Story by Shelley Wolf

On Oct. 2, the feast of the guardian angels, students at East Catholic High School in Manchester recognized their guardian angels here on earth by dedicating a new Marian grotto to the religious sisters who have served them as trusted mentors and guides.

Students and faculty at East Catholic honored the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur with a Mass and the dedication of a new Marian grotto at the high school: the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Grotto.

“Seventy-one Sisters worked here over the years,” Sean Brennan, chief administrator of East Catholic High School, told the crowd at the dedication ceremony. The Sisters, he said, served over the years as administrators, teachers and counselors.

With the motto “God is good all the time,” the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are still bringing their special charism to East Catholic High School, where they have been educating and shaping generations of students since the school’s founding in 1961.

Sister Peggy Evans, who has been with the school 58 years and still works part time, came up with the idea for the grotto. “Sister Peggy wanted to honor her fellow Sisters,” Brennan explained.

Brennan introduced Sister Peggy as “the soul of the school.” Over the years, she worked as a religion teacher, Spanish teacher, vice principal and guidance counselor. Today, she assists with alumni relations.

“They always said ‘East was best.’ East was best because of the student body here,” Sister Peggy told the students. “You rejuvenate me every day. The Sisters will tell you, I’m happy to wake up and come to work here every day.”

The event opened with a Mass in the auditorium, celebrated by Father Daniel Hackenjos, the dean of religious life for Archdiocesan Catholic High Schools. Later, students processed to the grotto for the dedication ceremony.

As the Sisters, the entire student body, and archdiocesan officials looked on, Father Hackenjos blessed the new grotto along with the student choir members who performed at the event.

The focal point of the new grotto is a bronze statue of Mary holding the baby Jesus. Now mounted on the side wall of the school, the statue was rescued from the old Notre Dame convent, which existed on the school property until it was razed in 2021. Bricks taken from that same convent now form the lower walls of the grotto.

Completing the grotto are a concrete sidewalk, prayer benches, hot pink rose bushes, evergreen plantings, and a bronze plaque dedicating it to all the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

The dedication ceremony was followed by a lunch honoring the 14 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who were present for the special tribute.

The previous day, members of East Catholic’s boys basketball team, dressed in white shirts and black bowties, also served dinner at the Sisters’ Jubilee celebration at St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Windsor Locks.

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are an international congregation, founded in 1804 by St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) in Amiens, France. Today, their Motherhouse is located in Namur, Belgium. Their Connecticut office is located in Windsor.

Story by Joe Pisani

Almost 60 years ago on an October afternoon, a young novice was praying in the Mount Sacred Heart Chapel in Hamden, when sunlight came through a stained glass window and cast a red beam across a white marble statue of Jesus. In seconds, it turned into a narrow ray of red light that illuminated his Sacred Heart.

Sister Marilyn Lagerman watched in amazement as Jesus’ Sacred Heart glowed red and ran to get a camera and tell the community of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she returned, it had disappeared, but they saw it the following year, at precisely the same day and time.

Every year on Oct. 21 around 4 p.m., when the autumn sun shines through the stained glass window of St. Francis Xavier, the Sacred Heart of the statue of Jesus is illuminated by a heavenly red glow.

Apostles of the Sacred Heart’s Sister Colleen Therese Smith, who has witnessed the phenomenon over the years, says, “It’s a moment of grace for everyone there. You sense this awe, and you are reminded again of God’s love for us.”

Sister Colleen, who is the provincial secretary, says it lasts for about 30 to 60 seconds.

“It’s breathtaking to see,” she says. “It comes through a pane on a western window in the apse of the chapel, where St. Francis Xavier’s name is. You see this reflection moving across the gold mosaic of the sanctuary. There is a red glow, and suddenly in the blink of an eye, a narrow red streak of light completely illuminates the Sacred Heart, and then disappears.”

In recent years, the sisters have opened the chapel to others, including students, parents and alumni of Sacred Heart Academy, to gather for a prayer service before the illumination.

“It’s beautiful. Everyone waits in absolute silence until that moment,” she says. “We are happy to share it because if this opens someone to the beauty of God’s love, that’s a wonderful thing. This is a little gift that God gives us to remind us of his love every day.”

