy, of contentment, that I didn’t have, and their witness really resonated with me.”

Back in Storrs, Bovino couldn’t get them out of his mind.

“For me, it was this kind of awakening to this sense that these people were living their faith, and this realization that there was substance to why they were doing it,” he said.

He had been going to Sunday Mass on campus since starting at Storrs, but after the trip he began at-

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taking part in FOCUS events on campus and had joined UConn’s Melchizedek Project, where Catholic men “pray about their lives, listen for God’s voice, and get serious about answering His call.”

“The Melchizedek Project educates and inspires Catholic students to consider a vocation to priesthood,” explains its website.

But Bovino still couldn’t envision himself entering the seminary. That would happen later, after graduating from UCONN in 2012 and working for two years as a FOCUS missionary at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

There, he and another missionary lived on the third floor of the Newman Catholic Center, one floor above a Catholic priest who also worked on campus.

“I think that helped me to see the priest as a human being,” and to realize the obvious, he said, that a priest has parents and siblings, and does ordinary things like paperwork, shopping and watching television.

“It just expanded my scope of seeing a priest not just as a priest celebrating Mass on Sunday, but all the other things they do.” And as he began to believe that God might be calling him to a vocation, that was eye-opening and appealing.

For the past eight years, Father Galvin’s job has been to nurture priestly vocations.

The more than 228,000 practicing Catholics in the Norwich Diocese have just 99 diocesan priests to minister to them. Another 48 priests who are members of religious orders help in the diocese’s 76 parishes but are not assigned to churches.

“We know the need for priests is great,” he said. “How many (diocesan priests) would we like to have?

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tending daily Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel there.

“I was seeking other people like them, and I went looking at church.”

He soon met a missionary from the 16-year-old Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

The Rev. Gregory Galvin, Director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of Norwich, described the group’s two-part mission: helping bring young people back to the church and encouraging vocations.

“In parishes they are talking about new evangelism, and this probably right now is the most effective tool we’ve got. This and prayer,” he said.

On its website, FOCUS calls itself “a national outreach that meets college students where they are and invites them into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith.”

The missionary invited Bovino to Bible studies and prayer sessions.

Shortly after, Bovino found what he had been seeking.

“It was more all at once than gradual,” he said. “But while praying and singing, I was just kind of flooded with this sense of peace and joy. And that is where I understood for the first time that heaven is being with God forever. It was at that point that I said, ‘OK, God is real, not just some pie-in-the-sky figment of my imagination.’ And then it was a matter of, ‘OK, what do I do now?’”

“His whole world changed at that point, and for the better,” Paula Bovino said of her son in his junior year. “For whatever reason, Michael always had high moral values, and I think at that point he met a lot of people who had the same morals as he did and he felt comfortable with that.”

By his senior year, Bovino was

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be perfect.”

The church uses a practice called “yoking” to deal with the shortage of priests, linking parishes that are geographically close so they can share priests and responsibilities.

The separate parishes continue, but one pastor oversees several churches and services.

In the Bovinos’ own parish, St. Michael the Archangel, the Very Reverend Dennis Perkins also serves as pastor of St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough and St. Thomas More Church in North Stonington.

“Growing vocations is highly important,” Galvin said. The bishop of the diocese, the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, “heard the angst of a lot of parishioners around the diocese” years ago when they were calling for more English-speaking priests.

“We want to grow our home vocations,” he said. “We know the need is great, yet we have to be patient.”

The six-year seminary process allows time for study and discernment, he said, so both the seminarian and the church can be certain the candidate is making the right decision.

“This whole idea of discernment is just the different stages of figuring out in life what we’re doing,” similar to the process of deciding to marry or to embark on any other major commitment, he said.

As for Michael Bovino, Galvin said, “He’s not just discerning by himself, but with the help of the diocese and the church, looking at his skills, academic and spiritual life, and looking to see, are there priestly characteristics there?”

According to Father Perkins, if Bovino is ordained, he will be the 19th priest in 150 years to come out of St. Michael. “It is a source of pride for the parish when someone from the parish goes to be a priest,” he said.

It is also a source of pride for the family.

It was just about a year ago, in March 2014, when Michael Bovino called home to say he would apply to the seminary.

His mother answered the phone.

“She was very supportive and encouraging,” he recalled. “I didn’t expect anything different from my parents.”

15

Four County Catholic May 2015

“I was in the clouds,” said Mario Bovino, Michael’s paternal grandfather, who lives with the family in Pawcatuck.

“He’s very proud of his grandson, and actually said he’s praying that not just one grandson, but all four of them, become priests,” Paula Bovino said. “And I said, ‘Grandpa, we would like to be grandparents at least once!’”

Michael Bovino remembers the day last summer at Sunday Mass when Father Perkins asked him to stand up and be recognized for choosing the seminary.

“Everyone was very supportive and applauded, and then afterwards, after Mass, everyone, especially the women, came up to my mom to congratulate her,” Bovino said. “It’s almost like they could relate better to her having a son going to the seminary than (to) me.”

“A lot of guys, when they applied, they did not have the support of their family,” he said. “A lot of parents, their hearts are molded, and I’m sure it is difficult to know that your parents don’t support you when you are going to seminary.”

Bovino said he’s received only encouragement from friends and his home and church community, but especially from his family, particularly his grandfather.

“I am 86 years of age and I am praying I can wait another five or six years so Michael can give me the last rites,” Mario Bovino said. “Whenever Michael is home, we are real buddy-buddy. I don’t drive anymore, but Michael will drive me around, and when he’s home, we are a pair.”

“He is like the light in the household,” Paula Bovino said of her son.

“When Michael walks in, he just smiles. And when you are in a bad mood, he just smiles.”

“Whatever Michael has chosen to do, we’ve stood behind him,” his father, Mike Bovino said, adding that he has watched his son grow in the past couple of years. “I almost think it’s like a light went on, and it changed him from the shy, quiet kid he was to more outgoing. We’ve always stood behind him and told him, whatever you do, just be the best that you can be and we will support you 110 percent.”

When the Rev. Kevin M. Reilly of St. Patrick Church in Mystic talked about his own decision to enter the seminary, it struck a chord

with one of his parishioners, Coach Massengale.

“He talked to us about when he was called to the church, and when he was addressing this, I thought, I’m gonna reach out to Mike. I want to touch base with him,” he said.

After speaking to Bovino’s mother, the coach messaged his former student and athlete.

“I never would have seen this coming,” he said of Bovino’s decision to enter the seminary, “but at the same time, it was not a surprise to me when I heard of it.”

The coach said he’s already looking forward to attending Bovino’s ordination and told a former student that he plans to post Bovino’s photo outside the classroom with photos of former team members who have gone on to play football in college.

“It just makes me really proud to know him ... to know a person who has had this experience,” Massengale said.

