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St. Lucian’s Residence Counts 100 Years of Senior Living with Spiritual Perks

Story by Shelley Wolf

Monsignor Lucian Bojnowski, who served as a pastor to the Polish community in New Britain beginning in 1895, was an enterprising priest who dreamed of many ministries to uplift the locals. As pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, he founded a congregation of religious women, two grade schools, an academy, an orphanage and a home for the elderly.

One of his creations that continues to care for God’s people to this day is St. Lucian’s Residence, a residential senior living facility, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year (1925 to 2025).

“He had an incredible vision,” Robert Skarba, administrator of St. Lucian’s Residence, says of Monsignor Bojnowski. Today, that vision is summarized in St. Lucian’s Residence logo with the tagline “comfort, care and compassion.”

“The ministry of St. Lucian’s is a priority of the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception,” says Sister Mary Janice Zdunczyk, a member of the congregation and director of St. Lucian’s, who is in charge of providing that compassionate care. “It’s our mission to support St. Lucian’s financially, spiritually and socially.”

Today, six sisters make their home at St. Lucian’s Residence, a nonprofit residential senior living facility that welcomes people age 65 and above. The sisters live on one floor of St. Lucian’s Residence, while 15 lay people live on the floors below.

“I think our founder’s purpose was to found a community with a faith dimension,” Sister Mary Janice explains. “With that added spiritual dimension, the sisters are willing to share their community life with the lay people and vice versa.

“It’s amazing how many residents join the sisters in prayer, holy hours and at various prayer services,” Sister Mary Janice notes.

There is also a chapel, which draws the residents for daily Mass. Masses are celebrated by Father Lawrence Symolon, chaplain for the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception. While this spiritual legacy is being carried on, some things have changed.

Located on Burritt Street, St. Lucian’s Residence was built in 1925 and gained a new wing in 1986, followed by many upgrades. Residents enjoy private rooms but can mingle in sitting rooms on every floor, in the dining hall and in a large social activity room.

Father Lawrence Symolon, chaplain for the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception, dispenses the Eucharist to Superior General Sister Mary Catherine Sirotnak during the 100th Anniversary Mass and Celebration last September in the chapel at St. Lucian’s Residence. COURTESY DAUGHTERS OF MARY

Activities include exercise classes, bingo, movies and holiday parties. Meals, assistance with medication, laundry and other services are also available, if needed.

Resident Kasimier (Kaz) Marchut, a former long-distance runner, takes advantage of the weekly exercise classes. He also loves to read. “I’ve read every book in the library,” he says, of the small library with English and Polish titles. But he says the best thing about living at St. Lucian’s is “having good friends.”

In the activity room, an invited speaker discusses cultural traditions for the Easter holiday with the Sisters and the residents. COURTESY DAUGHTERS OF MARY

Luc A. Ouellette spent his working life as a Catholic school teacher at St. Ann Jr. High School and Sacred Heart School in New Britain, teaching reading, French and religion. He says he arrived at St. Lucian’s because “I needed some things done for me – laundry and food prep.”

Oullette loves everything about St. Lucian’s: “The schedule for meals, the quiet time in the building, the activities planned for us, the daily Mass and the rosary on Wednesday after Mass and on Sunday afternoons.”

Three years ago, Sister Mary Lucille Banach, one of the Daughters of Mary and a retired nurse, moved from Boston to become a resident. “The best is the socialization. There are people around to talk to – or not talk to,” she says with a laugh.

Avon Teens Join in Sending Gifts to Military for the Holidays

Story by Shelley Wolf

On a Saturday in November, 15 teens from St. Ann Parish in Avon spent their morning serving the men and women who protect our country far from home.

In the gymnasium of New Britain High School, they joined hundreds of other people from throughout Central Connecticut in wrapping and packing food gifts for military members in time for the Christmas holiday.

“It’s important to help. Some deployed members don’t have family looking out for them,” says Victoria Borisov, a St. Ann Youth Ministry member who is in the eighth grade. “A big part of our Catholic faith is helping others, and this fits with that. It’s a good cause.”

“Service work is important when you’re Catholic,” adds Henry Madison, a seventh grade youth ministry member. “We’re here to support the men and women overseas, so they can have the holiday spirit. I wish I could do more.”