And the gift is particularly meaningful to the community of women who have consecrated their lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“We are Apostles of the Sacred Heart, and he is everything to us,” Sister Colleen says. “We dedicate ourselves to spreading the love of God, and the heart of Jesus is a manifestation of the love of God. The devotion was born when Christ’s heart was pierced on the cross. Christ gave everything for the salvation of the world, and Christ’s heart is the heart that gives everything for us.”

Sister Colleen says that in Jesus’ apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, which celebrated the 350th anniversary this year, he spoke of his infinite love for humanity and his sorrow over humanity’s response.

‘“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself in order to testify its love,’” she repeats. “In return I receive from the greater only ingratitude… .’”

Adds Sister Colleen: “This heart loves humanity and yet is forgotten, but how much God thirsts to be in a love relationship with us.”

Sister Marilyn, who first saw the illumination in 1966, died on March 27, 2021, after 57 years in the community.

Visitors are welcome to share the occasion with the Apostles of the Sacred Heart on Oct. 21. They should arrive about 3:45 p.m. at the Mount Sacred Heart Chapel, 295 Benham St., Hamden. To watch a broadcast, click here: https://bit.ly/illumination25

Catholic Academy of Hartford to open in fall of 2026.

Story by Shelley Wolf

Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne is fulfilling his promise on May 1, 2024 – his first day in office – to bring Catholic education back to the city of Hartford after a ten-year absence.

The city of Hartford has not had a Catholic school operating within its borders since St. Augustine School closed at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

To end that drought, Archbishop Coyne announced during a press conference on Oct. 9 that the Archdiocese of Hartford has purchased a building on Asylum Avenue in Hartford, which it plans to open next fall as the Catholic Academy of Hartford.

“I simply could not accept that our state capital, and the geographic and spiritual center of our archdiocese, did not have a school to form our young people,” Archbishop Coyne said.

For its opening year, the Catholic Academy of Hartford will initially welcome Hartford students in pre-kindergarten through the second grade. The longer-term plan for the new school is to add one grade each year, expanding up to the eighth grade.

“Within the walls you see behind me, future leaders and contributors will be formed – mind, body and spirit. With a quality, affordable education, their potential will prove limitless,” the archbishop said.

The sale of the property, a former three-story office building at 765 Asylum Ave., was completed in September. The building is located behind the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

With the goal of beginning classes in the fall of 2026, the Archdiocese of Hartford plans to renovate the property, creating classrooms on the upper floors and a multi-purpose room in the basement. New exterior signage and a cross have already been erected.

“The opening of this school is representative of renewal, revival and a great reversal of the downward trends we experienced before and during COVID,” Archbishop Coyne noted.

“Mass attendance is up, the number of men and women discerning vocations to the priesthood and religious life is up, and most important to today’s announcement, Catholic school enrollment is up,” he reported. In fact, the archbishop said, most archdiocesan schools have waiting lists.

“With the wind in our sails,” Archbishop Coyne said, “the timing was right for the Archdiocese of Hartford to make a generational contribution to the city of Hartford for the education of its children.”

During the press conference, Valerie Mara, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, reiterated the archbishop’s commitment to restoring Catholic education in Hartford through a “just tuition model” in which Hartford families would pay on a sliding scale, according to their ability to pay.

The hope is to extend the opportunity for a Catholic education to all families in the city at all income levels.

The school intends to serve Hartford residents first, Mara noted, regardless of their faith tradition or creed. “Our doors are open to any family that wants a Catholic education,” she said.

Development initiatives and fundraising events for the Catholic Academy of Hartford are now underway. “I welcome with open arms civic leaders, benefactors and changemakers of any stripe who wish to be a part of this exciting endeavor,” Archbishop Coyne said.

To learn more about enrolling students, applying for aid, donating or applying for jobs, visit catholicacademyofhartford.org.

Story by Joe Pisani

More than 800 people representing 12 countries came together for the fourth annual Mary of the Americas celebration in a display of faith, unity and cultural pride. There was prayer, there was pageantry and there was a festival of Latin American food.

The archdiocesan celebration for the Blessed Mother Mary of the Americas and all Nations was held at the Shrine of Maria Reina de la Paz at St. Lawrence O’Toole Church in Hartford on Oct. 4 and will be held here in years to come.

It began with an international rosary in English, Spanish and Brazilian, which was followed by Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin with Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne as the principal celebrant.

