At the very beginning of November, we will be celebrating two important feasts that are deeply rooted in Catholic faith and piety: All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. These are celebrations of the “communion of saints” that we mention every time we recite the Creed. This doctrine tells [...]
Deacon John Brady, retired, class of 1981, died Monday, September 22, 2014. The Wake will be held at Assumption Church, 61 North Cliff Street, Ansonia, on Friday, September 26, 2014, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. The Office for the Dead will be recited at 5:30 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at [...]
Deacon Peter Klein died Wednesday, September 17, 2014. The Wake will be held at Glastonbury Funeral Home, on September 21, 2014, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Office of the Dead will be recited at 7:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Dunstan Church in Glastonbury on September 22, 2014 at 11:00 [...]
Last month, I was happy to join other bishops from New England for our annual retreat. One Catholic dictionary defines a retreat as “an individual or group withdrawal (normally to a religious house set apart for this purpose) to awaken and deepen one’s spiritual life through silence, prayer and spiritual exercises.” The bishops gathered at [...]
The Reverend James E. Smith, Class of 1963, died Wednesday, August 27, 2014. The Wake will be held at D'Esopo Funeral Home, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford, 860-568-9420, on Monday, September 1, 2014, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, will be the principal celebrant at the Mass of Christian Burial, with [...]
Deacon Donald E. Norton died Friday, August 22, 2014. The Wake will be held at St. Mary Church, Windsor Locks on Monday, August 25, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Church, Windsor Locks on Tuesday, August 26 at 10:00 a.m. May he rest in peace.
On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, I was blessed to receive from the hands of Pope Francis the vestment known as the pallium. This ancient insignia, which I described in an earlier Transcript column, has been conferred on metropolitan archbishops by the pope since ancient times. I have been asked what [...]
The Reverend Lech Kuna, priest of the diocese of Lublin, Poland, died Saturday, July 19, 2014. Father Kuna was serving as chaplain of Saint Joseph Residence in Enfield, Connecticut. Bishop Christie Macaluso will be the principal celebrant at a Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Kuna at the Chapel of the Saint [...]
It is probably safe to say that everyday life has changed more in the last 100 years than it did in the previous 1,000. The whole rhythm of life and human interaction is vastly different today because of the mode of living created by technology, transportation, communications and modern economics. No doubt something has been [...]
If you’ve ever attended a big public fireworks display, you will know how it begins and ends with a bang, and is marked by many fiery bursts against the dark sky, to the oohs and ahs of the delighted spectators. I would like to suggest that at this season we are near the end of [...]