This service activity is one of many good works performed by the St. Ann Parish Youth Ministry. The Avon teens were escorted by Caroline Mascoli, the new director of youth ministry for the parish as of last September.

Mascoli is encouraging the youth ministry members, especially those who are confirmation candidates, to put in at least eight hours of service for the year. “For confirmation candidates, we’re trying to follow the Corporal Works of Mercy and find events and activities related to that,” she says.

Students fulfill three categories of service: (1) individual, (2) with family and (3) with a group.

Mascoli chose the “Boxes to Boots” group event, which she had heard about from other high school groups. “It was top of my list because I knew it would be a great way to get kids involved in the community,” she says. “And, I have two brothers in the Marines, so it hits close to home for me and will for the students here as well.

Caroline Mascoli, second from left and director of St. Ann Youth Ministry, organizes the Avon teens in packing the gifts. PHOTO BY SHELLEY WOLF

The “Operation Cares 2025—Giving Thanks to Our Troops” event was sponsored by “Boxes to Boots,” a nonprofit started in 2015 by Karen Cote, a military mom in Berlin. At the 2025 event, the Avon teens and hundreds of others worked at 90 tables packing care packages of breakfast treats and snacks, and fun gifts such as Frisbees, for 1,800 to 1,900 service members.

Two of the teens write out greeting cards with Bible verses for service men and women serving overseas. PHOTO BY SHELLEY WOLF

“It was so nice that active military were here to make it even more meaningful,” Mascoli notes. Some local military members, such as the ROTC and the Connecticut National Guard, were present packing boxes, receiving boxes and loading the trucks.

Mascoli’s fiancée, Sean Murphy, accompanied the Avon teens. “It’s wonderful,” he says of the event, which also included a DJ playing popular dance music. “It’s such a fun way to get them involved with community and start them out.”

Mateo Garza, a senior in high school, recently joined the St. Ann Youth Ministry. “I just learned about this group and events and want to go to more. I felt connected to the people and the others but also to God himself,” he says.

“We were writing Bible verses on cards,” Garza adds, “and if one of those verses can get along to a soldier, it can bring faith to them as well.”

Built by Faith: How One Craftsman Uses His Skills to Glorify God

Story by Jim Tierney

For Omar Acosta, every nail driven and every beam aligned is an act of prayer. A self-employed contractor from Windsor and a third-year candidate in the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Diaconate formation program, Acosta views his craft as a way to glorify God—and to draw others closer to him.

This Advent, parishioners and passersby at Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield will encounter one of Acosta’s most heartfelt creations yet: a handcrafted manger that stands as both an artistic and spiritual expression of love.

“I wanted to build something that pointed people to God,” he says. “Beauty can quietly draw the passerby—even for a moment—that’s what this is about.”

The manger at Sacred Heart is the third one he has built within the archdiocese—following earlier ones at St. Francis Church in New Haven and St. Gabriel Church in Windsor. Each is unique, but all share a singular purpose: to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation with reverence and beauty.

Yet for Acosta, the story begins long before the first piece of wood is cut.

Born and raised in Hartford and a graduate of Prince Tech, Acosta’s childhood was framed by survival and grace.

“My faith is that of a peasant,” he explains. “I didn’t attend Catholic schools or have formal faith formation. But I was blessed with a relationship with God from the time I was 5 or 6. I spent so much time talking to him—it was truly a grace.”

This manger at St. Gabriel Church in Windsor is special to Acosta because he built it with fellow parishioner Mark Regan. SUBMITTED PHOTO

His early years were shaped by hardship—his father’s struggle with addiction and his mother’s quiet, heroic perseverance.

“My mother was the instrument God used in my life,” he says. “She was my hero. She showed us mercy by visiting strangers in nursing homes, just to bring them company. That planted something deep in me.”

This is another manger Omar built at St. Francis Church in New Haven.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

As a teenager, Acosta became an altar server and later a youth minister at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Hartford. A pivotal experience came when he attended the Steubenville retreat, hosted by Franciscan University.

