Four County Catholic December 2014

Volume 26 Number 11 December 2014

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

2 Four County Catholic December 2014

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

at cFour County

atholic Established in 1989 and published each month except July.

Publisher

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

Editorial Office

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

Director of Communications/Executive Editor

Michael Strammiello, 860.887.3933 [email protected]

Managing Editor/Layout & Design/Webmaster

Trina Fulton, 860.886.1281 [email protected]

Theological Advisor

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

Advertising Sales

Meredith Morrison, 860.887.3933 [email protected]

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Judy Pappagallo, 860.848.2237 x302 [email protected]

Printing

GateHouse Media New England 33 New York AvenueFramingham, MA 01701

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FREE to Annual Catholic Appeal contributors and upon request to regis-tered Catholics in the Diocese of Norwich.

Editorial & Advertising Deadlines

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

© Copyright 2014, Diocese of Norwich. All rights reserved.No content may be reproduced without expressed consent.

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Volume 26 Numb r 11 D cember 2014

Made Pos i le in p rt throu h your g nerous up ort of the Annu l atho ic Appeal

On the Cover

“O Holy Night” lyrics as composedby Adolphe-Charles Adam in 1847.The world in 2014 has been weary withso much unrest. There is hope.Christmas is the time to rejoice.

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

Let us go forward, askingGod’s blessing, but realizinghere on earth, God’s work

is truly our own.- President John F. Kennedy as quoted by Father Ray Introvignehonoring the U.S. Servicemen and women at the Annual Red,

White and Blue Mass.

I felt overwhelmed to be at theplace of Jesus’ last day on earth...

- Father Michael Smith, Pastor of the Holy Family inHebron and St. Columba in Columbia, describing

his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

His charisma, presence andvoice will electrify the gathering.

- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput anticipating Pope Francis’visit to Philadelphia in September.

A Christian bringspeace to others...

- Pope Francis tweeting out a message of peace, kindness and love.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters inChrist:

Recently, I came across an arti-cle regarding a discovery at thepublic library in nearby Fall River.It seems that while they were goingthrough some old books in the li-brary attic, the assistant librariannoticed a slip of paper that hadbeen stowed away in an old bookabout the Statue of Liberty. Itturns out that the item found inthe book was an original invitationto then Mayor of Fall River, theHonorable Robert T. Davis, to at-tend the inauguration of theStatue of Liberty in August of1886. There it was, perfectly pre-served and legible all these yearslater. The title of the monumentimmediately caught my attention.It wasn’t referred to as the Statueof Liberty. It was called “LibertyEnlightening the World.” I hadnever heard the official name be-fore seeing it in print on the invi-tation. The blessing of freedom, asthe statue’s formal name suggests,can enlighten minds and hearts inevery corner of the world.

My interest having been cap-tured, I proceeded to look into thehistory of that historic occasion. Icame across the speeches giventhat day by President Grover

Cleveland, several distinguishedguests of honor from the Republicof France and attending clergy.Their words were a stunning trib-ute to a Nation so intent on free-dom of the individual and a youngNation so comfortable with ac-knowledging the presence of Godin its founding and development.

Representing France, le Min-istre Plenipotentiaire, W. ALefaivre, in his remarks, noted thatAmerica’s “only guide and hopewere God and liberty.” He went onto say that “to other nations, it(America) eloquently affirmshuman dignity.” The morespeeches I read, the more appreci-ation I felt for the unique positionin the world the United States hasalways had as the beacon of free-dom -- as a people concernedabout the dignity of all -- as onenation under God.

We are still a young Nation, stillworking hard to live up to ourConstitution. Making progress.Working our way toward fulfillingthe idea of a free society of equalopportunity. Freedom is hardwork. Fighting for the sanctity oflife, human dignity, opportunityfor the newest generations of im-migrants, family values, as well ascaring for the poor and vulnerable

are all Christian principles whichare very much part of the hardwork of building a free nation.

Lately there has been more thana little confusion, much of itstirred by the media, concerningthe priorities of the bishops here inthe U.S. versus the priorities of theHoly Father, Pope Francis. Somecritics have suggested that thebishops’ defense of religious lib-erty, as with the objectionablehealth care mandate, is inconsis-tent with Pope Francis’ focus onmercy and the poor. Actually, it isall very tightly connected. AllCatholics in the United States havea relentless good citizenship re-sponsibility to help protect theU.S. Constitution and the free-dom of worship provided by theFirst Amendment. We cannotcomplacently expect that the bea-con of freedom, symbolized byLiberty Enlightening the World,will remain bright and true with-out our working hard at preservingit. This cause is that of every man,woman and child in this Country-- those of us who are poor or havebeen poor, those in the middleeconomically and those more af-fluent. Unless we have a secure freenation, none of us can enjoy itsbenefits and its promise to provide

freedom of religion as its first free-dom. In a world increasingly besetby violence, chaos and intolerance,the beacon of freedom and justicemust remain brighter than ever.This is not a partisan or demo-graphic cause. It is an inter-faithpriority.

At closer inspection, the otherpriorities on which my fellow bish-ops are focused keep the poor andthe vulnerable always at heart. Fo-cusing on the family, on immigra-tion, on accessible healthcare thatrespects rights of conscience, onthe sanctity of life – these are all is-sues that impact the poor. Dispro-portionately so in fact. It is thepoor who are most affected bythese causes. Pope Francis is notsuggesting we have an either/orcondition, i.e. focus on the poorexclusively and not other socialjustice concerns. The Holy Fatheris compassionately encouraging usto keep the poor in the forefrontof all we do. Be merciful. Don’t letthe distractions of a prosperous so-ciety interfere with the Christlymission of serving the poor. I canassure you that here in the Dioceseof Norwich and across this muchblessed Country, we priests, reli-gious and lay faithful are engagedin the hard work of preserving

freedom and lifting the poor andhelping them stand with dignityagainst the challenges before us.When you pause to think about it,aren’t we all just one generationfrom being poor? Most of us havereal stories to tell about our grand-parents and their parents whocame to this country poor materi-ally, but rich in spirit and strong infaith. The statue “Liberty Enlight-ening the World” of course has anengraved message precisely to thatpoint, “Give me your tired, yourpoor, your huddled masses yearn-ing to breathe free.”

There is no more generous na-tion on earth, there is no more car-ing community than people offaith. Do not lose focus, especiallyduring this holy season of ourLord’s birth in a humble manger,of our continuing commitment tograsp every hand and lift every lifewithin arm’s reach as faithful dis-ciples of Jesus Christ.

A very Merry and Holy Christ-mas, my dear brothers and sisters.Together we pray that the NewYear brings the Gift of Light andHope to all.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s love,

Bishop Michael R. Cote

The Most Reverend

Michael R. Cote, D.D. Bishopof Norwich

The Gift of Light and Hope

Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas:Recientemente, encontré en la

biblioteca pública en la cercana FallRiver un artículo pequeño apenasvisible con respecto a un descubrim-iento. Parece que mientras estabanmirando algunos libros antiguos enel desván de la biblioteca, el bibliote-cario auxiliar encontró un trozo de

papel sobre la Estatua de la Libertadque ha estado metido allí en unlibro viejo. Inmediatamente estocaptó mi atención. Siempre he es-tado intrigado por cartas guardadasen libros viejos. Hace de repente quecualquier libro sobre cualquier temasea un libro histórico. Resulta que elartículo encontrado en el libro era

una invitación original al entoncesalcalde de Fall River, el honorableRobert T. Davis, para asistir a la in-auguración de la estatua en agostode 1886. Allí estaba, perfectamenteconservado y legible todos esosaños. El título del monumento deinmediato captó mi atención. Noera referido como la Estatua de la

Libertad. Era llamado “Libertad Ilu-minando el Mundo.’ Nunca habíaescuchado el nombre oficial com-pleto antes de verlo en forma im-presa en la invitación. La bendiciónde libertad, como el nombre formalde la estatua sugiere, puede iluminarlas mentes y los corazones en cadarincón del mundo.

De haber sido captado mi interés,procedí a buscar la historia de esahistórica ocasión. Me encontré conlos discursos dados ese día por elpresidente Grover Cleveland, variosdistinguidos invitados de honor dela República de Francia y el clero

Un Regalo de Luz y Esperanza

Four County Catholic December 2014 3

Un Regalo de Luz y EsperanzaContinued on page 4

Un Regalo de Luz y Esperanza Continued from page 3


que asistió. Sus palabras fueron unimpresionante homenaje a unaNación tan concentrada en la liber-tad del individuo y a una Naciónjoven tan cómoda con el re-conocimiento de la presencia deDios en su creación y desarrollo.

Representando Francia, Le Min-istre Plenipotentiare, W. A. Lefaivre,en sus observaciones, señaló que “laúnica guía y esperanza de EstadosUnidos de América eran Dios y lalibertad.” El llegó a decir que“América afirma elocuentemente aotras naciones la dignidad humana.“Cuantos más discursos leí, más

apreciación sentí por la única posi-ción en el mundo que EstadosUnidos siempre ha tenido comofaro de libertad-como pueblo pre-ocupado por la dignidad de todos-como una nación bajo Dios.

Seguimos siendo una naciónjoven, seguimos trabajando duropara vivir de acuerdo con nuestraConstitución. Progresando. Traba-jando hacia el cumplimiento de laidea de una sociedad libre de igual-dad de oportunidades. La libertades un trabajo arduo. Luchar por lasantidad de la vida, la dignidad hu-mana, la oportunidad para las

nuevas generaciones de inmigrantes,los valores familiares, así como elcuidado de los pobres y vulnerablesson los principios católicos que sonuna parte muy importante del tra-bajo duro de construir una naciónlibre.

Últimamente ha habido más deun poco de confusión, acerca de lasprioridades de los obispos aquí enlos E.E.U.U. frente a las prioridadesdel Santo Padre Francisco, muchade ella agitada por los medios de co-municación. Algunos críticos hansugerido que la unida defensa de losobispos de la libertad religiosa ame-

nazada por el mandato de saludcomo incompatible con el enfoquedel Papa Francisco de la misericor-dia y los pobres. En realidad todoestá muy bien conectado. Todos loscatólicos en los Estados Unidostienen la incansable responsabilidadde la buena ciudadanía para ayudara proteger la constitución de Esta-dos Unidos y de la libertad de cultoproporcionada por la Primera En-mienda. No podemos esperar com-placientemente que el faro delibertad, simbolizado por la Liber-tad Iluminando el Mundo, sigasiendo brillante y verdadero sin nue-stro arduo trabajo en su preser-vación. Esta es la causa de cadahombre, mujer y niño en este país-aquellos de nosotros que son pobreso han sido pobres, aquellos en elmedio económicamente y los másricos. A menos que tengamos unanación libre segura, ninguno denosotros puede disfrutar de sus ben-eficios y su promesa de propor-cionar la libertad de religión comosu primera libertad. En un mundocada vez más acosado por la violen-cia salvaje, el caos y la intolerancia,el faro de la libertad y la justicia debeseguir siendo más brillante quenunca. Esto no es una selección decausa partidista o demográfica.También es en gran medida una pri-oridad interreligiosa.