“It is wonderful for us to gather under the devotion of our Blessed Mother because she always points us toward her Son,” the archbishop told the packed church.

The delegations wore colorful traditional dress of their countries. Before Mass, they processed into the shrine, singing their national anthems and waving flags of their native countries, while carrying images of the Blessed Mother, which they venerate under her different titles.

They sang and they clapped as their voices filled the shrine in a joyous display of pageantry.

Among those represented were St. George Church in Bridgeport (Mexico – Our Lady of Guadalupe); St. Mary Church in New Britain (Chile – Our Lady of Mount Carmel); North American Martyrs Parish in East Hartford (El Salvador – Our Lady of Peace); St. Augustine Church in Hartford (Guatemala – Our Lady of the Rosary); and The Shrine of Maria Reina de la Paz in Hartford (Honduras – Our Lady of Suyapa) (Peru – Our Lady of Mercy) (Colombia – Our Lady of Chiquinquirá) (United States – Immaculate Conception) (Costa Rica – Our Lady of the Angels) (Dominican Republic – Our Lady of High Grace) (Puerto Rico – Our Lady of Divine Providence) (Cuba – Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre).

Mass was followed by a festival of food and displays of different cultures.

Story by Joe Pisani

Winter, spring, summer or fall, you know where you can find me … at the car wash. It’s an obsession ever since I got one of those executive membership plans that costs a small fortune every month for a wash, a wax, wheel cleaning and vacuuming, the whole enchilada.

My family thinks I’m a little crazy, and they may be right. But cleanliness is next to godliness, as they say, and that applies to cars too.

Before, my wife always said I washed my car only once a year … whether it needed it or not. So now, I’m washing it four times a month, whether it needs it or not.

A few weeks ago, someone said, “You should go to confession as much as you go to that car wash.” Ouch. For the record, I try to go to confession at least once a month and sometimes more as the occasion requires.

The car wash has become an easy target. Another time, one of my daughters snarled, “You should spend as much time with your grandkids as you do at that car wash. To which I responded: “I would if my grandkids knew how to wash a car, so get out the pails, the hoses and the sponges.”

But their sarcasm hit home, and I got to thinking: “If I spent as much time in Eucharistic Adoration as I do at the car wash, I’d be a totally different person.”

Several years ago, I signed up for perpetual adoration and went from 1 to 2 a.m. Saturday morning, a time when they couldn’t get anyone else to go.

After a week of work, it wasn’t easy dragging myself out of bed and driving to the adoration chapel during a crazy time of night, when there always was a lot traffic on the roads because the bars were closing.

Very often, police had pulled over motorists for drunken driving, and it made my trip to church a bit harrowing.

However, I escaped all that insanity once I opened the door to the adoration chapel. A profound peace came over me when I saw Eucharistic Jesus, resplendent in the golden monstrance, waiting for our weekly encounter.

If I had a bad week — which I usually did — Jesus was there to listen. If I was anxious about a family crisis, I knew I could count on him to hear me out, especially if I thought I had been wronged … or if I had wronged someone else.

He’s a compassionate, patient and loving listener, and those are extremely rare traits in our world, where most people are more inclined to babble about their latest conquest and success, rather than listen to you share your pain.

St. Teresa of Calcutta was known for the hours she spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament. She rose at 4:30 every morning, and by 5 a.m. she was at Mass. Then, she had an hour of Eucharistic Adoration to prepare for the day’s work, caring for the sick and the dying. In the afternoon, she spent more time before the Blessed Sacrament.

She valued those moments because she knew Jesus would recharge her with the graces she needed and that she could share him with others who even needed him more.

Sadly, the perpetual adoration I went to ended because they couldn’t maintain the schedule; however, a church where I go to daily Mass has adoration every day. And while the majority of people spend time there in prayer and meditation, I often rush out after Mass to my next adventure or appointment, compelled by the delusion that I have a lot to do. The reality, however, is that a half-hour of adoration would be better for my all-around spiritual well-being than anything else I could possibly do.

Over the years, I’ve been blessed to know people whose lives have changed because of the time they spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. They’re women and men who found the answers they were looking for. Who found the hope and consolation they needed, which couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Those moments with Jesus are the most precious we’ll ever have this side of heaven. We just have to prioritize our lives and make time for them.