“It was amazing to be surrounded by a couple thousand people in attendance radiating zeal for our living faith,” he says. “My heart caught the scent of something I wanted deeply more of. Soon after, I applied and took a road trip to visit the Steubenville, Ohio, campus. Months later, I was a student there. The greatest gifts that came of it were not even on my radar.”

Now married for 17 years, Omar and his wife, Julie, have five children—Analia, 13; Camila, 11; Mariela, 9; Lucas, 8; and Tobias, 1. Their home life, like his craftsmanship, is rooted in prayer.

“One of my vocations is living the sacrament of matrimony,” he says. “The other is my faith and both are grounded in service.”

That spirit of service has guided his 17 years working with people with disabilities in the Hartford area—helping others live with dignity, joy and faith.

Whether serving others or shaping wood, Acosta finds God in the work of his hands.

“I’m an artisan,” he says simply. “I dream of designing church furnishings, grottos, Stations of the Cross—anything that glorifies God through beauty. The manger is just one small way to offer that.”

As the Christmas season approaches, Acosta hopes his latest creation becomes a place of encounter.

“The idea of being able to build a manger is to capture someone’s mind, eye, and attention,” he adds. “They’re looking up at God whether they know it or not.”

How a Pilgrimage to Mexico Sparked a Priest’s Passion for the Guadalupe Feast

Story by Jim Tierney

When Father Joseph Keough, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Suffield, traveled to Mexico City earlier this month, he expected a meaningful pilgrimage. What he didn’t expect was how his visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe would impact him and shape his plans for the parish’s upcoming feast day celebration.

“It was something I always wanted to do,” he says. “My dad always had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. It’s an image of her I wanted to learn more about, especially the Miracle of the Tilma.”

Keough joined a group organized by Verso Ministries, traveling with two parishioners and others from across the United States. The group spent five days exploring the sacred sites connected to the apparitions of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego. To understand the significance of these sites, it helps to recall the story at the heart of the devotion.

In 1531, Juan Diego reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, who asked for a shrine and proved her message by imprinting her image on his tilma when he presented miraculous winter roses to the bishop. The image — unchanged for centuries despite its fragile material — carries indigenous symbols, accurate constellations from the day of the apparition, microscopic human reflections in the eyes, and scriptural parallels, leading many to see it as a miraculous, divinely created sign.

 “What moved me most was seeing how the apparition brought unity,” Keough says. “Our Blessed Mother spoke to both the native people and the Spanish explorers, and her message – ‘I am your mother, and you are my son’– led to conversion and healing. It really was an important trip. Americans need to see this, experience it, and learn about it.”

In Mexico City is a display on the side of a hill where the roses appeared and a church was built per instruction by Our Lady of Guadalupe. PHOTO BY FATHER JOSEPH KEOUGH

He was also struck by the symbolic depth of the image.

“Everything on the tilma has meaning – the stars on her mantle reflect the night sky of Dec. 12, 1531,” Keough explains. “There’s a heavenly message embedded in every detail.”

Hundreds of people are dancing to drums in traditional native dress in the plaza in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. PHOTO BY FATHER JOSEPH KEOUGH

The experience inspired him to create a more intentional and joyful celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Sacred Heart this year on Dec. 12. Before leaving for Mexico, he asked parishioners if they had prayer intentions he could bring to the Basilica.

“More than 200 people responded,” Keough says. “When I came back, so many thanked me. There’s a real excitement about it in the parish.”

Sacred Heart Parish’s Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Sacred Heart Church on Dec. 12 will begin with Eucharistic Adoration from 7:30 to 8 a.m., followed by Mass at 8 a.m., which will be livestreamed on the parish Facebook page. Father Keough will preach a special Guadalupe-themed homily, reflecting on his pilgrimage and the message of trust and closeness to Christ through the Blessed Mother.

An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, provided by a parish family, will be displayed prominently.

In the afternoon, the parish hopes to host a brief devotional program highlighting key moments from the pilgrimage and the history of the apparition.

The simple, but profound message behind the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates in the lives of parishioners today. “That message of trust and drawing closer to our Lord through his mother,” Keough adds. “I am your mother, you are my son.”

