In November, our gifted youth minister, Christine “Chris” Otis, will receive the Saint John Paul II Parish Leadership Award at the National Catholic Youth Ministry Conference in Long Beach, California. The honor recognizes those who follow Pope Saint John Paul II’s example of serving and supporting young people in their faith journey and encourages efforts that support and strengthen young people in their daily encounter with Jesus Christ. In his letter of recommendation to the award committee, Bishop Caggiano commented on the authentic relationships Chris creates, her vibrant faith, and spirit of missionary outreach. He wrote: “She is innovative in

I won’t be at Masses in the church this weekend because I will be with our teens and adults participating in the Fall Emmaus Retreat. The three days provide opportunities for the 36 teen “candidates” to encounter Christ in prayer, witness talks, Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and fellowship. We have been preparing for the Emmaus retreat for months, and each part of the weekend is carefully and prayerfully created by the many teen and adult team members who serve the candidates and facilitate a spirit of discovering Christ’s love for them and His challenge to live a life of

The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary is October 7, but Bishop Caggiano has asked that we celebrate that special feast of our Blessed Mother this coming weekend at all the Sunday Masses. The readings will be those of the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but the prayers of the Mass will be taken from those proper to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The reason for celebrating the Blessed Virgin Mary on this first Sunday of October is turn our hearts and minds to the important role of Mary in the history of salvation. Her “yes” to being the Mother of

On September 24, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was beatified in a Mass at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Blessed Fulton Sheen has been called the greatest Catholic communicator of the 20th century. I am grateful to the Catholic University of America where Sheen studied and taught (and where I received my graduate degree in theology) for the brief biography of this American on his way to sainthood. Born Peter John Sheen on May 8, 1895, to farmer Newt Sheen and his wife, Delia, in El Paso, Illinois, the future Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen went to high

We had a splendid time on Wednesday giving thanks to God for all things new at Saint Aloysius. What was a dream and a few sketches has turned into a beautiful new chapter in the life of our parish. I am overwhelmed by what we have built together because of your prayers and generosity, and I am humbled by the sacrifices you made to help create spaces to learn, teach, pray, meet, recreate, and celebrate. Stay tuned for the next chapter! With prayers and gratitude,

Once again, the Sunday Scriptures speak of forgiveness. Many of us believe the act of forgiving someone is one of the toughest things we must do. If we have experienced mercy and forgiveness ourselves, why is it so difficult to extend mercy and forgiveness to others? If I entered the confessional a miserable sinner but left the same confessional forgiven and glowing in grace and reveling in Christ’s mercy, why can’t I let go of the anger and hurt and just forgive? Here’s the answer: we don’t know Jesus well enough. If we took the time to contemplate his unconditional

Sacred Memory: 25 Years Later On Friday, September 11 we will mark 25 years since the attacks that changed everything. That day of fear and tragedy touched our community directly and while healing has taken place, many still grieve. We will gather on September 11 to pray for family and friends who lost their lives, for all who are grieving, and for a true and lasting peace in our world. Special Masses will be held at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm. I hope you can join us to honor the sacred memory of our brothers and sisters with our prayers

As summer winds down, we are preparing for a busy pastoral year. I am happy to give you a glimpse of what’s ahead and share some good news with you. Christine Otis, our gifted youth minister, has received the Saint John Paul II Parish Leadership Award from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. The award recognizes Chris’s extraordinary work with teens at Saint Aloysius where she facilitates an encounter with Christ. You can read more about this honor for Chris in the latest issue of Fairfield County Catholic. Please Click Here. Saint Aloysius Catholic Preschool is open! The State

Thanks to everyone who participated in last Sunday’s celebration. We welcomed Deacon Michael to ministry, we prayed with our bishop at Mass, and enjoyed each other’s company after the education and faith center blessing. The parish green looked spectacular and a good time was had by all. Special thanks to our readers, servers, greeters, choir and instrumentalists. Thanks also to Jeffrey Taveras for coordinating our festivities and bringing the musicians, ice cream truck, and games to our new landscape. Our Knights of Columbus and Chef Joe Laviola made the food and beverage experience a delight. Thanks be to God and