Michael celebrated his 25th birthday by participating in the Diocese’s annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich, where Bishop Cote, joined by representatives of all 76 parishes, blessed the oils used in sacramental ceremonies.

This Mass dates back to the earliest origins of the Catholic Church, and is considered the most interactive and unifying diocesan event of the year. Bovino, whose role was book bearer, joined other seminarians from the diocese, as well as deacons and priests, in the high ceremony.

Bishop Cote asked the congregation to pray for vocations at the Mass and had the participating seminarians stand and be recognized.

“They are a fine group of young men and we have been greatly favored by God,” he said.

Bovino said he feels his personal relationship with God growing.

“I’m in a place of more peace, certitude, about staying in the seminary,” he said. “I’m taking it day to day, trying to focus, and to be closer to God and more like Jesus. And I’m trusting that if that means being in the seminary and being a priest, or, if it means someday leaving the seminary and getting married, then thank God for that as well.

“I’m just taking it day to day, and it’s amazing just being here walking alongside the Lord.”

Daily Television Masses Available

he of ice of radio and tele­ vision for the archdiocese of Hartford and our diocese, as well as all of Connecticut and be­ yond, offers a Mass daily at 10:00am on Comcast, channel 11, WCCT and channel 20, WTXX. Priests from the Diocese of Nor­ wich volunteer to celebrate the Mass on the irst Wednesday of every month.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you or your ill family members to enjoy the “greatest prayer” that Jesus left for us. You could have the name of your loved one(s) living or deceased placed on the TV screen at the beginning of every Mass for a donation of $10.00 per name. For $50.00 or more donation per name, during the prayer of the faithful,

your loved one(s) name will appear on the screen and will be read aloud by the reader.

We also honor special days you wish to remember, birthdays, bap­ tisms, graduations, weddings, retire­ ment, etc. However, please make sure you notify us at least 2 months in advance. You and your loved ones will be blessed by sharing in these daily celebrations.

All requests must be received by mail at the following address: Of ice of Radio and Television, 15 Peach Orchard Road, Prospect, CT 06712­ 1052. Emergency requests are al­ lowed by phone only for accident victims or those facing unexpected surgery. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Of ice of Radio and Television. We also ac­ cept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover.

For more information please call Fr. John Gatzak at 203­758­7367.

16

Four County Catholic May 2015

Screening of Documentary ‘Unlikely Friends’ Highlights the Healing Power of Forgiveness Old Lyme - Approximately 60 prison ministry volunteers and other interested viewers

By Shelley Wolf FCC Contributor

from throughout the State sat spellbound at Christ the King Church on Saturday, April 25, as they watched the compelling documentary “Unlikely Friends,” about the victims of brutal crimes who — through forgiveness — unexpectedly became friends with their perpetrators.

For some victims interviewed in the film, it was the only way to let go of their unbearable emotional pain and suffering, their hatred and bitterness, their loss and emptiness, and to begin the process of healing.

Victims and family members of victims of all religious faiths in Oklahoma, Wyoming, and California recalled in vivid detail the day they themselves were coldly shot or were informed that their child was killed in a senseless slaying.

In their pain, the crime victims eventually confronted the people

who were responsible for their suffering and loss. As a result, both victims and perpetrators came away seeing themselves and the others in a new light — as broken people on both sides who were forever changed by the tragic crime, rather than as objects or adversaries. In the exchange, the prison inmates were forced to take responsibility for their crimes and acknowledge the impact it had on their victims, their community, and their own families, thereby changing them in the process. For their part, the victims were finally able to let go of their anger and bitterness, achieving a relief and a peace that their friends and community members simply could not understand.

“The perpetrator has his own journey. Forgiveness is for the victim,” one mother in the film said.

This exchange is commonly known as “restorative justice.” As the film pointed out, it’s not for everyone, it doesn’t always work, and it’s not allowed in many states.

But proponents of restorative justice say it can reap benefits for

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From left to right: Mrs. Gina Raymond; Bob Carini, Addictions Specialist; Sister Eileen Hogan, RSM; Leslie Neale, Director, Unlikely Friends.

Photo by Donna Antonacci many of those who seek it. robber returned to the bank to was assigned to Riker’s Island; The controversial and thought- apologize to the teller. According to Robert Carini, a state certified drug provoking documentary was intro- Neale, the teller said, “Thank you and alcohol counselor, and retired duced to the audience by Sheree for coming back. For 12 years, I Connecticut Department of CorAntoch, Director of Prison Min- couldn’t let you go.” “I thought, rections Counselor Supervisor and istry for the Diocese of Norwich. wow, that’s powerful,” Neale said. Program Director at York CorrecFilmmaker Leslie Neale of Chance “And that gave me the idea to do tional Institution; and Gina RayFilms in Santa Monica also ap- this film.” mond, a Spiritual Director and peared in person to give a brief inAfter the showing of “Unlikely volunteer at York Correctional Introduction to her film. Neale is Friends,” filmmaker Leslie Neale stitution. widely known for her work on the and three veterans in prison minOne audience member asked, award-winning films “Road to Re- istry served as panelists for a discus- “What is the single most important turn” and “Juvies.” sion on recent trends in criminal thing people can do to help the Neale said she first got the idea justice, and to answer questions restorative justice cause?” for her most recent film 18 years from the audience.

“Write your legislators,” Leslie ago, when she interviewed a bank The other panelists included Sis- Neale said. robber and the teller he held at ter Eileen Hogan, RSM, the first “Make it your business to be ingunpoint for the film “Road to Re- woman appointed as a New York formed,” Bob Carini advised. “Just turn.” After 12 years in prison, the City Correctional Chaplain, who lock ‘em up and throw away the key is not working.”

“Consider the compassionate part” of the equation, Gina Raymond said. She noted that she has worked with inmates who have FUNERAL HOME, INC. served most of their time, are now suffering with cancer or AIDS, Serving All Faiths • Pre-Need Arrangements and still are not being released.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

“I’ve been making films on criminal justice for 18 years,” Neale said. “Today I see such a change.

California has to reduce its prison population by 40,000 due to economics. We have an open window right now. A lot of great things are happening. Nationwide, more than 70% of voters want rehabilitation.

We need to demand that our dollars be spent on rehabilitation.”

“Pope Francis keeps pushing us

to the edge,” said Sister Eileen Hogan. “He may reenergize us to keep going.”

Another question was asked: “Can you extend restorative justice to addiction-related crimes?”

“Yes,” Carini said, citing instances when inmates had to learn to forgive themselves.

“God hates unfinished business,” Carini said. “I believe in it [restorative justice] completely.”