Decree of the Seventh Edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services

“The Spirit of Christmas” Offers Delightful Day at McGivney Pilgrimage Center

Story by Shelley Wolf

If your family is looking for a way to make the Christmas season more meaningful and joyful, the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center in New Haven offers a free, faith-filled and fun outing.

This year the museum, operated by the Knights of Columbus, is inviting visitors to “The Spirit of Christmas” exhibit now through Feb. 1, 2026. The exhibit features crèches and other artwork from around the globe celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. In addition, this year the exhibit highlights traditions and feast days cherished throughout the Christmas season.

“This year’s exhibit is not just about Christmas. It talks about the Advent season all the way through to Candlemas,” says Bethany J. Sheffer, curator and registrar of the museum. “Other feast days connected to the season include St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, the Holy Family and the Epiphany.”

This year’s exhibit also offers an interactive Advent calendar. “We’ve built a larger-than-life Advent calendar. You can open some of its doors,” Sheffer says. “On Dec. 20, when you open the door, you might get a prize.”

The Advent calendar measures 8 feet tall and 20 feet wide. “It’s big and exciting. When you open the doors, it lights up. It’s the first thing you see,” she adds.

Visitors will also be greeted in the entrance hall by a decorated tree with a French nativity tucked underneath its branches. “Our French nativity is a personal favorite,” Sheffer says. “It’s surrounded by poinsettias and is very pretty.”

This peasant crèche with animals from Mougères, France, is created from dolomite stone, resin and polychrome. PHOTO BY AARON JOSEPH
This peasant crèche with animals from Mougères, France, is created from dolomite stone, resin and polychrome. PHOTO BY AARON JOSEPH

Among 50 crèches and works of art in adjoining rooms, visitors will find some new nativities this year from Australia, Germany and Denmark. “The Australian creche is a simple wood carved piece but, with that, we now have nativities from six out of seven continents,” Sheffer says.

This round and colorful nativity from Japan is crafted in polychrome and wood. PHOTO BY AARON JOSEPH
This round and colorful nativity from Japan is crafted in polychrome and wood. PHOTO BY AARON JOSEPH

Other intriguing crèches include one from Haiti made of coconut shells. “One of my favorites is the Three Kings,” Sheffer adds. “It’s Spanish and is porcelain with figures 18 inches tall. They are beautiful. They’re at the very end of the exhibit.”

A second exhibit, “Away in a Manger,” includes the crèche of St. Mary Church set in 19th-century New Haven – in the era of Blessed Michael McGivney.

This exhibit also incorporates the Neapolitan crèche, an annual favorite, which is large enough to encompass three main structures and 150 animal figures. “There’s a turtle I move around every year,” Sheffer says. “People can try to find him.”

Additionally, visitors are invited to free weekend events: Tempus Adventus Concert, a choral concert by Canticum Novum, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m.; St. Nicholas Day with live music from Craig Calistro and the Christmas Tree Festival decorated by 20 Connecticut Catholic schools, Dec. 6 from 12 to 3 p.m.; the Advent Calendar Giveaway, Dec. 20; and Christmastime Family Day with live music from Joyful Noise, Dec. 28 from 12 to 3 p.m.

Before You Go

Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center, at 1 State St., New Haven, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking below the museum are free. For more information and the complete schedule of events, call 203.865.0400 or visit online at michaelmcgivneycenter.org.

Catholic Transcript: Winter 2025

Forthcoming Biography will Chronicle the Life of a Deceased Priest

Story by Karen A. Avitabile

The late Father Philip Cascia of the Archdiocese of Hartford was described as a “man of action” for his extensive humanitarian and peace efforts which extended nationally and internationally.

“Father Cascia was a saint in his own, unique way,” said George Hughes, who chokes up when he discusses the priest and his friend. “I’m not the only one affected by this man.”

Hughes of Prospect delivered a presentation on the legacy of Father Cascia at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, an event that drew some 70 attendees.

He highlighted Father Casia’s multifaceted life, including his diplomatic efforts through sports and the founding of St. Vincent DePaul Mission in Waterbury.

Hughes, a historian and former newspaper correspondent with a passion for writing, is working on a book about Father Cascia’s life. More than 40 interviews have been conducted, he adds, and the research is still underway. “I’m making steady progress on the book,” he said of the writing project.