En una inspección más cercana,las otras prioridades en las que estáncentrados mis compañeros obisposmantienen siempre en el corazón alos pobres y vulnerables. Enfocán-

dose en la familia, la inmigración, elcuidado de salud accesible que re-spete los derechos de conciencia,sobre la santidad de la vida-estos sontodos los problemas que afectan alos pobres. De manera despropor-cionada. Son los pobres los queestán más afectados por cómo avan-zan estas causas. El Papa Franciscono está sugiriendo que tenemoscualquiera de los dos/o condición,es decir enfoque exclusivo en los po-bres y no en otros asuntos de justiciasocial. El Santo Padre compasiva-mente nos anima a mantener a lospobres al frente de todo lo que hace-mos. Sea misericordioso. No dejeque las distracciones de una so-ciedad próspera interfieran con laMisión de Cristo de servir a los po-bres. Le puedo asegurar que aquí enla Diócesis de Norwich y en todoeste bendecido país, nosotros, lossacerdotes, religiosos y fieles laicosestamos comprometidos en la ardualabor de preservar la libertad y con-solar a los pobres y ayudarles a lev-antarse con dignidad frente a losdesafíos que se nos presenta.Cuando usted hace una pausa parapensar en ello, ¿no somos todos sólouna generación de ser pobres? Lamayoría de nosotros tenemos histo-rias reales que contar acerca de nue-stros abuelos y sus padres quevinieron a este país materialmentepobres, pero ricos en espíritu, yfuertes en la fe. La estatua “LibertadIluminando al Mundo”, porsupuesto, tiene un mensaje grabadoprecisamente a ese punto. “Dame tucansancio, tu pobreza, pueblooprimido anhelando respirar liber-tad.”

No hay nación más generosa enla tierra, no hay ninguna comu-nidad más solidaria que los fielesCatólicos. No pierda el enfoque, denuestro continuo compromiso decoger cada mano y levantar cadavida a nuestro alcance como agrade-cidos discípulos de Jesucristo, espe-cialmente durante esta temporadasanta del nacimiento de nuestroSeñor en un humilde pesebre.

Mis queridos hermanos y her-manas, una Santa y Feliz Navidad.Juntos oramos para que el AñoNuevo traiga el Regalo de Luz y Es-peranza para todos.

Atentamente en el amor de Cristo,

Obispo Michael R. CoteTranslated by Paulina Angulo

Some White CollarJobs Are More

Challenging Than Others

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

Father Greg Galvin860-887-9294

www.God-Calls.org

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

Pope Francis’Prayer

Intentionsfor December

That the birth ofthe Redeemer

may bring peaceand hope to all people

of good will.

Director of Priestly Vocations

Reverend Gregory Galvin


Our Third Annual Help a Sem-inarian Advent Drive is under-way! Who are our seminarians?They are: Jeff Ellis, PeterLangevin, Tom Griffin, JuanAguirre, Frank Gilbert, DeaconRon Blank and Michael Bovino.What are we helping them with?While they are dedicating them-selves to priestly formation andstudies they do not have a regularincome to take care of personalneeds, care of their vehicles, gas,study expenses and such. This an-nual event is an opportunity to letthem know that God’s family isfully behind what they are tryingto do for each of us. We can do itprayerfully or through a simplegift card.

Each parish in the diocese hasreceived one set of tags to hang onthe parish giving tree or to simplyhand out to parishioners whowant to let their future priestsknow they want to help. The tagsask you to buy a gift card of anydenomination that you can affordfor the seminarian you choose.Simply mail the tag and the giftcard directly to the Vocation Of-fice before December 23rd. Markthe envelope with the seminarian’sname and we will box them foreach man. Then at the Christmasgathering with Bishop Cote onDecember 29, 2014, each semi-narian will receive your Christmasassistance gift.

If you did not get one of thetags at your parish and would stilllike to participate, please just maila gift card with a note as to whichseminarian you would like to have

it presented to and the vocationelves will make sure he gets it. The mailing address to use is:

Seminarian NameThe Chancery: Vocation Office201 Broadway Norwich, CT 06360

Ideas for different gift cards in-clude but are not limited to; gascards, Master card or Visa, CVS,Rite Aide, Wal Mart, Staples,Walgreen, Dunkin Donuts.

Please also consider a SpiritualBouquet. Send a note with a giftof prayer for the seminarian ofyour choice. You might offer yourdaily prayers for a week for his in-tentions, say a rosary for him,pray for him at each Sunday Massor weekday Mass you attend dur-ing the Christmas season. Be cre-ative! Send those also to the aboveaddress.

Thank you for whatever youcan do to continue to show oursupport to the men who have al-ready taken the step to prepare fora life of preparing souls for Christand for Heaven.

Vocations Notes:Recent goings on: Jeff Ellis and

Peter Langevin both receivedCandidacy at a beautiful Mass atMount Saint Mary Seminary onNovember 21, 2014. Bishop PaulLoverde was the main celebrant ofthe Mass at which other seminar-ians from across the country alsopreparing for diaconate ordina-tion received Candidacy. FrankGilbert received the Order of Lec-tor on December 8, 2014 at PopeSaint John XXIII Seminary. JuanAguirre is scheduled to receiveboth the orders of Lector andAcolyte this coming March atSaint Mary Seminary in Balti-more.

Please keep each of our men inyour prayers at this time as they

take exams before the end of thesemester and their Christmasbreak. Please especially keep JuanAguirre in your prayers as he trav-els home for the first time in ayear to visit with family inMedellin Colombia during theChristmas season. We also havehad a few new inquiries from

young men around the diocese re-garding a possible vocation topriesthood. That is the fruit of themany prayers so many of youoffer each day. Keep up the goodwork. Have a blessed Advent sea-son, prepare well and have a veryMerry Christmas and a happynew year!

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

Father Greg Galvin,Director of Priestly [email protected]

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

Juan AguirreTheology

English StudiesSt. Mary Seminary

Baltimore MD

Frank Gilbert1st Year Theology

Pope Saint John XXIIINational Seminary

Weston, MA

Michael Bovino1st Year Philosophy

Mt. St. Mary SeminaryEmmitsburg, MD

Deacon Ron Blank1st Year Theology

Pope Saint John XXIIINational S minary

Weston, MA

Jeffrey Ellis3rd Year Theology


Peter Langevin3rd Year Theology


Thomas Griffin3rd Year TheologyBlessed John XXIIINational Seminary

Weston, MA

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

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

Pope Francis @Pontifex • Recent Tweet

A Christian brings peace to others.Not only peace, but also love,kindness, faithfulness and joy.

IntrovigneFUNERAL HOME, INC.

Serving All Faiths • Pre-Need ArrangementsTraditional Services or Cremations

Directors: Joseph R. Introvigne,Joseph R. Introvigne, Jr. & Michael J. Introvigne

51 East Main St. 860-684-2538Stafford Springs, CT www.introvignefuneralhome.com

Friday-Sunday,December 19-21Grief Retreat“Come to me all who laborand are heavily burdenedand I will give you rest…”with Sr. Eugenia Brady, SJC.For more information or toregister, please call St. Ed-mund’s Retreat at 860-536-0565 or visit our website atwww.endersisland.com.

Saturday, January 3Leaders and Prayer GroupMembers Meeting – Part IFrom 9:00am to 3:00pm.Spiritual Renewal ServicesCenter, 11 Bath St., Nor-wich. For more informationplease call 860-88-0702.

Saturday, January 10Leaders and Prayer GroupMembers Meeting – Part IIFrom 9:00am to 3:00pmSpiritual Renewal ServicesCenter, 11 Bath St., Nor-

wich. For more informationplease call 860-88-0702.

Friday-Sunday,January 9-11Annual Convocation forthe Permanent Deaconsin the Diocese of NorwichThe Annual Convocationfor Permanent Deacons andtheir wives will be held atthe Immaculata RetreatCenter in Willimantic. Itwill be a time for all Perma-nent Deacons and theirwives to gather with theirBishop for spiritual renewal,support and education. Thetheme of this year’s Convo-cation is “Preaching theGospel – Sharing the GoodNews.” Our key presenterand convocation leader willbe Father David Garcia whois coming from San Anto-nio, TX. Bishop Cote em-phasized the importance ofthis annual gathering and in-

vites all Pastors to concele-brate with him on Friday,January 9th, 2015 at 7:00PM at the Immaculata Re-treat Center. This will be fol-lowed by Dinner withBishop Cote at Immaculata.For further informationplease contact DeaconMichael Puscas, Ed.D., Di-rector of Deacons at [email protected]

Wednesday, January 21Day of Recollection“Sloshing Through OrdinaryTime” with Fr. PatBergquist. For more infor-mation or to register, pleasecall St. Edmund’s Retreat at860-536-0565 or visit ourwebsite at www.endersis-land.com.

Thursday, January 22March For Life BusesJanuary 22, 2015 marks the42nd anniversary of theSupreme Court’s infamousabortion-on-demand ruling.On Thursday, January 22,2015, people from across thenation will assemble inWashington, D.C. to visiblyexpress their opposition toabortion. On Wednesday,January 21, 2015 at9:00pm, buses sponsored bythe Southeast Chapter ofConnecticut Right to Lifewill leave from the NorwichMunicipal Parking Lot (Exit80, I-395) and travel toD.C. to attend the MarchFor Life on January 22. Busfare is $65.00 per person.(Reduced rate available forstudents) Please reply byJanuary 7. For further infor-mation or to reserve a seat orto sponsor a seat, please callMargaret Becotte at 860-822-1362.


spiritual renewal services

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

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

email: [email protected]

“...there will be NO END!”Luke 1:26-27, 30-33

Healing and Freedom ConferenceSaturday, December 6, 2014 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Spiritual Renewal Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CTFr Ray, Judith Hughes and Team

Must Pre-register at (860) 887-0702 – Donation $25.

Diocesan Prayer Meeting – St. Mary Church, Portland, CTTuesday, December 9, 2014 @ 7:30 pm

(45 Freestone Ave-Church Hall)All parishes and Prayer Groups are invited

Speaker Fr. Paul Boudreau, Pastor

Merry ChristmasThursday, December 25, 2014 – Thank You Jesus!

Happy New YearThursday, January 1, 2015 – Thank You Jesus!

Leaders and Prayer Group Members Meeting – Part ISaturday, January 3, 2015 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Spiritual Renewal Services Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT

Leaders and Prayer Group Members Meeting – Part IISaturday, January 9, 2015 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Spiritual Renewal Services Center, 11 Bath St., Norwich, CT

Parish Mission of Renewal and EvangelizationFebruary 23, 23, 24, 2015

For St. Joseph Church Chester, and Our Lady of Sorrows, EssexLast year in Essex – This year in Chester

alsoOne Day Life In The Spirit Seminar

Chester, CT - February 28

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

Spiritual Renewal Center, Norwich, CT

“Everyone’s welcomed to these programs!

“In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God toa town of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a Virgin whose namewas Mary…Do not be afraid, Mary, for You have foundfavor with God. You will conceive and bear a Son, and Youshall name Him Jesus (which means “God is with us”).He will be GREAT and will be called, “Son of the MostHigh”…He will rule over the house of Jacob FOREVER(and the whole wide world), and of His Kingdom...

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

appointments in the Diocese of Norwich:

Clergy AppointmentsReverend Brian Romanowski, from Canon Law Studiesat Catholic University, to the Tribunal of the Diocese ofNorwich, Advocate, with Residence at the Cathedral ofSaint Patrick, Norwich. Effective November 17, 2014.

~ Monsignor Robert L. Brown, Chancellor ~

The students of St. Joseph School in Baltic, CT invited Veterans to speak Friday, Nov. 7th at an as-sembly of the entire school. The celebration of our veterans’ began with a Mass at 9:00 am, followedby a breakfast, supplied and hosted by the Student Council. Afterwards, Veterans shared their ex-periences of their tours of duties in the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf and Afghanistan Wars. Pictures ofour School families’ Veterans were posted on the wall of the gym, along with an American flag madewith the handprints of the entire student body. Submitted by Susan O’Neil.


◆ Renowned college preparatory boarding school foryoung men who have not yet realized their potential.

◆ Located in scenic southeastern Connecticut

At 7:30pm in theCathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich

The public is invited and admission is free.