Rev. Francis A. Liszewski October 3, 1942 - April 20, 2015 Norwich - The Reverend Francis A. Liszewski, retired priest of the Diocese of Norwich, died Monday, April 20, 2015, at St. Mary Home in West Hartford, Connecticut, having been a resident there for many years. He was 72. Father Liszewski, who battled a long progressive illness, is fondly remembered as a courageous, engaging and joyful priest. Father Liszewski was born in Hartford, Connecticut, October 3, 1942, son of the late Bruno S. Liszewski and Mary Kanski Liszewski. He prepared for the priesthood at St. Mary’s College, Orchard Lake, Michigan and Saints Cyril & Methodius Seminary also in Orchard Lake. He was ordained a priest on May 3, 1969 by The Most Reverend Vincent J. Hines, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at the Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich, CT. Father Liszewski served as assistant pastor at St. Agnes in Niantic, St. Mary in Jewett City, St. John in Cromwell and St. Mary in Coventry all within his first 10 years within the Diocese of Norwich. In 1980, Father Liszewski was appointed InstructorAdvocate of the Diocesan Tribunal, and later that year appointed Pastor of St. Jude Parish in West Willington, CT where he faithfully served the parish until his retirement for health reasons in October 1988. Father Liszewski is survived by his brother, Reverend Peter B. Liszewski, Pastor at St. Peter Parish in Higganum, CT.The Funeral Mass was celebrated by the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich, on Friday, April 25 at St. Matthew Church in Tolland. Interment was at St. Bernard Cemetery in Vernon, CT. Memorial dona-

Gina Raymond also emphasized the importance of spiritual retreats in prison and opportunities for the sacrament of Confession. “Retreats are powerful. Somehow they connect inmates to the Divine, giving them an aha-we-get-it moment.”

“So many women haven’t been to Confession in so long,” Raymond added. “I tell them to write it down, then share it with a priest.

When they get out of Confession,

they are 100 pounds lighter. I’m so happy to know they’ve put those burdens away.”

Neale indicated restorative justice might have broad application to drug-related crimes. “Almost 60 percent of all inmates are in for addiction-related crimes,” she said.

“We have to rely on a power that has more answers than we do,” Carini said.

“As a volunteer, you’re going to

tions may be made in honor of Father Liszewski to the Annual Catholic Appeal, 197 Broadway, Norwich, CT. Thank you to the family of Reverend Francis A. Liszewski (brother of Reverend Peter B. Liszewski, Pastor, St. Peter Church, Higganum) for memorial donations made in his name to the Annual Catholic Appeal.

Sister Ann Loughery December 31, 1933 - April 15, 2015 Sister Ann Loughery (Sister Mary Josette) of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas died peacefully on April 15, 2015 at St. Mary Home.

Sister Ann was born in New Britain, December 31, 1933, the daughter of the late Francis and Mary (Ryan) Loughery. At the age of 18 she entered the Sisters of Mercy, September 8, 1951, and professed religious vows 3 years later. Sister taught in elementary schools throughout Connecticut and for 20 years was principal and skillful administrator of St. Mary School in New London. In 2000, Ann in characteristic fashion, accepted the difficult assignment to close permanently the historic St. Joseph Cathedral Parish elementary school. The necessary task with all its complexities, having to relocate the student population, was accomplished with grace and dignity in 2001. Ever sensitive to the needs of others, Sister ministered as Pastoral Associate at St. Patrick Parish in East Hampton. She was drawn to deepen her passionate commitment to serve others through direct service of the poor at St. Vincent DePaul soup kitchen in Middletown as Administrative Coordinator until her retirement. Those wishing to make a donation in Sister Ann’s memory are asked

be disappointed,” Carini added.

“And when it comes to [addiction] recovery, we don’t control the process. Accept that it doesn’t always work. But people are changed eventually. So small efforts add up over time.”

For further reading: The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration Has Hijacked the American Dream by Brian E. Moran and the Malta Justice Initiative.

to consider the Sisters of Mercy, 55 East Cedar St., Newington 06111 or St. Vincent DePaul Place, P.O Box 398, Middletown 06457. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com.

Archbishop Kurtz Pays Tribute to Former USCCB President Cardinal George Washington “Cardinal Francis E. George, OMI, retired Archbishop of Chicago and president of the USCCB from 2007-2010, was an exemplary servant of the Church, distinguished by his kindness and intellect,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of USCCB. Cardinal George, who retired in 2014, died April 17, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 78. Archbishop Kurtz’s statement follows: “The death of an exemplary churchman such as Cardinal Francis George brings much sadness at a time of joy and resurrection. We find peace in knowing that, after so much suffering, he has been raised up with our Lord. As archbishop of Chicago and president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, Cardinal George led as a kindly servant and unmatched intellectual, a man who encouraged everyone to see how God makes us all brother and sister to one another. I join with my brother bishops in thanking God for the gift of his witness and invite all to pray for the faithful repose of his soul.”

18

Four County Catholic May 2015

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Connecticut Assisted Suicide Bills Dies in Committee For the past three years, the assisted suicide lobby in Connecticut has introduced an asBy Alex Schadenberg

sisted suicide bill, paid lobbyists to promote the bill, and then a coalition of people opposing assisted suicide successfully defeat the bill.

Disability right group, Second Thoughts Connecticut, in coalition with other groups working in a unified manner, such as the Family Institute of Connecticut, have defeated the assisted suicide bills in Connecticut three years in a row.

An article by Daniela Altimari

in the Hartford Courant states that assisted suicide bill - HB 7015 has likely died in committee again. The article quotes Michael Culhane who explaines how the bill was defeated: Opponents have been counting votes since the bill was drafted in February and knew support was weak, he said.

Culhane said the measure’s failure to move forward was due to a large and diverse coalition that worked together to persuade legislators that the bill was bad public policy.

It was a collective effort that produced the results.

Stephen Mendelsohn, from

Second Thoughts Connecticut, stated: “We would urge the General Assembly to focus on improving hospice, palliative care and home care ...rather than continue to waste time on an issue that has now been rejected three years in a row without a committee vote... Three strikes and you are out.”

Assisted suicide bills, such as the Connecticut bill, are defeated when a unified coalition of people from differing perspectives and political ideologies work together for the sole purpose of protecting people from assisted suicide.

Defending Religious Liberty The federal health care mandate tramples on religious liberty because: it coerces objecting employers, including religious organizations, to offer coverage that goes against their moral principles, and forces employees who share the same objections to do the same.