After a short illness, Father Cascia, 55, died on Jan. 16, 2007, when he was administrator of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Plainville. His additional assignments included serving churches in Prospect and Waterbury. He was a prefect at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield.

Father Cascia developed a strong foundation of faith early in life. When he was 6 years old, he began religious training at St. Adalbert Preparatory School in Enfield. After seminary, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford on May 28, 1977, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford.

A sizable crowd gathered to learn more about the late Father Cascia. PHOTO BY KAREN A. AVITABILE

“He knew he wanted to be a priest at a young age,” Hughes added.

The priest also served as chaplain and wrestling coach at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. While coaching, he arranged for wrestling teams to travel to the Soviet Union.

Father Cascia was appointed by the late President Ronald Reagan to establish Intersports USA, an international program designed to foster cultural exchanges between American sports teams and those from other nations.

In 1998, the priest was instrumental in organizing a trip for Pope St. John Paul II to Cuba and led a Connecticut delegation. In 2000, Father Cascia was invited by the Vatican to celebrate the pope’s 80th birthday. That same year, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work through Intersports USA.

Father Cascia was founder of St. Vincent DePaul Mission in Waterbury, an organization that aims to combat the root causes of homelessness in the Greater Waterbury area. The mission has grown to provide a wide range of services including a soup kitchen, emergency homeless shelter, thrift store and mental health facilities. It also offers programs for individuals and families with disabilities.

Hughes met Father Cascia in 1979 when he moved to Prospect and joined St. Anthony Church in the town. He said he held the priest in high regard and was grateful for his numerous contributions.

Today, Hughes remains active as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a Bible study teacher and a choir member. He has served on the parish council at St. Anthony Church and was a faith formation teacher.

During his presentation, Hughes scrolled through photos of Father Cascia on a large screen. “Look at the smile on his face,” said Hughes, pointing to one of the photos.

Gifts That Really Keep on Giving

Story by Joe Pisani

When “Megs,” as she was known to her family and friends, died last year at 102, she left behind a legacy that will last into eternity, a legacy that included seven children, 12 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, good works, and decades of prayers for others.

In the 1940s, long before it was fashionable for women to have careers, she went to nursing school and college and worked at several Catholic hospitals. She eventually left to raise her family and later returned to train young nurses.

She went to daily Mass, she taught Bible study, she was active in her parish, she was committed to several ministries and humanitarian causes.

“She lived her faith daily for over a hundred years and established that legacy in her own children to carry on,” her obituary said. All of us should be so well remembered.

She was also known for her love of owls and had a large collection of them as knick-knacks. But more important, she loved religious statues and sacramentals, and when she passed, her children spent days going through what she had collected, taking what they wanted and sharing the rest with family and friends. There were Madonnas, crucifixes, statues of saints, prayer books, rosaries, scapulars, medals, holy cards and more. Boxes of religious items.

Her daughter gave us some of these treasures, and for me it was a sacred honor to receive rosaries and prayer books this saintly woman had used.

Sacramentals are a fundamental part of our spiritual life. Blessed objects, such as crucifixes, rosaries and medals can ward off evil, inspire devotion and help us appreciate God at work in our daily lives.

It took me time to sort through the prayer cards, some of which dated back more than 50 years. Of course, I wasn’t new to this sort of adventure. Throughout my life, I’ve wandered through antique shops and second-hand stores, looking for rosaries, vintage prayer books, Madonnas and whatever else I could find that lay hidden in dusty corners. It was always a delight to save a blessed item from obscurity.

Many of the books and Bibles had been inscribed by family members on the occasion of a First Communion, Confirmation or marriage, so I brought them home because something so precious and spiritually meaningful deserved a renewed life and shouldn’t be cast aside.

More than once, I found a prayer book over a century old, in a corner of a used bookstore, most likely because a son or daughter or descendent didn’t appreciate its spiritual and family significance.

I found sets of rosary beads, which I’m sure had been used thousands of times by a parent or grandparent during times of trial and crisis or thanksgiving.

Realizing that seemed to establish a special relationship between me and whoever prayed with them before.

My hope is that someday I can pass my sacramentals onto family members and friends who value them, rather than have them discarded.