The traditional festival originated in England atthe end of the 19th century and consists of musicand readings that trace the mystery of salvationfrom the creation of the world through the birthof Jesus Christ. Over the past thirty years theevent has grown to include six choirs, brass andhandbells. It has become a popular Christmasholiday event for the Cathedral parish as well asthe Norwich community. Participating in the fes-tival along with the Norwich Diocesan Choirwill be the Cathedral Children’s Choir, the threeCathedral handbell choirs, the Cathedral YouthSingers and readers from the Cathedral parish.The choirs, totaling more than onehundred voices and ringersare all under the direc-tion of DouglasGreen, Cathe-dral MusicDirector. Ac-companyingthe choirs onthe Cathe-dral organ willbe Michael Mc-Carthy along withthe Sterling Brass Quar-tet. Persons attending the fes-tival will have the opportunity to singmany traditional Christmas Carols.

Photos by Khoi Ton.

Sunday, December 2135th Annual Festival

of Lessons and Carols


Norwich - November 16, 2014-- The Most Reverend Michael R.Cote, Bishop of Norwich wel-

comed to the Cathedral of StPatrick representatives from allthe Uniformed Services and theirReserves and National Guard.Here in one place on one Sundayin November, men and women indress uniforms from the AirForce, Army, Navy, Marine

Corps, Coast Guard and Mer-chant Marine stood together andprayed together. Their prayerswere for peace and order in theworld. Their thoughts were withthose who have sacrificed theirlives in the line of duty. It was anoccasion to celebrate, rememberand give thanks to the bravestamong us who defend our free-doms. Freedoms such as gather-ing together and worshippingtogether. This was an occasion forall attending to exchange the sign

of peace with true guardians ofpeace. An occasion for a gratefulcongregation to show its prideand gratitude toward those whoare dedicated to serving Countryabove self. As Bishop Cote said ofall active and retired servicemenand women, “Their lives pro-claim a labor of love – love ofGod, love of Country and love offamily.”

As has become tradition, theMass began with the piercingsound of taps from high in thechoir loft followed by the con-trasting energetic sound of

reveille, symbolizing a call to anew beginning. The spirit of highenergy and of marching forwardresounded throughout the cere-monies. It could be heard in thereadings, in the inspiring music ofthe United States Coast GuardAcademy Glee Club, in the Mys-tic Highland Pipe Band, in thejoyful voices of the CathedralChoir and cantor Caroll Mailhotunder the direction of DouglasGreen, and in the powerful mes-sage of the homilist, Father Ray-mond D. Introvigne. Father Ray,

prior to joining the priesthood,enlisted in the U.S. Air Force dur-ing the Korean Conflict. Amonghis commendations was the Na-tional Defense Service Medal. Hisfirst-hand experience in time ofwar gives added weight to hismessage. A message of faith andappreciation. Father gratefully ac-knowledged that the servicemenand women, giving of themselvesout of love for family and Coun-try, are responsible for the peacewe enjoy. Recalling historic pres-idential messages of faith andhonor, Father Ray recalled the

words of President John F.Kennedy, “Let us go forward, ask-ing God’s blessing, but realizinghere on earth, God’s work is trulyour own.” Doing God’s work wasthe vision of the founding fatherswho believed that a “widespreadfaith in God was the true sourceof America’s greatness.” A messageperfectly relevant in 21st centuryAmerica.

As has also become a tradition,the recessional hymn was a stir-ring rendition of the “BattleHymn of the Republic.” Friends,

family and grateful congregantsgathered after Mass in the Cathe-dral Auditorium to enjoy an op-portunity to renew friendshipsand to share in the solidarity of allmen and women who serve theirCountry, often in harm’s way.

Congratulations to the eventCo-Chairs, BG CT Edward J.Waite, CTANG (ret) and Mr.David K. Harding, U. S. Mer-chant Marine. They have alreadyset the date for next year’s Red,White, and Blue Mass. It will beSunday, November 15, 2015. Agood idea to mark your calendars.

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This year, Father MichaelSmith, the pastor of Church ofthe Holy Family in Hebron and

St. Columba Church in Colum-bia, took part in a life-changingjourney, a pilgrimage through theHoly Land.

“What a blessing and a won-derful opportunity,” said FatherSmith. “I wanted to see the begin-nings of my faith and in particularmy vocation to the priesthood, aswell as better appreciate my call-ing in following the Good Shep-herd.”

He was invited by Father SkipNegley, a friend and the provin-cial superior of the Missionaries ofOur Lady of LaSalette who wastraveling with his parishionersfrom Mary Queen Church inFriendswood, Texas and was inneed of another Chaplain for thejourney.

The group consisted of 35 peo-ple, along with a guide from theHoly Land. The 10-day tripstarted in Tel Aviv and includedtraveling through towns such asNazareth, Bethlehem andJerusalem.

Father Michael said he was ex-cited about the trip but tried notto set any expectations ahead oftime.

“I wanted to keep my mindand spirit open to the pilgrimageexperience, not knowing who Iwould meet along the way, but Icertainly had a desire to follow inthe footsteps of Jesus.”

There were two places thegroup visited, in particular, thatreally stayed with him. The firstincluded a boat ride on the Sea ofGalilee, which brought back emo-tions from his past and call to thepriesthood.

“It was powerful beyondwords,” he said. “It brought meback to fishing with my father forthe last time the day before hedied while realizing it was my firstyear in the seminary, my first callto discipleship.”

The group also celebrated Massat the Rock of Gethsemane,which is named in the New Tes-tament as the place where Jesuswent with his disciples to pray thenight before he was crucified.

“I felt overwhelmed to be at theplace of Jesus’ last day on earth,his commitment and willingnessto suffer and die for us out of love

for us.” Father Michael said the trip was

one that provided him great per-sonal growth, as well as inspira-tion moving forward.

“The pilgrimage allowed me tosee with new eyes. You can prayand reflect on scripture but thereis nothing like seeing it with yourown eyes.”

He plans on being those eyesfor his parishioners, launching aseries of blog posts from Decem-ber through June detailing his ex-periences and includingphotographs taken along the jour-ney.

“This trip changed me and Iwant to share the Good Newswith others and to allow parish-ioners to appreciate our begin-nings.”

The blog posts can be found atwww.holyfamilyhebron.org be-ginning in December.

The Church of the Holy Fam-ily is located at 185 Church Streetin Hebron and can be reached at860-228-0096. St. ColumbaChurch is located at 328 Rtes 66in Columbia and can be reachedat 860-228-3735. Information onboth parishes can be found onlineat www.holyfamilyhebron.org.

For the Answer go to Page 19.

Submitted by Erin K. ButlerCommunications Chair, Church of the Holy Family, Hebron

A Life-Changing Journey

Jeremiah J. Lowney, D.D.S., M.S.Jennifer J. Lowney, D.M.D.

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Singing Carols is perhaps one ofthe best loved traditions of the

Christmas Season, and

the tradition has a veryinteresting history.

Hymns that told thestory of Christmasbegan to appear inRome in the fourthcentury. They were,of course, in the lan-guage of the day,which was Latin.Through the courseof the centuries, aslanguages and countries developedin what is now Europe, hymns forChristmas also developed. SaintFrancis of Assisi (c.1181-1226),who was the first to set up a Nativ-ity scene and even Nativity plays,strongly encouraged the people tosing these Christmas hymns. How-ever, these would have been “pop-ular” hymns, and would never havebeen sung inside the church build-ing or at a Mass.

The tradition of caroling, goingfrom house to house to sing andshare the message of Christmas,began in England in the sixteenthcentury. The oldest known English

language Christmas hymns whichdate back to this caroling or “was-sailing,” are “Good King Wences-las” and “The Holly and the Ivy.”

Even though Christmas carolswere well known and

popular fora few cen-

turies, they were not sung insidechurch buildings until the mid-nineteenth century when theChurch of England initiated theceremony of “Lessons and Carols.”

In its classic form, which was es-tablished almost one hundred yearsago, “Lessons and Carols” is a seriesof nine Scripture readings whichtell the story of our redemption,beginning with Adam and Eve andconcluding with the birth of Jesus,the Messiah. The Scripture read-ings are then alternated withChristmas carols, sung by the con-gregation and the choir. Today,many Catholic parishes haveadopted the ceremony of “Lessonsand Carols,” either in the classicformat or in an alternate arrange-ment of Scripture and song.

Originally, “Lessons and Carols”was a vigil service for Christmas

Eve. The people gathered togetherin the local church, heard the Wordof God, sang together and waitedfor the first light of Christmas Day.Now, in most places, “Lessons andCarols” is an Advent service whichstill anticipates Christmas, but notso immediately.

Today, as we know, theChristmas shopping sea-son begins in early No-vember, complete withdecorations and bargainsales, and then Christmasdisappears from the storesby December 26th. Sur-rounded by such noiseand rushing, it is difficult

to maintain a sense of vigilor calm quiet as Christmas ap-proaches. It is equally difficult tocelebrate the entire liturgical seasonof Christmas which continues formore than two weeks into the newyear.

Perhaps Christmas carols canhelp us keep the celebration going.We will sing Carols in our parishes,but we can also carry them homewith us. For instance, familiescould sing Christmas carols as away of praying together, to blessthe day or to bless a meal. If notmusically inclined, a family mightshare and pray the words of theirbest-loved Christmas carols, sincethe carols tell the story of Christ-mas. The creative family will findmany ways to watch and wait forthe Messiah during Advent, and tocelebrate his arrival all through theChristmas season.

By Sister ElissaRinere, CP, JCDOffice of Worship

Christmas CarolsJoy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her king.Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing!

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In 1521, the Europeans con-quered the Aztec Empire and just10 years later Our Blessed Mother

appeared to Juan Diego inGuadalupe, what is now MexicoCity. Now, every December, mil-lions celebrate the miracles pre-formed several hundred years ago.These celebrations begin thenight before the feast date with aprocession held in Willimanticwith prayers and songs called ‘LasMananitas’. The evening of De-cember 12th, the Cathedral ofSaint Patrick transports us all toMexico. The celebration beginswith a rosary offered up to OurLady and continues on with abilingual Mass celebrated by the

Most Reverend Michael R. CoteD.D., Bishop of Norwich. OurBlessed Mother made it clear thatwe are all united, and in thatspirit, the Mass brought togetherSpanish speakers and others alike.The cathedral was fully decoratedwith red and white roses, stream-ers representing the Mexican flagand a large image of Our Lady of

Guadalupe, while several of ouryouth present wore custom Mex-ican attire. Also, this year markedthe 10th year of enjoying theministry work of the band Mari-achi International.

“Que viva la Virgin deGuadalupe!” Father RobertWashabaugh, Pastor of SaintMary’s Star of the Sea Church inNew London, fired up the parish-ioners with shouts of praise toOur Lady in the beginning of hishomily. He explained that theVirgin Mary did, in fact, appearto Juan Diego 10 years after theconquest of the Aztec Empire. Fa-ther Washabaugh brought to ourattention how tired and dis-traught the native people musthave been as he recalled, “Shecame to the Americas to raise up

a new world from the ashes of anold world violently torn down.”Our Lady decided to show Her-self as a beautiful Mexican expec-tant Mother and asked Juan tocarry Her message of building achurch for Her and Her unbornchild. The people needed some-thing uplifting, and Mary wasable to provide the guidance and

hope for a new beginning asChristian converts.

At first, the Spanish Bishop ofthat time ignored Juan Diego’sstory of his personal encounterwith Mary and he asked thatMary send a sign down to him.The Lady responded by unitingboth Europeans and natives asone. Father Washabaugh said that

it was the start of a new society.“How do you explain the conver-sion, willing and even joyfulconversion of millionsof Mexicans and ar e m a r k a b l echange of heartof those whoc o n q u e r e dthem?” TheBishop un-d e r s t o o dthat it wasGod’s will.