If you haven’t done so already, please voice your opposition to the federal health care mandate by calling U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell at 202-205-5445. Let her know that the mandate is in violation of our First Amendment right to religious freedom.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

The Joy of Motherhood Through the Lens of Adoption

By Susan Sedensky Director of Adoption Programs, Catholic Charities

Jesus, and children celebrate their own mothers on Mother’s Day. In appreciation of all mothers, the following article, written by a new adoptive mother, reminds us of the joy that motherhood brings: This was it, it was going to be the best moment of my life. I couldn’t wait to leave work early to hear my baby’s heartbeat and to say

good-bye to the entire first trimester of my pregnancy—after almost a year of trying to have a baby, we had made it! My husband and I had picked the name Noah (we were both convinced that this was a little boy and we wanted his name to acknowledge the gift that God would be giving us). One hour later, when no heartbeat could be detected and no one could drive me home from my doctor’s appointment, I knew what sorrow was. As I drove home, changed into my pajamas and crawled into my bed to sob uncon-

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trollably, I uttered those fateful words spoken by Christ, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The next morning as I woke up to be driven to the hospital for the surgical procedure that would, according to my doctor’s be the less painful route to say good-bye to Noah, a huge rainbow shown across the sky. My faith was momentarily restored—I thought of God’s covenant with Noah and figured that as the flood waters were rising, it was time for me to put my faith back in God. I knew that I could not go down this path again, and so I opened a new door. This one led me to Catholic Charities and Susan Sedensky. I remember the day like it was yesterday Sue gave me such great comfort as I cried telling her my story and talking about how much adoption would mean to my husband and I. Things had to get better, right? Wrong again, my father-in-law soon returned home from Chicago with Stage 4 lung cancer, his prognosis, from the outset was grim. He died a mere six months later. There would be no pot of gold at the end of my rainbow after all—or so I thought.

Two days before his death, out of nowhere, we heard from Sue about a high school student who was pregnant and chose us to be the parents of her child.

We met Autumn two days after my father-in-law’s death. It was the first moment of happiness we had had in months. Over chocolate pancakes and eggs we shared our beliefs and traditions, Autumn and her family did as well. As fate often dictates, our traditions and beliefs were intertwined with each other.

Autumn shared a picture of the

baby’s ultrasound and my heart melted. There was hope that the baby in that picture would be the baby that my husband and I had waited for all of these years. All of my hopes and dreams were wrapped up in that photo.

As the months progressed so did our hope. Autumn and Sue kept in regular contact. I came to know and love Autumn as an incredibly intelligent, selfless, loving, giving, and amazing young woman. We attended ultrasound appointments to find out that the little one was a girl, Autumn asked my husband and I to be there for the birth… .and then it happened. The greatest day of my life. After roughly 12 hours of labor and six or seven pushes, Ava Danielle took her first breath, and I was blessed enough to be there with Autumn for every

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During the month of May, Catholics traditionally focus on Mary, the most perfect mother of

second of it. When Ava was born, we immediately shared tears and hugs. It was amazing how all things came together. That evening, I remember holding Ava to my chest and thanking God. Autumn chose open adoption and it is a wonderful thing, my husband and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Ava will always be uniquely connected to her birth mother and birth family. She will have the opportunity to know her identity and more importantly, be loved by a multitude of people.

Ava is an amazing baby who has brought so much joy to my life and my husband’s. She, like her name means, “life,” has breathed just that into our family. As I sit here writing this listening to Ava breath and watching her move her tiny fingers I can’t help but think and say aloud to her, “You are the very best thing.”

In celebration of families formed through adoption, our 1st Annual Adoption Picnic will be held on August 2nd. Food, games, a swimming pool and hula hoop entertainment will be provided. If your family has been touched by adoption, please RSVP the Adoption Program at (860) 889 - 8346, ext.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

American Sisters Accept Vatican Reforms on Doctrine, Theology Vatican City - In a joint report marking the conclusion of a multiyear mandate for reform, members

By Elise Harris CNA/EWTN News

of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) have agreed to corrections called for by the Vatican, and said they will continue on the path of dialogue.

“We are pleased at the completion of the mandate, which involved long and challenging exchanges of our understandings of and perspectives on critical matters of Religious Life and its practice,” Sr. Sharon Holland, IHM, President of LCWR, said in an April 16 press release.

Officials of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle and officers of the LCWR met at the Vatican April 16.

Although she was unable to attend the Vatican meeting, Sr. Holland said that “we learned that what we hold in common is much greater than any of our differences.”

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said in the press release that “the Congregation is confident that LCWR has made clear its mission to support its member institutes by fostering a vision of religious life that is centered on the person of Jesus Christ and is rooted in the Tradition of the Church.”

This vision, he said, “makes religious women and men radical witnesses to the Gospel, and, therefore, is essential for the flourishing of religious life in the Church.”

Archbishop Sartain, who in 2012 was charged with leading their reform, presented a joint report with members of the LCWR on the implementation of the congregation’s Doctrinal Assessment and Mandate, which was issued in April 2012.

The joint report outlines the process in which the implementation of the mandate has been carried out. With the congregation’s acceptance of the joint report, the Vatican’s doctrinal assessment of the LCWR has come to a close.

Members of the LCWR leadership met with Pope Francis following the official publication of the final report.

With some 1,500 members, the

LCWR constitutes about 3 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States. However, the group says it represents 80 percent of American sisters since its members are leaders of their respective religious communities.

In April 2012, the Vatican released the findings of a four year doctrinal assessment of the women’s conference, which found a state of doctrinal crisis within the organization, and raised concerns of dissent from Church teaching on topics including homosexuality, the sacramental priesthood and the divinity of Christ.

Among the assessment’s key findings were serious theological and doctrinal errors in presentations at the conference’s recent annual assemblies. Some presentations depicted a vision of religious life incompatible with the Catholic faith, or attempted to justify dissent from Church doctrine and showed “scant regard for the role of the Magisterium,” the assessment found.

At the same time, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith assigned Archbishop Sartain to oversee the conference’s reform, and he was given a mandate of up to five years to help the LCWR review and revise their statues, formation materials, presentations, events and links with affiliated organizations.

A key topic the report addressed was the mandate’s call for a careful review of the LCWR’s publications and programs to ensure that they are faithful to Church teachings.

The conference said that the nature of their publications is intended to address spiritual matters rather than engage in formal theological inquiry, since their audience extends beyond members of the Catholic Church.

However, because of the “vital link between spirituality and theology” as well as the goal to both inspire and grow as women religious, the report consented that all of their publications “need a sound doctrinal foundation.”

“To this end, measures are being taken to promote a scholarly rigor that will ensure theological accuracy and help avoid statements that are ambiguous with regard to Church doctrine or could be read as contrary

to it,” the report stated.

It was also noted that a publications advisory committee has been put into place, and that all manuscripts will be reviewed by “competent theologians, as a means of safeguarding the theological integrity of the Conference.”

The choice of assembly topics and speakers – which has been one of the most contested points of the LCWR’s reform mandate – was also addressed in the report.

In order to stay faithful to their mission and service in the Church, the selection of discussion topics and speakers will be carried out in “a prayerful, thoughtful and discerning manner,” according to the report.

In 2012, the same year the original assessment was released, the conference hosted philosopher Barbara Marx Hubbard, an author and promoter of “Conscious Evolution” as the keynote speaker for their annual general assembly.

Since then, the concept – which Cardinal Müller cautioned opposes Christian revelation – has been featured heavily in LCWR materials.