This weekend we welcome Deacon Michael Crane to the staff of Saint Aloysius Parish. Michael will join Deacon Bill in the important ministry that deacons provide to our parish family. Deacons assist at Mass, witness marriages, baptize, and provide pastoral accompaniment. We have a thriving diaconal ministry in our diocese, and we are blessed with two gifted deacons here at Saint Aloysius. In addition to his parish responsibilities, Deacon Michael will serve as Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of Bridgeport. In that office, he will assist the Diocesan Tribunal in the processing of various cases and serve as a special

Feast of Saint Aloysius The Feast of Saint Aloysius is June 21 on the Roman Church Calendar. This year, the 21st is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and therefore the saint’s feast would normally be skipped in deference to the Sunday; however, as a parish family, we will celebrate our patron, Aloysius Gonzaga. We will welcome Bishop Caggiano on that day who will celebrate a special Mass at Noon followed by the blessing of our new Education and Faith Center. Aloysius was a friend and selfless servant to the sick during the time of a devastating plague. Foregoing a

The column this week is taken largely from a reflection on the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ from the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. I loved its straightforward approach and helpful teaching, so I thought I’d share it with you. Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is something like the joyous bookend to Holy Thursday. At the end of Lent on Holy Thursday, we recalled the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist by promising us his presence in bread and wine. That meal foreshadowed his suffering and death. Anticipating

Nearly every preacher approaches the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity with some trepidation, and I’m one of them. Lately I’ve come to a more meaningful embrace of the Father, Son, and Spirit, so permit me to share some of what I’ve come to understand. The teaching of the Trinity has its share of complexities: “one God, three Persons,” an “everlasting unity,” and so forth. The truth defies logic, but the beauty of it paints the story of our Christian lives: to know God as Father, Son, and Spirit is to live in the landscape of an undying and pervasive

The feast of Pentecost brings us to that moment when the Holy Spirit descended on those gathered in the upper room. The apostles and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are transformed by the wind of fire of the Holy Spirit. The fear that brought them to the locked room turns to a Spirit-filled relief and peace because they know that Jesus will always be with them. The Holy Spirit breaks into our lives just at the right time: when we are lonely, lost, fearful, despairing, and uncertain. The Spirit prompts us to respond with confidence in God’s providence to the

I am happy to announce that Bishop Caggiano has assigned Michael Crane to serve as a deacon at Saint Aloysius parish. Michael and his wife Alycia are already a part of our Saint Aloysius family, and you will recognize Michael from his leadership in Stephen Ministry, Men’s Bible Study and the Men’s Spirituality ministry. Since he was installed as an acolyte (the last step before ordination to the diaconate), Michael has served in the sanctuary and as an ordinary minister of Holy Communion. A recently retired attorney, Michael also works as a colleague of mine in the bishop’s office where

In his 2014 homily on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Francis said this of Mary: Mary is so closely united to Jesus because she received from Him the knowledge of the heart, the knowledge of faith, nourished by her experience as a mother and by her close relationship with her Son. The Blessed Virgin is the woman of faith who made room for God in her heart and in her plans; she is the believer capable of perceiving in the gift of her Son the coming of that ‘fullness of time’ in which God, by choosing the

It’s been a while since I provided a report on our construction progress, and I am happy to share the news that the Education and Faith Center, the St. Carlo Acutis Chapel, and the “Parish Green” will be completed by May 31st! More than 600 families shared their treasure to realize the transformation of our campus and create beautiful space for worship, learning, recreation, and fellowship. Each of you will receive my personal thanks in a matter of days. Here’s a detailed report on the project: The Education and Faith Center will be home to the Saint Aloysius Catholic Preschool,

This Sunday the Church invites us to consider that we are called by God to live out our discipleship in a particular way. World Day of Prayer for Vocations places us with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who desires that we “have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) God who is Shepherd gently leads us to the “safe pastures,” near “restful waters,” and out of the “dark valley” to a place of “goodness and kindness.” (Psalm 23) God’s plans for us are exquisite: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you…plans for your welfare and

Did you ever feel like you were heading in the wrong direction? I’m not talking about taking the wrong road when you decide to ditch your GPS and rely on that inner sense of direction you thought you had. I’m referring to that feeling of fear that an idea, a choice, or a relationship was not going where you thought it would go. The sense of impending failure sparks self-doubt and hopelessness. The remedy for this kind of flawed navigation is to re-set, re-group, and check-in with the ones who can show us the better way – the people we

In this Sunday’s second reading, Peter reminds us of the great gift of mercy given to us by God through the Risen Christ: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. The meaning of “mercy” is rich