Follow-ing theH o l yMass, allof thep a r i s h -ioners werei n v i t e ddownstairs fora ‘Fiesta’ to in-dulge in authen-tic Mexican foodaccompanied by thefestive sound of theMariachi International Band.As the fellowship continued, the

youth, dressed in their traditionalattire, performed some beautiful

Mexican dances.Our Blessed Motherreminds us that we

are to honor life,as She is also the

patroness ofunborn chil-dren. Shehas shownus that Shetruly isO u rMother bycoming toour aidwhen weneed itmost. Shevalued Juan

Diego as ap e r s o n

though he wasjust a peasant,

and she trustedhim to carry on her

message. We have builta church in her name and we

continue to be Her messengers.

We Continue to Be Her MessengerThe Feast of Our Lady of GuadalupeBy Angela AnguloFour County Catholic Contributor


Every year, as the year-end be-gins to approach, we are all accus-tomed to finding a number of

appeal letters from non-profitsseeking our last minute, year-enddonations. According to the Na-tional Philanthropic Trust, totalcharitable giving for 2013 reached$335.17 billion in America, whichrepresents an increase of 4.4%from 2012 levels. Although thishas been the fourth year in a rowthat charitable giving has in-creased, it is yet to reach the levelsenjoyed in 2007. The majority ofgiving ($240.6 billion) was madeby individuals and of that amount;$27.73 billion was bequeathed bywill.

With these charitable dollars,donors are able to aid many, manycommunity-based organizationsthat work to help people in needmake their daily lives more livable.Whether it is organizations like St.Vincent De Paul Place, CatholicCharities, or any of the other wor-thy Diocesan ministries, donorswho give to the Diocese of Nor-wich are assured that their moniesare efficiently and effectively usedto assist many of our most chal-

lenged neighbors reach their bestpotential. For donors who do notwant to limit their support to oneministry, a donation to the AnnualCatholic Appeal will support allthe Diocesan ministries be-cause money raisedthrough the ACA is distrib-uted to every ministry.

This is the time ofyear to preparefor the barrage ofappeal requeststhat will be com-ing your way andtake a little timeto organize your thoughts. Get-ting your priorities clarified nowwill help you to sift through themany requests you receive andhelp you to make the donationsthat best reflect your intentions.

It is a good idea to take paper topen and actually walk through theprocess outlined below.

1. Think about all the reasonsthat you and your family give toorganizations. Sometimes, you doso because you have been raised ina family with a tradition of year-end, or holiday giving. Othersmay feel compelled to give becauseof a particular cause you are pas-sionate about, such as Catholicschool education or feeding the

homeless. Some years, you may beaware of a particularly difficultproblem that requires your mone-tary support in order to be recti-fied. Maybe one of your favorite

organizations has a new and ur-gent need that can only be met byan immediate influx of money.Business owners may decide tomake donations to organizationsbecause of the benefit they get ontheir bottom line and the positivepublicity that they will receive inthe community. Once you haveclarified the reasons that you wantto give, you will be able to sortthrough many of the donation re-quests sitting on your desk.

2. Begin to construct a list ofall the organizations that you feelpassionate enough about to do-nate your hard earned money toand then do your homework. Ifyou are not familiar enough withan organization, research, research,research! Examine the organiza-tion’s website; most everythingyou need to get a better under-standing of the operation of yourpotential charity is readily avail-able online for your review. Themore you know about a charity,the more comfortable you will feelwhen you decide to support it.

3. Once you know which ofthe many organizations you wouldlike to support, your next task is

to think about the way in whichyou would like to make your do-nation. This is where you can bevery creative! There are numerousways to give your assets to an or-

ganization. Someare as easy as justwriting a check

and dropping it inthe mail. Other

times, you may want to go onlineand make an online donation bytransferring money directly fromyour bank account to the organi-zation or making a charge on yourcredit card. Sometimes, though,you may want to make a moresubstantial commitment to an or-ganization. You may want to re-member a charity in your will.After you have bequeathedthrough your will specificamounts of money or personalpossessions to your family orfriends and all the costs of your fu-neral and estate administration arepaid, you may decide to leave aportion of whatever amount re-mains to a charity or charities. Theamount of money that remainsafter all of the specific bequestsand costs of your funeral and es-tate administration are taken careof is referred to as your residuaryestate. This is a great place to rec-ognize a charity. You will be as-sured that everyone andeverything is taken care of, and ifthere is anything left, you may de-cide to leave all or a portion of thismoney to your charity.

Other easy ways to make a gift

to your favorite charity would beto name them as a beneficiary ofyour life insurance. Very often,once your children are grown, youno longer really need the benefitof the life insurance because atthat point your children are ableto provide for themselves. Youmay also decide to donate securi-ties that have appreciated andthereby save the long term capitalgains taxes that you would havehad to pay if you had sold themand kept the money for yourself.People also feel comfortable gift-ing some of their retirement assetsor even arranging for a plannedgift such as a charitable remaindertrust or a charitable gift annuity.

4. Once your thoughts are or-ganized, you may want to discussyour plans with your family. Per-haps, together, you will want tomake a family donation. A meet-ing with your accountant may bewarranted if you are considering agift with tax implications. Sincethere are so many different meth-ods of gifting, it is truly best toconfer with your financial advisorif you have any questions concern-ing which method is the most taxefficient means of giving in lightof your individual financial andtax position.

We hope that this exercise willhelp you to organize yourthoughts and to better deal withthe many donation requests thatwe all receive at this time of theyear. If you are interested in dis-cussing any of these options fur-ther with someone at the Diocese,please feel free to contact MaryEllen Mahoney, DevelopmentManager- Major Gifts, at [email protected] or860-886-1928 ext 14.

By Mary Ellen MahoneyDevelopment Manager & Major Gifts

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As Christmas is just around thecorner, Catholic Charities, Dio-cese of Norwich is busy at its var-

ious offices planning to assistthose in need to make their holi-day brighter. As in past years, thecollaborative effort betweenCatholic Charities, local parish-ioners and other big-hearted peo-ple, helps make Christmas time amagical time of year. RosalindaBazinet who took over the reignsas supervisor of the EmergencyFinancial Assistance program is inthe process of finding new waysof serving our clients. In July shehelped modify the program so wecould have consistent coveragefour days per week in our NewLondon and Norwich offices. Re-cently, while talking about herprograms, Rosalinda said, “Weare excited that we have wonder-ful new staff providing four daysof coverage in New London andNorwich. The demand is highand Christina Connors is doing agreat job in Norwich as is internStacey Valliere. We wish we hadthe resources for an additionalday of coverage.” She went on tosay, “In New London, EmizeliaAyala, is having a mother and her3 children come into the office toassist the staff in sorting toys andclothes and preparing the giftbags for each child. The mothershared that it is a learning experi-ence for her children knowingthere are many children their agethat are not as fortunate as theyare”.

Here are some of our plans forthis year as well as some recollectionsof last year’s Christmas “miracles.”

Willimantic OfficeSite Supervisor, Miriam Ro-

driquez is looking forward to theDecember 13 Christmas partyshe and caseworker PamelaSalazar have been working hardpreparing for. Parents will receiveunwrapped toys for their childrento put under their Christmastrees. Miriam and Paula as well asvolunteers at the Willimantic of-

fice are also accepting donationsfrom area parishes to benefit Toysfor Tots. Last Christmas, theWillimantic Advisory Board forCatholic Charities sponsored aC h r i s t m a sparty at St.M a r y - S t .Joseph School.At the gather-ing, childrenreceived toysmade availablethrough thegenerous do-nations of local parishioners andthe board members. In total, 155children received the donatedtoys from Santa while enjoyingholiday songs and, of course, de-licious Christmas cookies. WhenCatholic Charities is able to or-ganize these events, the impact isimmediate and gratifying. Oneparent who benefitted from theevent stated that she was “thank-ful to be able come to CatholicCharities to supplement the smallamount of gifts I can afford formy children . . . I hadn’t wantedmy children to wake up to noth-ing under the tree.” Miriam Ro-driquez continues to express,“with the continued generosity ofthe community, this year’s partywill be just as successful”.

New London OfficeThrough the generous dona-

tions of parishioners and others,gifts are provided for underprivi-leged children, who are served byour agency. These benefactors“adopt” our clients and their fam-ilies and provide toys and cloth-ing, including winter hats andgloves. Office staff will also regis-ter the children we serve in theToys for Tots program. Duringeach of the past three “familyadoption” drives, many donorslike Jill and Mark Palmiero haveanswered the call to help our kidsin need by donating gifts. ThePalmiero’s generously “adopted”15 area children. Their generosityis driven by the desire to makeChristmas “a little more cheerful.”Last year, through the special ef-forts of staff and donors, 255 chil-

dren received Christmas gifts.With the continued generosity ofothers, the New London office ofCatholic Charities will be success-ful again this year in making

some Christmas dreams cometrue for our area children.

Norwich OfficeStaff, and volunteers will get

together to assemble and handout toys, clothes, hats and glovesthat are being donated to the chil-

dren we serve. Project LEARN,through the efforts of their char-ity drive, will provide us with toysand clothes on December 19, justin time for Christmas. In addi-

tion, Ros-a l i n d aBazinet isgetting theword out let-ting peopleknow, “weare alsocounting onstaff and

parishioners to donate to help ourchildren in the community”. LastChristmas, local Norwich teensreceived gift cards donated by theNorwich Council of CatholicWoman and St Thomas MoreSchool. While so much of thefocus is on young children during

Christmas, Judy Pappagallo, for-mer president and current mem-ber of the council enjoysproviding for the older kids whoshe says are “often forgotten atthis time of year.” Through thework of Catholic Charites andgroups like the Norwich Councilof Catholic Women, fewer chil-dren are “forgotten” and theirChristmas is made more memo-rable.

With the great team of Ros-alinda, Miriam, Paula, Christinaand Emizelia, as well as the nu-merous hard working volunteerswho give of themselves, hundredsof children throughout the dio-cese will have a Merry Christmas.If you would like to assist them intheir efforts during this specialtime of year, please contact Ros-alinda Bazinet at 860-889-8346.

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The recently released film,Wishin’ & Hopin, with its strong

local ties including director WallyLamb from Norwich and manyscenes having beenshot at Norwich FreeAcademy and otherlocal sites, also has aclose tie to the Dioceseof Norwich. A checkfor $5,000 from theproceeds of the latestfilm screening was pre-sented to St. Vincentde Paul Place at a re-ception last Thursdayevening at UConn’sStudent Union The-ater in Storrs.

As noted by KristinaDorsey, reporting forThe Day, the pro-ducer, Andrew Gern-hard, a 1995 graduateof Norwich Free Acad-

emy where he was a student ofLamb’s, noted that “The filmlooks great. It sounds great. Theperformances are great. I think it’ssomething people are going towant to watch every year, almost

like A Christmas Story.” He de-scribes it as a family movie,adding, “I think a lot of peopleare going to connect with it. It’s asolid, tight little slice of life thatyou don’t really see any more in

movies.”Part of the buzz over

this film is its out-standing cast that in-cludes MollyRingwald, ChevyChase as a narrator,and Meatloaf as Mon-signor Muldoon.

At the UConnscreening and recep-tion, Julie Way, theCase Manager at St.Vincent de Paul Placegratefully accepted thedonation which comesat their peak time ofyear for helping feedand comfort so manyin the greater Norwichcommunity.