“When taken unreflectively,” the cardinal said, the fundamentals of Conscious Evolution “lead almost necessarily to fundamental errors regarding the omnipotence of God, the Incarnation of Christ, the reality of original sin, the necessity of salvation and the definitive nature of the salvific action of Christ in the Paschal Mystery.”

However, the joint report assures that the LCWR will select speakers and presenters who speak “with integrity and to further the aims and purposes of the conference, which unfold within the wider context of the Church’s faith and mission.”

“When a topic explicitly addresses matters of faith, speakers are expected to employ the ecclesial language of faith,” the report reads.

“When exploring contemporary issues, particularly those which, while not explicitly theological nevertheless touch upon faith and morals, LCWR expects speakers and presenters to have due regard for the Church’s faith and to pose questions for further reflection in a manner that suggests how faith might shed light on such issues.”

The report also announced that they have revised the process for selecting the recipient of their Out-

standing Leadership Award, which in 2014 was given to Sister Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. – a theologian whom the U.S. bishops have criticized for serious doctrinal errors, including misrepresentations of Church teaching on God. The joint report also recognized the revision of the LCWR’s statues, which have been changed to clarify the conference’s role as “a public juridic person centered on Jesus Christ and faithful to the teachings of the Church.”

The revised Statutes were approved Feb. 6, 2015, with an official Decree from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Other topics emphasized in the report were the importance of celebrating the Eucharist and the need to pray the traditional Liturgy of the Hours prayer in religious commu-

nities.

The centrality of a communal process of contemplative prayer practiced at LCWR Assemblies and other gatherings, the relationship between LCWR and other organizations and the essential understanding of LCWR as an instrument of ecclesial communion were also discussed.

The report closes with an expression of gratitude for the “clarifying and fruitful conversation” that has taken place throughout the mandate process.

“The very fact of such substantive dialogue between bishops and religious has been a blessing to be appreciated and further encouraged,” it read, and highlighted the commitment of the LCWR leadership to its “crucial role” in serving the conference, as well as bearing witness to the vocation of religious life.

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CONFIRMATION Bibles, Jewelry, Patron Saint Medals, Charm and Rosary Bracelets, Crosses/CrucifIxes, Rosaries, Prayer Books, Giftware, Party Goods, Greeting Cards, Invitations, RC.I.A & Sponsor Gifts.

R.C.I.A. ~ FIRST RECONCILIATION WEDDINGS ~ ANNIVERSARIES ~ ORDINATIONS MOTHER’S & FATHER’S DAY ~ GRADUATION Giftware and Greeting Cards We also carry: Rosary Beads, Jewelry, Music, Books, Bibles, Indoor & Outdoor Statues, Crucifixes, Wall Crosses/Crucifixes, Eternal Lights & Candles, Greeting Cards for all occasions, Missals, Prayer Books & Cards, Giftware for Sacramental Celebrations, DVD's, Baptism Gifts for children and adults.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

10th Annual Catholic Charities GOLF TOURNAMENT tà Fox Hopyard Golf Club, East Haddam, CT Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Registration 10:30 am • Lunch 11:30 am • Shotgun Start 1:00 pm • Awards & Hor d'oeuvres 6:00 pm

For more information or to register, contact: Christine Jackel at 860-886-1928 x12 or cjackel@norwichdiocese.net

Sponsorship Opportunities PLATINUM $6,000

GOLD $3,500

SILVER $2,500

BRONZE $1,200

Highest profile on all promotional materials. Name included in all media-related materials. Name and logo as an official sponsor on our website. Highest profile on sponsor board.

Name on golf carts. Signage. One foursome included.

High profile on all promotional materials.

Name and logo as an official sponsor on our website.

High profile on sponsor board. Name on golfer gifts or golf carts. 2 golfers included.

Selective recognition in all promotional materials.

Company name on sponsor board.

Name and logo as an official sponsor on our website.

Recognition on table tents name during meals.

Company name on sponsor board.

Name included in all promotional materials. Name and logo as an official sponsor on our website.

CLOSEST TO THE PIN $350

LONGEST DRIVE $350

PRACTICE GREEN $350

TEE SIGN $200

Company name on sign placed at Closest to the Pin Tee. Company name on the sponsor board.

Company name on sign placed at the Longest Drive Tee. Company name on sponsor board.

Company name on sign placed at Practice Green.

Company name on sponsor board.

Companhy name on sign at one of the 18 Tees throughout the day. Company name displayed on sponsor board.

This ad space donated by ShopRite, the tournament’s leading sponsor and generous supporter of the good works of Catholic Charities in the Norwich and New London communities.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

The children of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Lebanon, recently donated $1111.18 to the Haitian Health Foundation for the purchase of 7 goats in the Give a Goat program. The Give a Goat program distributes pregnant goats to rural families in Haiti. These hardy animals are adaptive to the hilly terrain and easy to raise. The goat project allows these poor families to become financially self-sufficient. The children raised the money during the entire school year as part of their CCD classes. Fr. Mark Masnicki presented the check to Deacon Michael Puscas, a volunteer with the Haitian Health Foundation. www.HaitianHealthFoundation.org.

Submitted by James Hay, Director of Religious Education.

The Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti held its 8th Annual Gala Saturday, April 18, at Saint Clements Castle in Portland. This diocesan ministry serves the poor in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, and has done so for almost 30 years. This gala is their major fund-raiser for the year.

You can get an invitation to next years gala by contacting Outreach to Haiti at 860-887-1019, or info@outreachtohaiti.org, and requesting to be put on the invite list for next year. Photo: Board of Director Andrew Hoffman celebrates the Outreach to Haiti Gala at St. Clements Castle with his daughters. Left to right - Meg Simms (East Greenwich, RI), Drew Hoffman (Ormond Beach, Fl) and Sue Correll (Middletown, CT).

Sacred Heart, Norwichtown

Reverend Michael Gill, Pastor

Address: 52 West Town Street, Norwichtown, CT 06360-2296 Phone: 860-887-1030 Email: sacredheart06360@gmail.com Sunday Masses: 7:30am & 10:30am (Saturday 4:00pm) Weekday Masses: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00am Confessions: Saturday 3:30pm

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Four County Catholic May 2015

St. Patrick Cathedral School, Norwich 860-889-4174 www.St-patrickschoolnorwich.org

Academic Excellence. Character. Self-confidence.

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 Paul II Regional School, Middletown 860-347-2978 www.jpii.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 St. Joseph School, New London 860-442-1720 www.sjsnl.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 860-875-0753 x113 www.saintbernardchurch.org

6th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner Honorees Announced On April 23, 2015, The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop

By Kathy Gaito Stewardship Coordinator, Office of Development

of Norwich, announced the recipients of the 2015 Most Reverend Michael R. Cote Award for Contributions to

Catholic Education in the Diocese of Norwich. This year’s recipients, Brother Lawrence Harvey, CFX, Sister Mary A. McCarthy, RSM and Mrs. Kathleen R. Clancy, will be honored at the 6th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner to be held on Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. at The Riverhouse at Good-

speed Station in Haddam, Connecticut.