So in the pursuit of spiritual self-improvement, I’m revising my “to do” list. Quite honestly, I can’t take “have car washed” off the list, but I’m adding, “spend time in adoration” and putting it at the top.

Story by Joe Pisani

Some 600 men, as young as 13 and as old as 90, gathered for the 18th annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference, looking for hope and healing — and some for encouragement in their call to the priesthood.

The conference at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury centered on the theme “Jubilee Year Pilgrims of Hope” and featured  EWTN hosts Dr. Ray Guarendi, psychologist and author, and Michael O’Neill, the “Miracle Hunter,” along with Father Anthony Federico, Archdiocese of Hartford director of Vocations and Seminarians, and healing priest Father Jason Brooks LC, who talked about his work with the Regnum Christi Detroit Healing Ministry and prayed over men suffering from cancer, physical pain and migraines. There were also dozens of exhibitors.

The day began with a procession of 30 first-class relics. The events also included Adoration, confessions and a Vigil Mass celebrated by Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne and joined by others, including Norwich Bishop Richard Reidy, who gave the homily.

“This year’s conference was unlike any we’ve had before,” says director Ken Santopietro. “In this Jubilee Year — a time of mercy and restoration — we offered something truly special: a chance for healing, both spiritual and physical. There were also a lot of young guys discerning a vocation.”

Timothy Proctor, whose sons Rex, 14, and Benjamin, 13, were the youngest at the conference, said he came at their insistence, although he originally intended to complete a paper for his master’s degree in philosophy at Holy Apostles College.

“Whatever the Holy Spirit wills, I am his instrument,” he says. “I’m just trying to be a good Catholic dad.”

For Rex, the day was a particularly important because he feels the call to the priesthood.

“Every since I was 4, I wanted to be a priest,” he says. “I always wanted to administer the sacraments and partake in the sacrifice of the Mass, so I’m really glad to be here.”

Father Federico told the packed auditorium: “The Lord is beginning a revolution, a revival, a springtime for the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America and somehow, some way it’s beginning in the state of Connecticut.”

He says there was a class of five new seminarians last year; this month, the class increased to 11. In his role, Father Federico travels to every parish and says what is most needed is “a spirit of worship” and instructed the men to cultivate a “worship mindset” instead of a “casual mindset.”

Steven Schneider of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Oxford, who has come to the conference almost every year, says, “It gets better and better. Here I get the affirmation I need and realize I’m on the right track. A lot of time I wonder whether I’m right or wrong, but around these men I realize I’m doing as good as I can and that my problems are the same as the other guys. Seeing so many younger men also gives me hope for the future of the Church.”

Bill Dunn of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Vernon says coming to the conference every year gives him “a good booster shot of brotherhood and I realize there are other people of faith our there, and I’m not alone.”

In his homily, Bishop Reidy urged the men to reach out to others “in need of a strong, gentle Christ-like hand.”

“The men’s conference is a grace for us all, but it’s not just a one-day event,” he says. “It’s a tool in the journey to holiness, a time for us to listen, reflect, worship and share so we can deepen our faith.”

Story by Shelley Wolf

On a Saturday in August, nearly 20 members of the Young Catholic Professionals of Central Connecticut gathered in Meriden for a “service day” to help the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist tend their orchards and gardens.

The young adults joined the sisters in picking peaches, pruning the apple trees, weeding around the asparagus and beets, weeding the flower beds and sweeping the walkways.

“We could have spent the day somewhere else, but this was the best way for us to spend a Saturday,” says Joe Luchene, a member of the group, as he gathered tree branches into a wheelbarrow. On weekdays, Luchene is employed as a life coach and as a substitute teacher.

After four hours of outdoor labor, the young people prayed with the women religious and were treated to a lunch, breaking bread with the Franciscan Sisters on their patio behind the John Lateran Center in Meriden.

With the tagline “Working in Witness for Christ,” Young Catholic Professionals of Central Connecticut, or YCP, is a local chapter of a national organization that seeks to help young working adults to live their Catholic faith in the workplace and out in the world.

“One thing I really like about Young Catholic Professionals is that it encompasses a lot of different aspects of life. From the title itself you’d think it’s just a work-related group, but it’s very wholistic,” says Sister Faith Marie Woolsey, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist and an assistant chaplain for the young adult group.