Contractor Edward Coney, left and foreman Luis Tenezaca ofResidential Home Improvement, LLC remove the 5-foot-tall cop-per cross from the spire of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church indowntown Mystic as part of the church’s ongoing restoration proj-ect. Coney will be taking the cross to be restored and refinishedand is scheduled to be put back in place by Christmas. Photo by Tim Cook/The Day New Movie Wishin’ & Hopin’ Delivers

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- - - -

From the FCC News Desk


When did you first becomeinterested in helping othersas a vocation?I have always been drawn to help-ing others from a young age-whether it was shoveling a neigh-bor’s driveway or helping a friendwith homework. In high school wehad to do community service in ourjunior and senior years as part of agraduation requirement. I volun-teered at a local convalescent hometo provide companionship to theresidents. At first I may havethought I was just meeting a re-quirement, but as I connected withthe residents and staff, I saw howmuch these individuals hadto offer one another. Istill remember thetime a 92 year oldman named Billwas crying whenI walked in. Asa senior inHigh school Iwasn’t reallysure what todo, but listen.He was upsetthat he couldn’thelp his daughterwho had fallen andbroke her hip. I askedhow old she was and hesaid 70. He was her father and heinstinctively wanted to help her. Asa father of four and as a son, I carrythat lesson today realizing it doesn’tmatter how old my children are orI am, a parent is always a parent.Just like our heavenly Father is al-ways our Father regardless of ourage or where we are in life, Hewatches over us.

What is it about CatholicCharities that makes ita good fit for you? When the opportunity came to beable to work at Catholic Charities,I was excited to work/serve othersfrom within my faith. Having at-tended both a Jesuit high schooland University, there was a strongsense of social responsibility andservice to others. Certainly my en-tire career has been working withinsocial human services organiza-tions, but Catholic Charities ismore than just a social service

agency, it is a ministry of thechurch. We are here to do Christ’swork, to be the face of Christ tothose we serve. As our missionstates, we are here, “to respond toChrist’s call to care for those in needby providing compassionate socialservices..... with special attention topeople who are poor or disadvan-taged.”

How many families benefit fromCatholic Charities here in theDiocese of Norwich – and in howmany ways?This past year we served more than6500 individuals throughout our

diocese. Within our min-istry, individuals and

families received anarray of services

ranging from clin-ical services suchas behavioralhealth and sub-stance abuseservices to basichuman needsassistance suchas rent, electric

and energy assis-tance. Our housing

program assists indi-viduals with first time

homebuyer’s education aswell as foreclosure prevention. Wealso provide adoption and immi-gration services. Our office of fam-ily life assists couples withpremarital counseling and marriagepreparation.

Is there a first-hand story in yourexperience that stands out as arepresentative example of howCatholic Charities can make adifference in someone’s life dur-ing difficult times? There are so many stories of howour staff impact people’s lives,whether it is a father who was laidoff and is worried about losing hishome and we help prevent a fore-closure or a mother and her chil-dren who are displaced due todomestic violence and we help herfind shelter and food. What reallystands out is when I receive a letterfrom them indicating that it wasn’tso much that we gave them money

for rent or oil, but it was that wesaw them as a person- we listenedto them, prayed with them andthey felt we treated them with dig-nity and respect.

Is it true that CatholicCharities on a national scale isthe second largest provider offamily assistance programs – sec-ond only to the Government? CCUSA’s service numbers are stag-gering. CCUSA is comprised of ap-proximately 2,700 local Catholiccharity affiliate sites. Combined,these offices provide more than 17million services to 9 million undu-plicated clients. We, Catholic Char-ities Norwich, are proud to be anaffiliate member agency of thislarger network that stretches acrossthe country and has such a pro-found impact on people’s lives.

How is Catholic Charities sup-ported financially? Are yourneeds and the services you pro-vide increasing? How can morepeople and organizations help?We receive funding from the Dio-cese of Norwich, the United Wayof Southeastern Connecticut andthe United Way of Central andNortheastern Connecticut. Wehave also received consistent andgenerous support from the Dioce-san council of Catholic Womenand other local foundations that weapply to for funding. Our NewLondon advisory board runs a verysuccessful golf tournament and thedevelopment office will be runningour second annual Gala. Withoutthe financial support of all of theselocal grants, foundations andevents, we would not be able toserve the most vulnerable in ourcommunity. Besides grants, we alsogenerate fees through our Behav-ioral Health Services and receivefunding from HUD and NFMCfor our housing, foreclosure preven-tion and first time home buyersprogram. With the ongoing finan-cial challenges throughout our re-gion, and continued governmentcuts to services, we see more andmore people in need. Our challengeis twofold: one we need the fundingto provide assistance such as food,rent and electricity and, two, we

need funding that helps cover thecost of our staff and operations. Wehave been blessed with many vol-unteers who help with our emer-gency financial services and basicneeds programs. A few key wayspeople and organizations can helpis through volunteering in one ofour programs- donating their time,

talent and treasure. We recently hada beautiful song written aboutadoption and performed by a youthgroup. That song is getting great at-tention on the radio and soon onCCUSA’s website. We also are inneed of computers as we build ourinfrastructure to allow us to betteroperate and serve our clients.

An Interview with Jim Maffuid, ExecutiveDirector, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich

SENIOR RENEWAL DAY:Father Roger Couture, OMI, invites all seniorsto join him for this month’s program entitled

“The Parable of the Vineyard Workers.”on Wednesday, December 17 from 9:00AM to1:00PM. Fee is $10.00 and includes lunch.

CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL:Beginning December 7, 2014, through January 4,

2015, Fr. Ron’s Annual Christmas Light andCrystal Extravaganza will be available for visits in theRetreat House lobby and dining room. Open House

Hours are each Sunday from Noon—5 PM.Special arrangements can be made for viewing during

the week, but we ask that you call beforehand.

GIFT SHOP:Are you looking for a special gift for Christmas?

The Immaculata Gift Shop might just have that specialreligious gift you are seeking. The shop is open everyMonday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, or

by appointment on the weekend.

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

E-mail: [email protected]

IMMACULATARETREAT HOUSEA Ministry of the Missionary Oblates

of Mary Immaculate

289 Windham Road, Rte. 32Willimantic, Connecticut


A lovely Statue of Our Lady wasrecently installed at St. MaryCemetery in Norwich. The MostReverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop ofNorwich was onsite to bless the statueand congratulate Joe Muscarella,Director of Diocesan Properties andCemeteries, for overseeing the donationand placement of the statue.Photo By Monsignor Robert L. Brown.

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Sister Doris Bérubé, DHSJanuary 3, 1920 ~ November 7, 2014

Sr. Doris Bérubé, DHS, 94 , a member of theDaughters of the Holy Spirit, died on Friday,November 7, 2014 at the Holy Spirit HealthCare Center where she has been in residencesince September 2012. Born on January 3,1920 in Hartford, CT, the daughter of the lateThomas and Philomène (Bélanger) Bérubé, Sr.Doris entered religious life in 1942 and madeher religious profession at the Holy SpiritProvincial House on July 1, 1943. She was then

known as Sr. Thérèse Thomas. Primarily a teacher and educator for mostof her religious life, Sr. Doris’ assignments included St. Anne School,Waterbury, CT; St. Mary’s School, Putnam, CT; and Holy FamilySchool, Fairfield, CT. From 1965-72 Sr. Doris prepared prospectiveteachers and was named Director of the International Institute atAnnhurst College, South Woodstock, CT. From 1972-74 she served asPrincipal at St. Mary’s School, Jewett City, CT. Upon her return toAnnhurst College, she was both an ESL teacher and Administrator ofthe Institute as well as assistant professor in the Education and EnglishDepartments until the closure of Annhurst in 1980. Following this shewas CCD Coordinator of St. Mary’s Parish, Putnam, CT and laterserved as Secretary at Hawkins House in Danielson, CT. In lieu of flow-ers, donations may be made to the Daughters of the Holy Spirit Retire-ment Fund, 72 Church St., Putnam, CT, 06260.

Sister Judith Kenhart, DHSAugust 21, 1937 ~ November 20, 2014

Sr. Judith Kenhart, DHS, 77, a member of theDaughters of the Holy Spirit, died on Thurs-day, November 20 at the Holy Spirit ProvincialHouse, Putnam, CT, where she had been in res-idence since 2005. Born on August 21, 1937,the daughter of the late Stephen and Joan(Leslie) Kenhart, Sr. Judith entered religious lifein 1955 and made her religious profession onApril 24, 1957 at the Provincial House in Put-nam, CT. She was then known as Sr. Stephen

of the Passion. A graduate of the Diocesan Sisters’ College, South Wood-stock, CT, with a B.A., she later earned an M.A. from Boston College,Boston, MA and a second M.A. from Weston School of Theology, Cam-bridge, MA. Sr. Judith taught at Putnam Catholic Academy, Putnam,CT, her Alma Mater and Cathedral High School, Bridgeport, CT. Aftera year as CCD Co-ordinator at St. Cecilia’s parish in Leominster, MAshe was appointed special assistant to President Buchanan at Annhurst

College. In 1980, she served as director of Family Refuge Center Shelterin Sweet Springs, WV. In 1985 she became program developer atCatholic Charities in Cambridge, MA. In 1995 until 2005 she servedas volunteer chaplain at Mass General Hospital in Boston. She retiredto the Provincial House in Putnam. In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to Daughters of the Holy Spirit Retirement Fund, 72 ChurchSt., Putnam, CT 06260. For memorial guestbook visitwww.GilmanAndValade.com.

Sister Marie Michaud, DHSSeptember 9, 1916 ~ December 4, 2014

Sr. Marie Michaud, DHS, 98 , a member of theDaughters of the Holy Spirit, died on Thurs-day, December 04, 2014 at Holy Spirit HealthCare Center where she was in residence since2010. Born Marie Desneiges Michaud on Sep-tember 9, 1916, the daughter of the lateGeorges and Edith (Pelletier) Michaud, Sr.Marie entered religious life in 1930 and madeher religious profession on August 8, 1935 atthe Motherhouse in St. Brieuc, France. She was

then known as Sr. Georges du Sacré Coeur. Following her professionshe became Mistress of Boarders at St. Jeanne d’Arc in Lannion, Franceand at La Glanerie in Belgium. Upon her return to the United States,Sr. Marie received a B.A. from St. Joseph College in West Hartford, CTand an M.A. from Fordham University, New York, NY. Her teachingassignments included Notre Dame School, Pittsfield, MA, St. JosephSchool, Burlington, VT, St. Anne School, Hartford. and St. Mary’sSchool, Putnam. From 1959-62, She was named American delegate tothe General Council at the Motherhouse in St. Brieuc, France. Whenshe returned from France she was assigned to teach at St. Mary’s Schoolin Jewett City. In 1964 she was appointed Diocesan Supervisor ofschools for the Diocese of Norwich and in 1969 she was appointedProvincial Supervisor of Schools for the American Province of theDaughters of the Holy Spirit. In 1971 she served as instructor atAnnhurst College, South Woodstock. She also served as Principal of St.Cecilia School, Leominster, MA and later as Secretary at St. AnneSchool, Hartford. In 1987 she worked for the City of Waterbury. andlater as clerk for the Palladino Center for Seniors in Waterbury. She alsodid some part-time tutoring for the City of Waterbury while in semi-retirement. She is survived by her sisters in community, the Daughtersof the Holy Spirit as well as several nieces and nephews, grandniecesand grandnephews. A Mass of Christian burial was held on Saturday,December 6, followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Putnam. In lieuof flowers, donations may be made to the Daughters of the Holy SpiritRetirement Fund, 72 Church St., Putnam., 06260. For memorial guest-book visit www.GilmanAndValade.com.


Biblical movies are quite popularright now, and the trend continueswith the release of “Wayward: The

Prodigal Son”.As may be expected, “Wayward”

offers a modern telling of the storyof the prodigal son, found in thegospel of Luke. The story centers ona young son who decides he wantsto leave his family, takes his inheri-tance, and goes out into the world.He loses all that he has and returnshome, hoping to be taken in as aservant. However, upon returninghome, his father runs out to greethim and throws a celebratory partybecause the son that was lost hasnow been found.