The honorees were chosen based on their service to Catholic education.

Each of these individuals has made a significant contribution to the teaching of children within our Catholic schools.

Their careers have placed them at the forefront of teaching and leading chil-

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

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Four County Catholic May 2015

dren in our Catholic faith. The Seton Scholarship Dinner recognizes these contributions and celebrates our Catholic schools. All proceeds from the Seton Scholarship Dinner assist elementary school students in the Diocese of Norwich in the form of tuition assistance.

Brother Lawrence Harvey, CFX is a member of the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier (Xaverian Brothers), a Roman Catholic community of lay religious founded in Bruges, Belgium in 1839.

Brother Lawrence currently serves as the Director of Mission Advancement for the Congregation. In this role, he oversees the ways the Congregation seeks support for its mission, but also works with the General Superior and leadership of the Congregation to create mission plans for the various regions and ministries of the Congregation, especially in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and South Sudan.

Brother Lawrence has over 30 years of experience in Catholic education, especially in administration and in the area of school governance. He served for twelve years at Xavier High School, Middletown, Connecticut as a teacher of English and Religion, Campus Minister, and for six years as the school’s Principal.

Brother Lawrence also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at St. Bernard School, Uncasville.

Sister Mary A. McCarthy, RSM, began her teaching career

at the junior high and high school level. Less than a decade of teaching culminated in her appointment as Lauralton Hall’s Assistant Principal in 1972.

Three years later Sister went to Middletown when she accepted the position of Dean of Studies at Mercy High School. In 1978 she was named Principal of Mercy High School and held that position for thirty-four years. She has remained at Mercy, and in 2012, Sister Mary became the first President of the school.

Sister Mary has served on many community and church boards, and is currently serving on the Board of Trustees, St. Bernard School, Uncasville, Connecticut; Norwich Diocesan Ministries Evaluation Committee; Southern Connecticut Conference Athletic League and Mercy Secondary Education Association to name a few. Active in professional and community service organizations, Sister Mary currently serves as a Eucharistic Minister and as a member of the National Visioning Committee for Mercy Education.

Mrs. Kathleen R. Clancy has been actively involved with teaching and mentoring children since graduating from Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Child Study and a minor concentration in English. Having attended Catholic schools, Mrs. Clancy knows first-hand the value of a Catholic education.

After completing her Masters of Education, Special Education

Learning Disabilities, in 1980 from Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island, her commitment to Catholic education led Mrs. Clancy to Saint Michael School in Pawcatuck, Connecticut where she served for thirtyfour years in the positions of Kindergarten teacher, Assistant Principal and Interim Principal.

Dr. Edward Shine, Superintendent of Schools, knows first-hand the hard work and dedication that these three individuals have brought to our Catholic Schools…

“Our colleagues have utilized their God-given talents to help mentor the children in the Diocese of Norwich and make our Catholic schools better institutions of learning. Combined they have close to 100 years of service in Catholic education. How fortunate for our young people to have such caring, talented and spiritual individuals as their educators.”

Since its inception in 2010, the Seton Scholarship Dinner has raised and distributed more than $177,000 for Catholic education.

This year’s Seton Scholarship Dinner planning committee is hard at work to make the 6th Annual Dinner our most successful yet. Anyone who would like to purchase a sponsorship, program advertisement, donate an item to the raffle or purchase tickets, please contact Kathy Gaito, Stewardship Coordinator, Diocese of Norwich Office of Development at 860.886.1928 ext. 15 or kgaito@norwichdiocese.net.

Father Brian Maxwell’s PILGRIMAGE TO THE CANADIAN NATIONAL SHRINES Enjoy a beautiful 4-day pilgrimage Monday, June 22nd-Thursday, June 25th to Our Lady of the Cape, Canadian National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother, St. Anne de Beaupre, St. Joseph’s Oratory, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Beavoir - Shrine to the Sacred Heart and others throughout Quebec. $400 per person double occupancy.

Price includes deluxe motor coach, shrine hotel, all meals & tips for all 4 days. A valid U.S. Passport or Passport Card is required.

For more information and applications, please call Fr. Brian at (860) 267-6644 ext. 4 or email: fr.brianst.pats@gmail.com Application deadline is Saturday May 16, 2015.

St. Mary – St. Joseph School 35 Valley Street – Willimantic, CT 06226 860-423-8479 • www.smsjschool.org

A Magnet School for Values

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PreK—3 year olds (3 half days) PreK – 4 year olds full or half days Full day Kindergarten – Gr.8 Before and after school care Weekly Art, P.E., Music, Library, Technology Classes Student to Teacher Ratio: 18:1 Challenging academic program

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Supported financially and spiritually by 10 parishes in the Middletown Deanery.

Currently the only regional Pre-K to 8th grade school in the Norwich Diocese.

St. John Paul II Regional Catholic School 87 South Main Street / Middletown, CT 06457 Telephone: 860-347-2978 / www.jpii.org

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Four County Catholic May 2015

IMMACULATA RETREAT HOUSE A Ministry of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate 289 Windham Road, Rte. 32 Willimantic, Connecticut

SENIOR RENEWAL DAY: Father Roger Couture, OMI, invites all seniors to join him for this month’s program entitled “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” on Wednesday, May 20, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Offering is $10.00 and includes lunch.

FRENCH HERITAGE DAY: On Sunday, June 14, beginning with Mass at 11:00AM, Immaculata will host a French Heritage Day, celebrating the FrenchCanadian heritage of the area and the retreat ministry here at Immaculata. Come and join us for French-Canadian food, friends, music and much more. To register, please call Immaculata, so that we can properly plan for the celebration.

To register or for more information: Phone: 860-423-8484 E-mail: info@immaculataretreat.org

Keeping Score & Winning Big: A ‘30 Under 30’ Honoree Reflects On Sunday night the email landed in Mike Foss’ inbox: He had been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” the business magazine’s annual list of rising stars younger

By Christina Capecchi Four County Catholic Contributor

than 30. Mike Foss, the soccer player from Springfield, Va., the kid who had been homeschooled through 12th grade. This sent Facebook abuzz: boldfaced evidence that homeschooling actually works.

Once the announcement was made on the first Monday of January, inquiring minds began lobbing questions at Mike’s mom, Elizabeth. How did she do it? What curriculum had she used?

What colleges did she recommend? What was the exact formula of devotions, multivitamins and Mozart?

“Y’all,” she wrote on her blog that Friday, “I have no idea!”

But when pressed, the mother of nine reflected on her news-making firstborn, a 26-year-old Catholic. “Michael learned his most important lessons at the dinner table. All I really did was cook the meal. His daily repartee on

Twitter? Totally sounds like banter among my boys. His brothers are as much behind that award as I am,” Elizabeth wrote. “Iron sharpens iron.”

