As we contemplate the end of the Church Year, the Solemnity of Christ the King, and the beginning of Advent, I thought it might be a good idea to try a spiritual exercise that will help us as we prepare for Christmas – and the rest of our lives. The meditation that follows is in the tradition of Ignatian spirituality. I hope you find it helpful. In our day and age, it’s difficult to grasp the concept of a human king. In Ignatius’ time, this was much easier. But today we live in a world that values democracy, shared leadership,

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this week! This national holiday provides a wonderful opportunity, I believe, to reflect on the blessings God has given us and to connect those blessings to the Eucharist and the Feast of Christ the King, the solemnity we will celebrate next weekend. The word “Eucharist” has its roots in Greek and it means “thanksgiving.” It is the meal where we are drawn into the Paschal Mystery – the suffering, dying, and rising of Jesus. Around the table of the Eucharist, we are recalling – in fact re-living – Jesus’ great sacrifice, and that

I am deeply grateful to all who offered prayers at the time of my mother’s passing. Thank you for your kind expressions of sympathy; they meant a lot to my family and me. Right after my mom’s death, my mind was swirling as I was imagining her on her journey. That brought me to contemplate Heaven and Purgatory. The Church dedicates the month of November to the Holy Souls, our brothers and sisters who are on their way to Heaven. I thought I would offer a little teaching about Purgatory, a gift from God for our dear loved ones who

It’s been a while since I gave an update on our parish project, including where we stand with raising the funds to complete every aspect of it, so here are some highlights. I’ll keep you posted as we move forward. Upgrades in the Church Every pew will be repaired, refinished, and reinstalled by December 18th. The finishing touches on the brighter carpeting will be completed once all of the pews have been reinstalled. In case of any staining, the carpet is easy to clean The flooring under the pews is a new, durable and easy-to-clean material; the last of the

A rainy day next to a construction site might be a less than ideal setting for an occasion as joyous as the Conferral of the St. Augustine Medal of Service. But, as Bishop Frank J. Caggiano quipped, God chose just that day, “in his infinite wisdom” to honor the faithful gathered at St. Augustine Cathedral on October 14, 2023. Established by Bishop William E, Lori in 2005, the St. Augustine Medal of Service recognizes men and women from across the Diocese of Bridgeport whose exemplary service to Christ and his Church is lived out in extraordinary service in the parishes,

This weekend we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The readings and homily at all the Masses will speak to this, but let me say here that our little diocese has done great things for the greater glory of God and the good of God’s people and the future is bright! We also congratulate and thank Bishop Frank Caggiano on his 10th anniversary as our bishop. May God bless him for his faithful service and spiritual fatherhood. Congratulations to Bill and Mary Beth Fessler who received the Saint Augustine Medal for Service at Saint Augustine Cathedral last

I’m delegating my column this week to Fr. John Foley who has some great thoughts on this Sunday’s scripture readings. –Msgr. Rob Why Be Good? In the early Old Testament there seems to have been an ongoing belief, one that we hang on to today sometimes: that good people are rewarded and sinners are punished even unto death. When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he … does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life. There is so

The Gospel this Sunday seems startling because the workers who showed up later in the day are paid the same wage as those who worked the entire day. But the point of the story is that our understanding of justice is not always in line with God’s justice. This should be no surprise to the reader of Sunday’s first reading: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” In the Gospel about the laborers’ wages, those who arrived late are deserving of a good life just like those who worked all day long,

Once again the Sunday Scriptures speak of forgiveness. When it comes to the difficulty we have with forgiving someone, I’ve always asked this question: 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 pretty 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 love

Have you seen the New Canaan Sentinel yet? This new paper will be featuring regular columns from our very own Msgr. Rob! Check out his first one. COLUMN | The Worship Column by Father Rob Kinnally: Praying and Serving as One By: Father Rob Kinnally | Pastor, Saint Aloysius Church August 24, 2023 In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses the analogy of the human body as he writes about the emerging Church: But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no

Dear Friends, Now that we have broken ground on our exciting parish project, I’m writing to bring you up to date on where we are with renovations, construction, and the last phase of fund-raising. The best way to present this update is in a “Frequently -Asked Questions (FAQ)” format that is informed by the questions I have received from donors, potential donors, and the community-at-large. So here we go!

This Sunday’s scripture readings are about hospitality. In the Gospel we hear that to be a follower of Jesus we have to take up crosses and extend hospitality. And it’s all tied into our ultimate goal—Heaven. Yes, we have work to do in order to get to Heaven, but as we do the work of carrying crosses – and maybe even the crosses of others, and we do the work of welcoming one another, especially the stranger, we do our part to build a better world. – a world that’s more compassionate, more aware and present to those who are

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. –Jeremiah 20:11 When people ask me how to get through those moments where it seems like absolutely everything is going wrong, I recommend taking the time to count recent blessings and thank God for them. But even when things are going well, it is good to take stock of how God has been at work in our lives, blessing us along the way. Taking the time to reflect on that is time well spent and becomes a prayer where we meet the

We are slowly getting to our goal of $26 million, but have an additional $8 million to go, and we are asking EVERYONE to help us get to the goal. We are planning some information events so you can hear an update on the project and ask all of your questions. The dates will be announced in the weekly email message. (Click Here – If you aren’t signed up for the Tuesday morning email messages). The planned buildings and greenspace are for everyone — for this generation and for a long time after. That’s why we need everyone to help

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

Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the moment at which the Holy Spirit descended as tongues of fire upon those gathered in the upper room. The sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, Reverence and Awe) assist us in our work of discipleship, our discernment of God’s will, and even our decision-making. Instead of saying much more, I offer you the Sequence (poetic prayer) of the Mass of Pentecost: Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home Shed a ray of light divine! Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all

I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. These words from the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John speak to us in the time between Jesus’ ascension to the Father

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

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples after they have just learned that he will go to Jerusalem and die. They are upset, yet Jesus’ response: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me,” does not console them. After hearing that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life,” Philip says, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” What’s going on here? Why can’t Jesus satisfy his anxious followers? Why don’t they understand who Jesus is in relationship to the Father? I think