“Wayward” focuses on the storyof Tyler McMillan, played by Lan-don Henneman, who is the prodi-gal son of the film. McMillan isdescribed as a “pampered rich kid”who already has everything, gets

more, then loses it all. It’s a storythat all too many parents know buthope never to experience first-hand.

“I made ‘Wayward: TheP r o d i g a lSon” be-cause theB i b l i c a lstory has al-ways toucheda deep placein my soul,”filmmaker RobDiamond saidin the press re-lease. “I’ve beenon the receivingend of forgivenessmany times forthe mistakes I’vemade in my life. It’sthe perfect story oflove, redemptionand forgiveness.”

Diamond wanted to take aunique angle with the film andhinted that while the traditional

story will be told, there will be “afew surprises,” most likely based on

Scripture. Not onlydid he work behindthe scenes to write,produce, and directthe story, Diamondalso worked infront of the cam-era, playingMcMillan’s fa-ther, Rob.

The Chris-tian filmmakersaid that hemade themovie for “myMaker firstand fore-most, but Ialso made it

for anyone wholoves stories of redemption and forthose seeking some hope and for-giveness in their lives or the lives ofthe people they cherish most whomight be hurting inside.”

Bible-Based Movie Trend Continues as ProdigalSon Movie ‘Wayward’ Heads to Theaters

DefendingReligious Liberty

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy. Thefederal health care mandate fundamentally alters the fragilebalance between government and religious groups created bythe framers of our Constitution. The same First Amendmentthat protects religious freedom protects freedom of the press.We wouldn’t stand for the government telling news programswhom to interview or what articles to write.

If you haven’t done so already, please voice your oppositionto the mandate by calling President Obama at the WhiteHouse at 202-456-1111 or U.S. Secretary of Health andHuman Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell at 202-205-5445.Let them know that the mandate is in violation of our FirstAmendment right to religious freedom.

By Sami K. MartinChristian Post Reporter

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USCCB Chairman AnnouncesObservance of “Days with Religious”for 2015 Year of Consecrated Life

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Washington - As the CatholicChurch prepares to celebrate theYear of Consecrated Life, the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops’(USCCB) Committee on Clergy,Consecrated Life andVocations is promot-ing “Days with Reli-gious” initiatives andresources to help fam-ilies learn about theconsecrated life of re-ligious men andwomen. Activitieswill focus on sharingexperiences of prayer,service and commu-nity life with thoseliving a consecratedlife.

“Our brothers andsisters in Christ livingconsecrated livesmake great contribu-tions to our societythrough a vast num-ber of ministries,”said ArchbishopJoseph E. Kurtz ofLouisville, Kentucky,president of USCCB.“They teach in ourschools, take care ofthe poor and the sickand bring compassionand the love of Christto those shunned bysociety; others leadlives of prayer in con-templation for theworld.”

Pope Francis pro-claimed 2015 a Yearof Consecrated Life,starting on the FirstSunday of Advent,the weekend of No-vember 29, 2014, andending on February 2, 2016, theWorld Day of Consecrated life.The year also marks the 50th an-niversary of Perfectae Caritatis, adecree on religious life, andLumen Gentium, the Second Vat-ican Council’s constitution on theChurch. Its purpose, as stated bythe Vatican, is to “make a grateful

remembrance of the recent past”while embracing “the future withhope.”

“The ‘Days with Religious’ ac-tivities will represent great oppor-

tunities for families and adults tolook at the many ways men andwomen serve Christ and theChurch while answering the callto live in consecrated life,” saidBishop Michael F. Burbidge ofRaleigh, North Carolina, chair-man of the USCCB Committeeon Clergy, Consecrated Life and

Vocations.Catholics are invited to join ac-

tivities that will be promoted incollaboration with the Council ofMajor Superiors of Women Reli-

gious, (CMSWR),the Leadership Con-ference of WomenReligious (LCWR)and the Conferenceof Major Superiors ofMen (CMSM).

The events plannedare as follows:

• February 8, 2015:Religious OpenHouse. Events will becoordinated to alsocelebrate the WorldMeeting of Familiesto take place inPhiladelphia and willinclude tours, openhouses, receptions,family activities, andpresentations on thehistory of religiouscommunities at con-vents, abbeys, monas-teries and religioushouses.

• Summer 2015:Day of Mission andService with Reli-gious. Events will in-clude joiningreligious in theirapostolates or specialservice projects, suchas assisting the elderly,ministering to thepoor and homeless,and caring for the lessfortunate.

• September 13,2015: Day of Prayerwith Religious.Events will include

vespers, rosary or holy hours inconvents, monasteries, religioushouses, parishes and churches.Prayers intentions, prayer cards, avideo on consecrated life andother resources are available at:www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teach-ings/vocations/consecrated-life/year-of-consecratedlife/

Prayer for the Year ofConsecrated Life

O God, throughout the ages you have calledwomen and men to pursue lives of perfectcharity through the evangelical counsels of

poverty, chastity, and obedience. During thisYear of Consecrated Life, we give you thanks forthese courageous witnesses of Faith and models

of inspiration. Their pursuit of holy lives teaches usto make a more perfect offering of ourselves to you.Continue to enrich your Church by calling forthsons and daughters who, having found the pearlof great price, treasure the Kingdom of Heavenabove all things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the

unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,for ever and ever. Amen.


I was diagnosed with incurablebrain cancer, but suicide is a temp-tation that avoids the important

reality of life.Last week I came across the

heartbreaking story ofBrittanyMaynard, a 29-year-old womanwho was diagnosed with terminalbrain cancer one year after herwedding. When doctors suggestedthat she might only have sixmonths to live, she and her familymoved from California to Oregonin order to obtain the prescriptions

necessary for doctor-assisted eu-thanasia. She is devoting her lastdays to fundraising and lobbyingfor an organization dedicated toexpanding the legality of assistedsuicide to other States.

Brittany’s story really hit home,as I was diagnosed with a very sim-ilar incurable brain cancer in 2008at the age of 24. After years of ter-rible headaches and misdiagnosis,my Grade III brain cancer(Anaplastic Astrocytoma) provedto be inoperable due to its loca-tion. Most studies state that themedian survival time for this typeof cancer is 18 months, even with

aggressive radiation andchemotherapy. I was beginning anexciting career as a naval officerwith my entire life ahead of me. Ihad so many hopes and dreams,and in an instant they all seemedto be crushed. As Brittany said inher online video, “being told youhave that kind of timeline still feelslike you’re going to die tomorrow.”

I was diagnosed during my sec-ond Navy deployment to theNorthern Arabian Gulf. Aftermany seizures, the ship’s doctorsent me to the naval hospital onthe Persian Gulf island nation ofBahrain, where my brain tumor

was discovered. I remember themoment I saw the computer im-ages of the brain scans – I went tothe Catholic chapel on base andfell to the floor in tears. I askedGod, “why me?” The next day, Iflew home to the United States tobegin urgent treatment. A fewmonths after radiation andchemotherapy, I was dischargedfrom the Navy and began forma-

Our Lives Are Worth Living,Even With Brain Cancer

Philip Johnson is a Catholic Seminarian from the Diocese of Raleigh

By Phillip JohnsonTime Magazine

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Editor’s Note: The follow-ing article by Philip John-son, a seminarian from theDiocese of Raleigh, waswritten just prior to BrittanyMaynard taking her ownlife with the legal assistanceof a physician in Portland,Oregon. Philip Johnson alsohas been diagnosed with in-curable brain cancer. His re-sponse is that our lives arenot our own to take. Trustevery second of God’s plan.


tion for the Roman Catholicpriesthood, a vocation to which Ihave felt called since I was 19 yearsold. Despite all of the hardshipsand delays in my training and for-mation over the past six years, Ihope to be ordained to the transi-tional diaconate this Spring and tothe priesthood one year later.

I have lived through six years ofconstant turmoil, seizures andheadaches. I often changed hospi-tals and doctors every few months,seeking some morsel of hope forsurvival. Like Brittany, I do notwant to die, nor do I want to sufferthe likely outcome of this disease.I do not think anyone wants to diein this way. Brittany states reliefthat she does not have to die theway that it has been explained thatshe would – she can die “on herown terms.” I have also consultedwith my doctors to learn how myillness is likely to proceed. I willgradually lose control of my bodilyfunctions at a young age, fromparalysis to incontinence, and it isvery likely that my mental facultieswill also disappear and lead to con-fusion and hallucinations beforemy death. This terrifies me, but itdoes not make me any less of aperson. My life means somethingto me, to God, and to my familyand friends, and barring a miracu-lous recovery, it will continue tomean something long after I amparalyzed in a hospice bed. Myfamily and friends love me for whoI am, not just for the personalitytraits that will slowly slip away ifthis tumor progresses and takes mylife.

Obviously, I have lived muchlonger than originally expected,and I attribute this to the supportand prayers of others who havehelped me to keep a positive out-look. I will never claim that I havedealt with my illness heroically orwith great courage, no matter whatothers might observe or believefrom my reserved disposition. I amshy and introverted, so I have notlet many people become aware ofthe depth of my suffering. Therehave been times over the past sixyears that I wanted the cancer togrow and take my life swiftly sothat it would all be over. Othertimes, I have sought forms of es-cape through sin and denial just totake my mind off of the sufferingand sadness, even if only for a fewmoments. However, deep in myheart I know that this approach is

futile. My illness has become a partof me, and while it does not defineme as a person, it has shaped whoI am and who I will become.

In Brittany’s video, her mothermentions that her immediate hopewas for a miracle. My response tomy diagnosis was the same – Ihoped for a miraculous recovery sothat I would not have to deal withthe suffering and pain that waslikely to come. However, I now re-alize that a “miracle” does not nec-essarily mean an instant cure. If itdid, would we not die from some-thing else later in our lives? Is thereany reason that we deserve 15, 20,or 30 or more years of life? Everyday of life is a gift, and gifts can betaken away in an instant. Anyonewho suffers from a terminal illnessor has lost someone close to themknows this very well.

I have outlived my dismal prog-nosis, which I believe to be a mir-acle, but more importantly, I haveexperienced countless miracles inplaces where I never expected tofind them. Throughout my prepa-ration for the priesthood I havebeen able to empathize with thesick and suffering in hospitals andnursing homes. I have traveled toLourdes, France, the site of a Mar-ian apparition and a place of phys-ical and spiritual healing that isvisited by millions of pilgrims eachyear. I have had the great opportu-nity to serve the infirm there whotrust in God with their wholehearts to make sense of their suf-fering. Through my interactionwith these people, I received muchmore than I gave. I learned thatthe suffering and heartache that ispart of the human condition doesnot have to be wasted and cutshort out of fear or seeking controlin a seemingly uncontrollable sit-uation. Perhaps this is the mostimportant miracle that God in-tends for me to experience.

Suffering is not worthless, andour lives are not our own to take.As humans we are relational – werelate to one another and the ac-tions of one person affects others.Sadly, the concept of “redemptivesuffering” – that human sufferingunited to the suffering of Jesus onthe Cross for our salvation canbenefit others – has often been ig-nored or lost in modern times. Itis perfectly understandable thatmedication should be made avail-able to give comfort and limit suf-fering as much as possible during

the dying process, especially dur-ing a terminal illness, but it is im-possible to avoid sufferingaltogether. We do not seek pain forits own sake, but our suffering canhave great meaning if we try tojoin it to the Passion of Christ andoffer it for the conversion or inten-tions of others. While often terri-fying, the suffering and pain thatwe will all experience in our livescan be turned into something pos-itive. This has been a very difficulttask for me, but it is possible toachieve.