She credited her husband, a sports broadcaster and mentor, and mused about “the effect of having nursed [Mike] in nearly every college sports venue up and down the East Coast,” elaborating: “We hung together. The lot of us.

Every day. All the time. That’s being educated by his real life.”

Mike’s first post-college job brought him to USA Today. He was working as a senior social media editor when he began developing a new sports website intended to be an entry point to the paper’s main website. During a coffee-fueled period of eight months he hired 10 people, reserved some 20 web domains and got married.

“It was insane,” Mike told me.

“I don’t remember sleeping.”

The vision was to create a site with a delicate mix of original sports features and aggregated articles – journalistic standards plus blogging agility – chronicled in a more earnest voice than the average sports story and aimed at a broader audience.

“For The Win” launched on April 22, 2013, and became one of the fastest growing mobile web-

sites in history.

“We won,” Mike said, “big time.”

He believes his entrepreneurial spirit was fostered by the countercultural decision to homeschool – why do things like everyone else?

– and the freedom to customize his education.

He’s now a sought-after tech star and, for better or worse, a serious contender in the frenetic pursuit of online popularity. “There’s always a score, in terms of performance,” he said. “I’m competitive.”

That results in long work days perched behind a 30-inch computer monitor with an iPad and iPhone at his side and a flat-screen TV mounted above alternating between CNN and ESPN. The blinking, linking 24/7 digital world can render the mind a hamster wheel. Mike tries to counteract it by unplugging every evening. He loves comic books and C.S. Lewis, just finished his fifth read of “Mere Christianity.”

The twin pillars of his life, faith and family, keep his ego in check.

“I don’t get absorbed in any of it.

That plays into family unit. You sit around a table at a Foss family dinner and it doesn’t matter who you are: We roast each other.”

Attending Mass, he said, quiets any pressure to continue on a headline-making career path. “You listen to a homily or look up at the cross and it puts things in perspective. It makes it easier to be present in the faith and to be present in your life.”

And if you ask his mom, who became a grandma one year ago when Mike’s daughter, Lucy, was born, her son’s over-30 work will be even more significant. “He’s only just begun to answer God’s call in his life.”

Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., and the editor of SisterStory.org.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Saint Bernard School Curriculum Infused with 21st-Century Skills The 2015-2016 year will be a year of incredible advances for Saint Bernard School. Saint Submitted by Susan Griffin Director of Marketing and Communications, SBS

Bernard School and Marist College, in Poughkeepsie, New York recently announced a collaborative effort to upgrade the college preparatory school’s technology infrastructure. The Saint Bernard School Board of Directors unanimously voted to support this initiative. This is the first project funded by the Hendricks Challenge, a multi-year, $3 million advancement plan earmarked for building improvements that will begin in June.

“Our benefactors have set the stage for Saint Bernard School to become a flagship in the practical and proper use of information technology.” said Headmaster Donald Macrino “Saint Bernard School offers an excellent, classical academic program, but the emerging global digital revolution demands that we make the use of technology a cornerstone of the Saint Bernard experience. We have committed to graduate young men and women who have a broad global perspective and who will be able to face the challenges of a world that has suddenly become

much smaller. The informed use of technology will greatly empower them to meet these challenges.”

Through the joint initiative, Saint Bernard School students will be able to access a collegiate-level digital curriculum delivered from Marist’s New York Cloud Computing and Analytics Center. The shared research partnership between Saint Bernard and Marist College to deploy a full opensource digital education system, an advanced high-speed campus network, and a complete web portal solution fosters Saint Bernard’s mission while preparing students for a successful future through the use of leading-edge technologies.

With the aid of this technology, Saint Bernard will launch a Global Studies program, beginning with the Class of 2019. Students will have the opportunity to earn a Global Studies Certificate by participating in additional lectures, workshops and course offerings.

Students will gain perspective and skills to appreciate differences in cultures and institutional conditions, understand global forces bearing on societies, and effectively engage in a cross –cultural environment. Armed with a global awareness, a confidence in self, and a powerful moral compass, students will be prepared for the

highly dynamic and competitive world in which they live.

Saint Bernard School fundamental values of scholarship, spirit, and community define the schools approach to education and institutional vision. This new shared educational delivery methodology disrupts the traditional learning model by providing middle and high school students access to cutting-edge technology infrastructures found within higher education to support a challenging college preparatory curricula.

“Traditional K-12 technology infrastructure environments limit the ability to properly acclimate students to the future of higher education,” said Bill Thirsk, Vice President of Information Technology / CIO at Marist College.

“Saint Bernard School’s decision to implement an advanced high-

speed campus network, upgrade their computers, and move to college level digital education pro-

vides Saint Bernard students an incredible advantage in college readiness.”

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Four County Catholic May 2015

◆ Renowned college preparatory boarding school for young men who have not yet realized their potential. ◆ Located in scenic southeastern Connecticut

Drama Club Back at St. John School - Over thirty 5th to 8th graders were the cast and crew of the St. John School Drama Club production, “Twinderella,” led by their coaches, Sister Gabriela (2nd grade teacher) and Ann Corcoran (5th grade teacher), assisted by St. John School alumna, Molly Sullivan. Great job by all and looking forward to next year’s show!

Submitted Mother Elaine, SCMC, Principal, St. John School, Old Saybrook.

Rejoice in Hope St. Michael’s Institute of Sacred Art

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May 31 ­ June 5

With Harvest Crittenden and Sister Eugenia Brady, CSJ

With Father Eugene Hensell, OSB

June 21 ­ 25

June 17 ­ With Kathy Irr

Contemporary Mosaics in the Sacred Tradition With A. Vonn Hartung June 28 ­ July 5

Contemporary Relief Woodcarving in the Sacred Tradition With A. Vonn Hartung

Day of Recollection Spirituality Rocks

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Four County Catholic May 2015

by Karen H Whiting

Pentecost and God’s Love Swish! Whoosh! A violent wind swirled through the house and tongues of fire rested on the heads of each person there. Zap! Everyone in the house felt different. Their hearts filled with courage and they spoke like never before.

They said words in their language but the people outside heard the words in their own languages. They spoke Hebrew but anyone from Greece listening heard it in Greek. Anyone listening who spoke Aramaic heard them speak in Aramaic. The miracle caused many people to listen and believe that Jesus rose. Three thousand people chose to be baptized and follow Jesus.

The church began that day, as people understood God’s love.

The readings in May keep reminding us that God the Father loves us; and Jesus, God the Son, loves us. We are also told that God wants us to love one another. He sent us a helper, God the Holy Spirit, to guide us and help us follow God. On May 24th we celebrate when God the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. Rejoice and wear red as a reminder of the tongues of flames. Show you love one another with hugs, good deeds, and kind words.

Did You Know?

This month is a special month to think about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

It’s time to do as she did and say yes when God calls us to do something.