When my mother passed, it took me a while to go through her belongings. Her rosary beads held special significance because every night as she lay in bed, she prayed to Our Lady  — for her family, her sick friends, people who were dying, and for intentions known only to her and the Blessed Mother, who I’m sure, answered them.

The box Megs’ daughter gave us contained hundreds of sacramentals. I said a silent prayer as I went through them: “Lord, help us to find a home for these religious items, someone who will cherish them, pray with them and continue the legacy of the woman who owned them … and may they continue to give you glory.”

That prayer was answered quickly enough. My wife gathered everything together and put them in a large box for the Missionaries of Charity, who always put religious items to good use.

St. Teresa of Calcutta’s sisters will share them with the people they serve, whether they’re children in catechism classes or families who can’t afford to buy statues and prayer books.

Meg’s love for Jesus and the Blessed Mother will bear fruit long after she’s gone. Someone will be using her rosaries, someone will be saying the prayers on her holy cards, and someone will put a statue of Our Lady and the Baby Jesus in a place of honor.

Pilgrimage Set to Honor Priests, Increase Vocations

Story by Joe Pisani

On a June evening last year, Joanne and Ed Arrandale of St. Margaret Church in Madison joined thousands of pilgrims as they walked up a hill in Medjugorje for an apparition of the Blessed Mother on the 43rd anniversary of her first appearance to six young people in 1981.

“I had this desire to be in the same place as the Blessed Mother was appearing,” Joanne recalls. “I wanted to be where she was.”

When Our Lady appeared, the visionaries fell to their knees, people stopped praying the rosary and silence descended on the hillside in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“It was incredible,” she says. “To be on this hill with thousands of people, and there was dead silence — and you knew you were in the presence of the Blessed Mother.”

Her anniversary message was: “Dear children, I rejoice with you and thank God for permitting me to be with you, to lead you and love you. Little children, peace is in danger and the family is under attack. I am calling you, little children, to return to prayer in the family. Put sacred Scripture in a visible place and read it every day. Love God, above all, that it may be good for you on Earth. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Our Lady of Medjugorje urges people to receive the Eucharist, pray the rosary, read the Bible, fast, and go to monthly confession.

“In Medjugorje, you experience one of the most spiritual and peaceful places, where heaven touches Earth,” Joanne says. “The idea came to me to bring others back to share it with them. The Blessed Mother wants us to spread what’s happening there.”

A statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje stands outside the Church of St. James, where Masses are held daily in English and Croatian for pilgrims. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Inspired by her experience, the Arrandales are organizing a pilgrimage, where others can deepen their faith and pray for priests, seminarians and new vocations. A member of the Archdiocesan Vocations Ministry, she approached Father Anthony Federico, director of Vocations & Seminarians, with her idea and for his participation.

Ed and Joanne Arrandale visit the Franciscan Monastery of St. Anthony Padua in Humac. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“I was really impressed when I heard Joanne was organizing a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, specifically to pray for priests of the Archdiocese of Hartford and new vocations to the priesthood,” Father Federico says. “It means a lot to me to know there are folks who are deeply committed to this particular need of the Church, which of course has become so important to me in my current assignment.”

The pilgrimage is scheduled for April 11 to 18, 2026. Among the planned activities, the group will celebrate daily Mass at St. James Church, climb Apparition Hill, and walk the Stations of the Cross to the summit of Cross Mountain, where a 28-foot cross commemorates Christ’s crucifixion. 

“I’m excited. I have never been there before but have heard such incredible testimonials from those who have, and I am eager to see it for myself,” Father Federico says. “I am open to encountering and receiving what Our Lady has planned for me there and bringing the fruits of that back home to Hartford.”

Joanne says the pilgrimage is dedicated to priests and seminarians because “they certainly deserve our prayers.”

“I also want to put a smile on the faces of the Blessed Mother and Jesus and have them say, ‘Yes, we’ll take care of your priests,’” she adds.

To learn more about the pilgrimage and apparitions in Medjugorje, individuals are invited to participate in a Zoom meeting on Nov. 10, 7 p.m. To receive a meeting link and for more information, call 203.318.8590 or email jarrandale@comcast.net. Registration for the trip should be done by Dec. 1.