“The purpose of Young Catholic Professionals is to help young adults connect their faith and their work,” says Natasha Hagan, president of the Central Connecticut chapter, who works as an engineer at Pratt & Whitney. “How do you live an undivided life? How do you show up as your full Catholic self, not shying away from talking about faith?”

Those questions get answered, she says, over time during the group’s monthly gatherings. Those gatherings encompass the Executive Speaker Series and Panel Discussions at various local churches throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Networking Happy Hour at the Twelve Percent Beer Project in North Haven, and various special events.

The group’s primary offering, the Executive Speaker Series, involves talks by senior professionals on development topics, such as leadership in the workplace. Invited speakers often share their own faith journey, providing insights on how to navigate as people of faith in a secular world. Panel Discussions explore a single virtue, applying it to everyday life.

Over the past two years, the young adults have heard from business owners and professionals working in the fields of law, accounting, marketing, sales, engineering and information technology at companies such as Travelers, Fairfield University, Aetna, Pratt & Whitney, the Knights of Columbus and Santopietro Brewing Company, to name just a few.

Upcoming events: In October, the group will gather for a St. Joseph Saturday Half-Day Retreat on Oct. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham St., Hamden. The retreat includes breakfast, lunch, Mass, confession and Adoration.

In November, the chapter will celebrate its second anniversary with a Mass of Thanksgiving & Reception celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at St. Bartholomew Church, 45 Ludlow Road, Manchester.

All young adults and newcomers are welcome to attend. For more details, visit youngcatholicprofessionals.org/chapter/central-connecticut.

Story by Joe Pisani

Ada Mierzejewski went to her first Polish Day as a teenager back in the 1970s at St. Stanislaus Church in Meriden, and years later, she still enjoys the celebration of fine food, music and culture.

That food, which an expected 300 people will be enjoying on Sept. 28, is homemade by Mierzejewski, Amanda Edwards and Father Edward Ziemnicki, pastor of St. Faustina Parish, made up of St. Stanislaus Church and SS. Peter & Paul Church in Wallingford.

For weeks, the trio have been preparing, shopping and cooking everything from pierogi (stuffed dumplings) to golabki (stuffed cabbage), using the treasured old world recipes of Father Ziemnicki’s mother Genowefa.

Pastor for 20 years, Father Ziemnicki says St. Stanislaus is the oldest Polish parish in Connecticut, and this year marks its 134th anniversary.

The original Polish celebration, known as June Fest, was three days long. But since the formation of St. Faustina Parish, it evolved into Polish Day.

“Polish Day is about bringing the parish together as a community,” Father Ziemnicki says. “We start with noon Mass in Polish, then we have music and delicious food that is all homemade from the recipes of my mom. You cannot buy this kind of food in the store.”

A proud native of Poland, he says the country’s culture has historically been inextricably linked to the Catholic faith.

“We were always successful because we built our society on Catholic values, so you cannot talk about Poland without talking about the Catholic faith,” Father Ziemnicki adds. “The motto of Poland is God, Honor, Country.”

This year’s Polish Day will also observe the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Solidarity movement in Poland, a non-violent social movement aligned with the Church, which led to the collapse of Communism.

Amanda Edwards, who has worked at the parish for eight years, is also proud of her Polish heritage. She attended St. Stanislaus School, as did her children before it closed.

“I enjoy the festival because it brings me a lot of joy, and I’m so excited to see people enjoying the food we prepared for them. We put a lot of love into making the food, and it’s a real homemade Polish meal,” she says. “Everybody loves Polish Day, because it lets the whole parish get together to celebrate with music, dancing and good food.”

For Mierzejewski, whose daughters, sons-in-law and even grandchildren volunteer at the event, Polish Day is a family affair. A lifelong parishioner, she was brought up immersed in Polish culture and observing its traditions.

“I went to St. Stanislaus School and the church, and I married a Polish man, who worked at the church cemetery for 41 years,” she adds. “Our parish family of St. Stanislaus and SS. Peter & Paul is everything to us, so I’m here celebrating my Polish heritage — even though I’m 100 percent Italian.”

St. Faustina Parish Polish Day will be held at St. Stanislaus Church grounds, 82 Akron St., in Meriden on Sept. 28, 1 to 5 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets by Sept. 22, call the parish office, 203.235.6341. Children under 12 are admitted free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets are not sold at the door.