There is a card on Brittany’swebsite asking for signatures “tosupport her bravery in this verytough time.” I agree that her timeis tough, but her decision is any-thing but brave. I do feel for herand understand her difficult situ-ation, but no diagnosis warrantssuicide. A diagnosis of terminalcancer uproots one’s whole life,and the decision to pursue physi-cian-assisted suicide seeks to graspat an ounce of control in the midstof turmoil. It is an understandabletemptation to take this course ofaction, but that is all that it is – atemptation to avoid an importantreality of life. By dying on one’s“own terms,” death seems morecomfortable in our culture that issanitized and tends to avoid anymention of the suffering and deaththat will eventually come to us all.

Brittany comments, “I hope topass in peace. The reason to con-sider life and what’s of value is tomake sure you’re not missing out,seize the day, what’s important toyou, what do you care about –what matters – pursue that, forgetthe rest.” Sadly, Brittany will bemissing out on the most intimatemoments of her life – her loved

ones comforting her through hersuffering, her last and most per-sonal moments with her family,and the great mystery of death – inexchange for a quicker and more“painless” option that focuses moreon herself than anyone else. In ourculture, which seeks to avoid painat any cost, it is not difficult to un-derstand why this response is socommon among those who suffer.

I have experienced so much sad-ness due to my illness, but therehave also been times of great joy.The support I have received fromothers encourages me to keeppushing on. I want to be a priest,I want to see my three youngnephews grow up, and these goalsgive me the hope to wake up eachday and live my life with trust.

I will continue to pray for Brit-tany as she deals with her illness,as I know exactly what she is goingthrough. I still get sad. I still cry. Istill beg God to show me His willthrough all of this suffering and to

allow me to be His priest if it beHis will, but I know that I am notalone in my suffering. I have myfamily, my friends, and the sup-port of the entire universalChurch. I have walked in Brit-tany’s shoes, but I have never hadto walk alone. Such is the beautyof the Church, our families, andthe prayerful support that we giveto one another.

May Brittany come to under-stand the love that we all have forher before she takes her own life,and that if she chooses instead tofight this disease, her life and wit-ness would be an incredible exam-ple and inspiration to countlessothers in her situation. She wouldcertainly be an inspiration to meas I continue my own fight againstcancer.

Philip Johnson is a Catholic sem-inarian from the Diocese of Raleighwho has terminal brain cancer. Thisarticle was originally published onDioceseOfRaleigh.org.

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The Vatican announced Thurs-day (Dec. 11) that Pope Franciswill name a new batch of cardinals

in February, adding to the selectgroup of churchmen who willsomeday gather to elect his succes-sor.

Rome won’t reveal the namesuntil next month, but could anAmerican be among them?

There are a number of factorsthat will govern the choices, andthus the predictions:

First, there are 208 cardinals inthe College of Cardinals, but at theage of 80 a cardinal is no longer al-lowed to vote in a conclave. Thatleaves 112 cardinals under the ageof 80, as of now, though, two morewill age out in February and an-other two in March and April.

The customary ceiling on thenumber of electors today is 120 (ithas changed many times over thecenturies). That means that PopeFrancis could give a so-called red

hat to 10 or 12 bishops.The pope could also raise the

ceiling, or ignore it, as Saint JohnPaul II often did during his longreign.

Other factors to keep in mind:The U.S. currently has 18 livingcardinals, 11 of whom are eligibleto vote. That’s about 10 percent ofthe total, which isn’t bad consider-ing American Catholics representabout 6 percent of the global pop-ulation of 1.2 billion Catholics.

In appointing his first group ofcardinals last February, Francis sur-prised Vatican-watchers by over-looking many traditional diocesesin Europe and instead choosingbishops — 16 of them under 80— from places such as Haiti andBurkina Faso, poor countries thatare on the margins of ecclesiasticalinfluence.

That signaled that Pope Francis,an Argentine who is the first non-European pope in modern times,wants to redistribute power in thechurch. He has work to do on thatscore: As John Allen noted at Crux,

two-thirds of the members of theCollege of Cardinals (69) stillcome from the Northern Hemi-sphere, while two-thirds of allCatholics live in the Global South— Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Another custom working againstthe expectation that Pope Franciswill name an American is that bytradition, the Vatican does not liketo have more than two voting-agecardinals from the same diocese.

That said, Francis did not pickany Americans when he made hisfirst batch of cardinals, and severalU.S. cardinals are very close to 80.

So if he were to choose an Amer-ican — or two — who might it be?Here are four options, listed inorder of likelihood:

1. Archbishop Jose Gomez ofLos Angeles

Los Angeles is far and away thelargest diocese in the U.S. church,with more than 4 million baptizedmembers. Gomez, who turns 63this month, is Mexican-born and,like his flock, represents the Latinofuture of the church. Although he

hews to doctrinal orthodoxy,Gomez is increasingly outspokenon social justice issues such as im-migration — a priority for Francis.

2. Archbishop Blase Cupich ofChicago

Cupich, 65, was only appointedto Chicago in September, but hewas Francis’ first major U.S. nom-ination and one the pope took apersonal role in. Cupich is seen asmuch more in line with Francis’agenda than the retired archbishop,

Cardinal Francis George. George isnearly 78 so has two more years ofconclave eligibility, but he is alsoseriously ill with cancer.

3. Archbishop Wilton Gregoryof Atlanta

Gregory, 67, was considered acontender for the Chicago spot,but a red hat would be a nice con-solation prize. It would also makesome sense: Atlanta is a fast-grow-ing diocese, unlike shrinking dio-ceses in the Northeast andMidwest, and although it has neverhad a cardinal as archbishop it maybe time. Also, Gregory is one of ahandful of African-American bish-ops and making him a cardinalwould be like, well, electing a blackpresident.

4. Archbishop Charles Chaputof Philadelphia

Chaput, 70, is widely seen as aleader of the culture warrior wingof the U.S. hierarchy, and not par-ticularly in sync with Francis. ButChaput is hosting the church’sWorld Day of Families next Sep-tember, which will serve as themain venue for Francis’ first U.S.visit. The retired archbishop ofPhiladelphia, Cardinal JustinRigali, turns 80 in April. On thedownside, Philadelphia — likemany other dioceses in the declin-ing “Rust Belt” of Catholicism —may no longer be considered anautomatic red hat as it once was.

Here is the current geographicbreakdown of voting members ofthe College of Cardinals:

Europe: 54; Latin America: 16;North America: 15 (11 from theU.S. and 4 from Canada); Africa:12; Asia: 11; Middle East: 2;Caribbean: 1; Oceania: 1.

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Pope Francis is Naming New Cardinals: Will Any Be American?

By David GibsonReligion News Service


Rather than being called by hispapal name “Benedict XVI,” theretired pontiff revealed that since

his retirement he has wanted toreturn to his original priestly titleand be called simply “FatherBenedict.”

Father Benedict made his com-ments in a private conversationwith journalist Jorg Bremer, whopublished bits of them in a Dec.7 article for German newspaperF.A.Z.

According to the journalist,Benedict explained that when heinitially stepped down he wantedto be called “Father Benedict”rather than Pope Emeritus orBenedict XVI, but “I was tooweak at that point to enforce it.”

At least part of the reason forwanting his new title to simply be“Father” rather than Pope Emeri-tus or Benedict XVI is to putmore space between him and therole of the pope, so that there isno confusion as to who the “truePope” is, Bremer reported.

The retired pontiff encouragedthe journalist to write about hisdesire, saying “Yes, do that; thatwould help.”

In their conversation Benedictalso spoke of his current relation-ship with Pope Francis, sayingthat “we maintain good contact(with each other).”

“Francis has a strong presence.Much stronger that I could everhave with my physical and mentalweaknesses,” he observed. “To re-main in my office would not havebeen honest.”

In his comments the formerpontiff also touched on a new vol-ume of his collected works thatwas released in German with anupdated version of a 1972 essay,which no longer suggests that thedivorced and remarried can re-ceive Communion, as it once did.

He referred to how some havesuggested that by publishing therevisions now he was seeking totake an active role in debate sur-rounding the topic after this year’s

extraordinary synod of bishops onthe family.

It is “utter nonsense”that his revisions tothe essay weremade in order toseek a platformin the post-synod conver-s a t i o n ,Benedict ex-plained.

R a t h e rthan beingout spoken ,Benedict saidthat “I try to beas quiet as I can”about thesethings.

Benedict XVI notedhow he had originallymade the revisions in August, twomonths before the synod began,and that there is “nothing new” it

what was recently published. He also clarified that he has “al-

ways taken the position”that it is “impossible”

for those who aredivorced and re-

married to re-ceive theEucharist. “Asprefect forthe Congre-gation forthe Doctrineof the FaithI’ve writteneven more

drastically,” henoted.Divorced and

r e m a r r i e dCatholics, he said,

need to “feel love of theChurch” and should “not be bur-dened with more than they al-ready have to deal with.”

The Request of a Retired Pope:Simply Call Me ‘Father Benedict’

By Elise HarrisEWTN News/CNA

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Jackson Morrison, a student in Mrs. Pierse’s Kindergarten class at St.Patrick’s Cathedral School in Norwich, colors a nativity scene thatwas later oiled to be hung as “stained glass”.


December 2014

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The Diocese of Norwich has had a presence in Haiti since 1985. Ourmission, called Outreach to Haiti, has been ministering to the spiritualand physical needs of Haitians in the Port-au- Prince area. We attemptto live the gospel message there by empowering the people of Haiti tohelp themselves, by promoting the health and education of Haitians.

We are approaching the fifth anniversary of the terrible, January, 2010earthquake in Haiti. Our facilities, as with much of the area, sufferedsevere losses from the earthquake. Fortunately, we suffered no loss of life.Our objectives following the earthquake, were first to provide what aidwe could to the Haitian people, and then assess how best to rebuild inHaiti. We now have an efficient and economical plan to rebuild, but weneed your help to accomplish it.

The diocese asked for your support immediately following the earth-quake, and you responded generously with both prayers and money. Iam asking for your assistance again. Please prayerfully consider what as-sistance you can give to our mission in Haiti. Your prayers for the successof the mission and the well-being of the Haitian people are greatly ap-preciated. Whatever financial assistance you can give would also be muchappreciated. You can find out more about our work, our plans for thefuture, and donate, if you desire, at www.outreachtoHaiti.org, or senddonations to Outreach to Haiti: Capital Campaign, 815 Boswell Avenue,Norwich, CT, 06360.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Bishop of Norwich

Diocese of NorwichOffice of the Bishop

201 BroadwayNorwich, Connecticut 06360

(860) 887-9294

MOST REVERENDMICHAEL R. COTE, D.D.

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Academic Excellence. Character. Self-confidence.

Saint John School Robotics Club TeamsAdvance to FLL State Tournament

Old Saybrook, CT – Both of the SaintJohn School Robotics Club teams,

“LazerBots” and “Intelligent Gamers,”

received trophies at the FIRST LegoLeague (FLL) Regional Qualifying Ro-botics Tournament on November 15thin Wolcott, CT. This is Saint JohnSchool’s third year of FLL, an interna-tional non-profit organization founded

to inspire young people’s interest andparticipation in science and technology.Eleven students in grades 5th to 7thworked this fall to prepare their robotsand discover ways to make learning eas-ier and more fun. During the qualifying

Submitted by Mother Elaine, SCMCPrincipal, St. John School, Old Saybrook


tournament, fourteen teams werejudged on their robot perform-ance, teamwork skills, display ofthe FLL core values, and projectpresentations.

The Intelligent Gamers scoredthe highest single round pointtotal during the Robot ChallengeGame. The Best Robot Perform-ance award earned them a“Golden Ticket” to move on tothe State Tournament on Decem-ber 7th. The LazerBots team re-ceived the judges’ trophy forGracious Professionalism®. Thisaward recognizes a team whosemembers show each other andother teams respect at all times.The team showed that bothfriendly competition and mutualgain are possible, on and off theplaying field. Success during therobot game, teamwork challenge,and presentation also earned thisteam a pass to move on to theState Tournament.