May 10 Mother’s Day. Be sure to show your mom you love her!

May 18 Visit your Relatives Day. If you can’t visit your relatives in person, visit online or call them. Read how Mary visited a relative in Luke 1:39-39-44.

May 25 Memorial Day and Armed Forces Month.

Pray for soldiers.

Mother’s Day Prayer God our creator, we come before You and lift up in prayer all mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers to be who gave the gift of life.

We give you thanks for their presence, talents and gifts which they share in our church, society and world. May all mothers know of Your loving and gentle presence and may they always turn towards You in times of joy, sorrow and glory. We ask this in Your Name. Amen.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Cubans Welcome News of Pope’s Visit in September Havana - Cubans welcomed the news Wednesday that Pope Francis will visit in September, with many

By Anne-Marie Garcia Associated Press

calling it a powerful reinforcement of his support for detente between the United States and Cuba.

The Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Francis would visit Cuba on his way to the United States, but didn’t provide details or dates.

Francis has been credited with helping the United States and Cuba reach a historic rapprochement by writing to the leaders of both countries and having the Vatican host their delegations for the final negotiations. Francis’ visit to Cuba would be a way for him to push the process forward. “His pastoral visit will serve to confirm his help for this process and the Church’s traditional interest in peace and the good of all people,� said Orlando Marquez, editor of a magazine published by the Archdiocese of Havana.

Francis is scheduled to visit three U.S. cities starting around Sept. 23. He will address Congress and meet with President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, address the United

Nations in New York and attend a church rally for families in Philadelphia. “His being in Cuba and then going to the U.S. means that he’s going to meet with both presidents. Symbolically, it’s the continuation of what he’s done, a message of closing distances between people,� said Monsignor Jose Felix Perez, spokesman for Cuba’s conference of Catholic bishops. “It’s a great help to this moment in history between Cuba and the United States.�

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI followed up with a 2012 trip during which he voiced the Vatican’s long-standing position that the U.S. embargo was unjust and only hurt the most vulnerable on the island.

Francis also has spoken out against the sanctions while also condemning socialism.

The church is planning to restore a dozen more churches, parish houses and other buildings in Cuba as part of quiet reconciliation between the Holy See and the government that has brought relations to a historic high point.

Authorities have also given permission for the construction of the first two new churches in more than five decades.

The Church and the Cuban government were in a state of open hostility in the years immediately after the 1959 revolution that put Fidel Castro in power. But a thaw began in the 1990s as Cuba removed a constitutional clause declaring the country an officially atheist state. Pope John Paul II paid a momentous visit in 1998

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and urged a new era of openness between Cuba and the world, saying that Cuba should “open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba.�

Experts say the percentage of Cubans who are practicing Catholics remains well below that of most of the rest of Latin America. Many of the practicing

Catholics in Cuba rejoiced at Wednesday’s announcement. “This visit by the pope, besides the help that he gave to detente between Cuba and the United States, gives me a lot of faith that life will get better and there are better days ahead for the Cuban people,� said Catalina Rita, a 65-year-old street performer.

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Four County Catholic May 2015

Not Just Pretty Pictures: Church Art is Catechetical Storybook of Faith Vatican City (CNS) - Having so much world-famous art housed in Rome’s churches and chapels has risked turning the city’s sacred spaces into sightseer circuses.

A hushed prayerful atmosphere for the faithful is often broken by clicking cameras and tourists exchanging guidebook details.

But one Rome attraction has managed to hold on to its spiritual side, according to the rector of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs.

Located across a busy street from the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the sanctuary remains “a place of prayer” even as thousands of people stream through its doors every day, Passionist Fr. Francesco Guerra told Catholic News Service.

“It is felt to be a sacred place” not just by Catholics and Orthodox Christians, but even people of other faiths like Hindus and Buddhists as they are drawn to the sanctuary’s spiritual atmosphere, he said in early March.

“Our job is to keep the Holy Stairs a holy place,” he whispered as he pointed to what he saw as a sign of success: two tourists quietly and respectfully walking through a chapel while a dozen faithful were seated or standing in prayer.

The Gospel story of Jesus driving the money-changers out of the temple is a kind of mandate about the importance of keeping these spaces focused on the sacred, he said. “Even if it’s a place of great art, a church is always a place of prayer,” Guerra said.

The Holy Stairs, according to tradition, are the ones Jesus climbed when Pontius Pilate brought him before the crowd and handed him over to be crucified. The 28 marble steps, some spattered with droplets of blood, are covered with thick wood panels, now worn smooth from centuries of human traffic. It’s said that Constantine’s mother, St. Helen, brought the stairs to Rome from Jerusalem in 326 A.D. From the moment people walk into the sanctuary, they are surrounded by images and symbols associated with the Passion.

Overhead in the atrium, fres-

coed angels carry the cross, ladder, nails, spear, sponge and chalice, and, standing at each stairwell are life-sized marble statues: Jesus weeping in the Garden of Gethsemane; Judas confidently pulling a pensive Jesus close for a kiss; Pontius Pilate presenting Jesus bound and crowned with thorns to the

people; and Jesus tied to a column for flagellation. With the statues’ pedestals at shoulder-level, people kiss or touch Jesus’ feet.

“People need this concreteness” as part of entering into a deeper form of self-examination and meditation, Guerra said.

The Sanctuary of the Holy

Stairs is like a catechetical storybook, whose wall-to-ceiling frescoes take pilgrims on a visual journey of Christ’s passage from the Last Supper to his passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

A unique feature of the sanctuary is that pilgrims climb the Holy Stairs on their knees in silent prayer.

Advancing up the relic on one’s knees and seeing the images around them “help the pilgrims enter into the spirituality of those events” and focus on Jesus’ passion, he said.

“They physically take on a condition that is outside the norm, they’re not walking, but laboring, sacrificing to get up the stairs, which helps the spirit” engage in the penitential and sacrificial aspects of the Passion, he said.

“We don’t just have minds, we also have bodies, which here become part of the act of prayer,” he said.

With the help of private donors and the Patrons of the Arts in the

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Vatican Museums, the Vatican Museums have been overseeing a decadelong piecemeal restoration of the sanctuary, starting with the chapel dedicated to St. Sylvester and a chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence.

John Gildea from Connecticut underwrote the restoration of 14 framed paintings from the 18thcentury of the Stations of the Cross in the Chapel of the Crucifix.

“The beauty and the state of the stations were so moving that I was so honored to be able to assist in a small way,” he told CNS in an email. He said he only discovered the sanctuary after being brought there by a U.S. art gallery curator who is coordinating the Holy Stairs project.

Today’s guidebooks and even education “removes art from its roots, which is faith, spirituality and humanity,” he said.

“My dream is that the faithful can come here and they can absorb, breathe in the spirituality that this art expresses.”

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Four County Catholic May 2015

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