This year’s science and tech-nology challenge is called “Learn-ing Unleashed”. For the researchproject component, the LazerBotteam came up with an innovativeidea for improving the way seniorcitizens learn how to use comput-ers and other electronics. The In-telligent Gamers created asolution to help middle schoolstudents learn and practice Math.In addition to meeting with SaintJohn School teachers, the Robot-ics Club members reached outinto the community to sharetheir ideas. Team LazerBots vis-ited the Old Saybrook and Gro-ton Senior Centers to talk withtheir Technology Clubs. The In-telligent Gamers toured Sonalystsin Waterford and spoke with fourmembers of their computer gameprogramming division. The teamhas also been in contact with aprofessor at Worcester Polytech-nic Institute to discuss their idea.

For more information, visit theRobotics Club page on theschool website. http://saintjohn-schoolos.org/page/robotics-club.Saint John School is fully accred-ited with certified teachers, andis known for individual studentgrowth, building self-discipline,and confidence. A comprehen-sive 6th to 8th grade MiddleSchool program, prepares stu-dents to excel in high school andbeyond. A modern facility, close-knit family atmosphere, and ad-

herence to Christian values, pro-vides the ideal environment for“educating the whole child.”

FIRST Lego League (FLL) is apartnership between FIRST®

(For Inspiration and Recognitionof Science and Technology) andthe LEGO Group. The FLL mis-sion is to inspire young people tobe science and technology lead-

ers, by engaging them in excitingmentor-based programs thatbuild science, engineering andtechnology skills, that inspire in-novation, and that foster well-

rounded life capabilities includ-ing self-confidence, communica-tion, and leadership. For moreinformation, visi http://www.firstlegoleague.org/.

24 . 1

44


On Sunday, former St. BernardSaints quarterback Kyle Brahmsaw a return to form, tossing a

pair of touchdown passes duringa late-morning game at his homefield against the most hated oppo-nent of his life: cancer.

Brahm, 25, who graduated in2007, was diagnosed with stage 2

chronic myeloid leukemia onSept. 29 - a circumstance thatquickly sprung his tight familyinto action to raise money for hismedical expenses.

It culminated with a flag foot-ball tournament Sunday thatdrew more than 120 people to St.Bernard, with all proceeds goingtoward Brahm’s treatment.

“It’s so uplifting. It’s an unbe-lievable turnout,” Brahm said inbetween games. “We’ve got eightfields going at once. It s an unbe-lievable turnout.”

Chronic myeloid leukemia -also known as CML – starts in aperson’s bone marrow and theninvades the blood. Only about 10percent of leukemias are CML,and about 5,980 cases will be di-

agnosed in 2014, according to theAmerican Cancer Society.

A skilled and popular athleteduring his St. Bernard career,Brahm helped lead the Saints to aClass S baseball championship in2007.

Even before Sunday’s gather-ing, the Brahm family, who live inEast Lyme, has had huge supportfor efforts to help Kyle defeat can-cer, raising $9,800 through a Go-FundMe page set up Sept. 30 byKyle’s sister, Meghan.

“Our family is incredibly close-knit, and we just rally,” Meghansaid. She was studying for a doc-torate degree in psychology in Ire-land when Kyle was diagnosedand took the first flight back to beby his side.

During the trip, she beganplanting the seeds for Sunday’sfundraiser. Two of Kyle’s threeother siblings graduated from St.Bernard.

And his long-time girl-friend AmandaNorthcutt, a regis-tered nurse at Hart-ford Hospital whoattended MontvilleHigh School, saidthe town itself hascoalesced aroundone of their own –with Kyle leading themon.

“I think he’s the only reasonI’ve been strong this entire time,”she said on Sunday. “He’s verylevel-headed about it. He keeps usall in check.”

Of course, the diagnosis hit theBrahm family hard. His mother,Julie, is still overcome with emo-tion when recalling that day.

“I was devastated. I just said,‘no, not my son,’ “ Brahm said.“The love and support here is justamazing. He’s our inspiration. He

gets us under control.”The Brahms will be get-ting a second opinion

at the Dana-FarberCancer Institute inBoston. But Kyle –true to form as acompetitor – re-mains practical in

his approach to thedisease.“I was completely

shocked when I went in. I was25 and completely healthy,”Brahm said. “But I’ve been reallycalm and positive about it.”

That’s an attitude that has beenadopted by his family as well.

“There’s always that fear of theunknown. One day at a time.That’s what I’m holding on to,”Julie Brahm said.

Community Turns Out to Help FormerSt. Bernard Quarterback in Leukemia Battle

By Adam BensonReprint from the Norwich Bulletin

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The students in the 3rd grade Religious Education class at St. Bridget of Kildare Church in Moodus,taught by Mrs. Kim Danaher and Miss Alyssa Dill researched different saints for several weeks andthen on All Saints Day, dressed up as those saints and went to all the classrooms to tell the otherstudents in grades 1 through 5 who they were dressed as and explained who their saint was. It wasan enjoyable experience for all. The saints in the photo are; St. Victor Ferrer, St. Joan of Arc, St.Luke, St. Emma, St. Lucy, St. Anne, St. Mary, St. Paul, St. Brendan and St. Olaf. Submitted by Dan D’Amelio, DRE, St. Bridget of Kildare Church.

by Karen H Whiting

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Did You Know?December 1-7Cookie cutter week. Make cookies in shapesof Christmas symbols.

December 12Gingerbread house day. Talk about how Jesus had no homefor his birth. Read Luke 2:7 about where Jesus was born.

December 20World Day of prayer and action for children. Pray forpoor children and buy a gift for a needy child.

December 25Christmas Day is nine months after the time the Angel Gabrielcame to Mary to ask her to be the mother of Jesus. It was thesixth month of the Jewish calendar, March in our calendar.Read Luke 1:26.

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Vativan City - Pope Francissaid he would attend the WorldMeeting of Families in Philadel-

phia in September, making it thefirst confirmed stop on what isexpected to be a more extensivepapal visit to North America.

The pope made the announce-ment Nov. 17 in a speech open-ing an interreligious conferenceon traditional marriage.

“I would like to confirm that,God willing, in September 2015I will go to Philadelphia for theeighth World Meeting of Fami-lies,” the pope said.

The announcement had beenwidely expected, since PopeBenedict XVI had said before hisretirement that he hoped to at-tend the Philadelphia event.Popes typically fulfill their pred-ecessors’ publicly known travelplans, as Pope Francis did in July2013 when he attended WorldYouth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

Philadelphia ArchbishopCharles J. Chaput, who was inRome for the families meeting,told Catholic News Service theannouncement was “a surprise inthe sense that it was announcedso early; you know usually theydon’t make these announce-ments -- four months out is thetypical and here we are 10months away, and the Holy Fa-ther said he is coming toPhiladelphia.”

“The Holy Father has said thathe’s going to be coming toPhiladelphia for quite a fewmonths,” he told Catholic NewsService. “He’s been telling methat personally, but for him toannounce it officially that he iscoming so early is really quite anunusual thing, so it’s going to re-energize our efforts. There’s lotof enthusiasm already, but Ithink 90 percent of the enthusi-asm’s based on the fact that theHoly Father will be with us, andnow that he’s said that I expectthat there will be even a doubleamount of enthusiasm ... and I’mvery happy about that.”

Catholicphilly.com reported,the archbishop noted, that PopeFrancis has focused “on the many

challenges that families facetoday globally. His charisma,presence and voice will electrifythe gathering.

“As I’ve said many times be-fore, I believe that the presence ofthe Holy Father will bring all ofus -- Catholic and non-Catholicalike -- together in tremendouslypowerful, unifying and healingways. We look forward to PopeFrancis’ arrival in Philadelphianext September, and we will wel-come him joyfully with openarms and prayerful hearts.”

In August, Pope Francis toldreporters accompanying him onthe plane back from South Koreathat he “would like” to go toPhiladelphia. The pope alsonoted that President BarackObama and the U.S. Congresshad invited him to Washington,D.C., and that the secretary-gen-eral of the United Nations hadinvited him to New York.

“Maybe the three cities to-gether, no?” Pope Francis said,adding that he could also visit theshrine of Our Lady of Guadalupein Mexico on the same trip --“but it is not certain.”

Jesuit Father Federico Lom-bardi, Vatican spokesman, toldreporters Nov. 17 that PopeFrancis wanted to “guarantee or-ganizers” that he would be pres-ent at the meeting inPhiladelphia, “but he did not sayanything about other possiblestops or events during that trip.And for now I do not have any-thing to add in that regard.”

Although few details of thepapal visit have been made pub-lic, organizers for the families’congress expect Pope Francis toarrive Sept. 25 for an afternoonpublic visit with civic officials.

That would begin his first tripas pope to the United States andthe second papal visit to Philadel-phia in a generation; St. PopeJohn Paul II visited the city in1979. He will be the fourth sit-ting pope to visit the U.S.

During his visit, Pope Francisis expected to attend the Festivalof Families Sept. 26, a culturalcelebration for hundreds of thou-sands of people along Philadel-phia’s main cultural boulevard,the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Donna Farrell, executive direc-tor for the 2015 World Meetingof Families and its chief planner,said although Philadelphia hashosted St. Pope John Paul’s visit,the city has “not had anythinglike this unique Festival of Fami-lies. It’s really going to be some-thing special.”

Registration for the congressopened in mid-November. Themeeting will be a weeklong seriesof talks, discussions and activi-

ties.Pope Francis is expected to cel-

ebrate a public Mass for an esti-mated 1 million people on Sept.26 on the steps of the Philadel-phia Museum of Art, in full viewof the crowds arrayed from themuseum down the Ben FranklinParkway.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz ofLouisville, Kentucky, president ofthe U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops, welcomed the pope’s

announcement.“The presence of Pope Francis

at the World Meeting of Familiesin our country will be a joyfulmoment for millions of Catholicsand people of good will. Ourgreat hope has been that theHoly Father would visit us nextyear to inspire our families intheir mission of love. It is a bless-ing to hear the pope himself an-nounce the much anticipatednews,” Archbishop Kurtz said.

Pope Confirms He Will Visit Philadelphia in September

By Francis X. RoccaCatholic News Service

A two day conference mark-ing the 20th anniversary of therestoration of Michelangelo’s

frescos in the Sistine Chapelopened on Thursday in Rome.

The event organised by theVatican Museums is entitled“The Sistine Chapel 20 yearslater: New breath, new light.”

The conference will examinethe current state of frescoes, aswell as new methods beingtaken to protect the pricelessartistic treasure.

On Wednesday evening inthe Sistine Chapel the world’smedia was invited to view thenew lighting and air systemsthat have been installed, inorder show the frescos off to

their best advantage and pro-tect the Chapel against humid-ity.

According to the Director ofthe Vatican Museums the newlighting system is meant toprovide a gentle but total illu-mination to the frescos but atthe same time is non-invasivethus respecting the stylistic andhistoric reality of the SistineChapel.

The US-based companyCARRIER has provided astate-of-the-art heating, venti-lating and air-conditioning(HVAC) system for theChapel, specially designed toaddress the challenges of pro-tecting Michelangelo’s master-pieces against deterioration.

“…the system was extremely

advanced, advanced in thesense that we have applied veryvery advanced technology, wehave invented some of thetechnology to be able to fulfillvery very complex require-ments”, said Michel Grabon,Director of AdvanTE3C SC,Carrier HVAC Europe, whowas in the Sistine Chapel onWednesday evening and whoworked on the project.

He went on to stress the im-portance on maintaining stableoperating conditions inside theChapel. “You can have 100people, 2000 people inside,you know in a few minutes itcan change, so it is extremelyimportant to be able to re-spond to the change of the loadin a very very quick time.”

The Sistine Chapel: New Breath, New Light

Courtesy of Vatican Radio


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