6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 16, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ:

2019 Annual Report…This weekend I am pleased to present to you the 2019 Annual Report for Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish and to provide you with a highlight booklet at the ends of your pews (or on the yellow table at Saint Thomas Becket) for you to take home and read. I really do hope you will take the time to read through one of these booklets as doing so will help you to see how God is really at work in the midst of our parish family!

I will share some highlights with you at the Masses this weekend, but I would like to make a couple of significant comments at this time as well.

I think it is safe to say that the calendar year of 2019 was a year of blessings for our parish family in many different ways, some of which will be clear in the printed pages of the Annual Report, others which are known only to God.

As I reflect back on 2019, I am most grateful to the Parish Trustees, the Parish Finance Council, and the Parish Pastoral Council for their extraordinary and invaluable advice, counsel, and support. Whether it is in meetings, on conference calls, or just after Mass on the weekend, the members of these councils are ever willing to assist in making sure we remain a vibrant presence of the Catholic faith in Cheshire. They are dedicated to their respective roles in helping to build up our family of faith.

A special word of gratitude to our Trustees, Candy Nesbit and Mark Izzo, who were amazing in their availability and support throughout the process of selling the Epiphany Church and property. I could not have done it without them. I learned so much from them throughout this process and for that I am beyond grateful. The questions, the waiting, the back-and-forth of selling real estate is really not something I was ordained for but with their guidance, support, and counsel we got through the process.

As I often quote at this time of year, in the document Communities of Salt and Light by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, it says “parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the Gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church.”

I am in awe when I reflect on how our parish family is a family of faith, of action, and of hope. As you look through the Annual Report booklet you will see how this is made evident in the many ways we come together. We come together for spiritual and social events to strengthen our family. We come together for various adult education programs, various ministry meetings, and other times to grow together in our faith. We come together to be formed in the faith so that we can then bring that faith into our world. We Grow and Go as the theme for the Archdiocesan Synod reminds us. We, as a parish family, are actively doing this each and every day in a multitude of ways! For that we give thanks to God.

We, as a Pastoral Team, are continually seeking ways to bring our parish community together both socially and spiritually to grow together as a family. So many of the programs and events we offer throughout the year help each of us to grow in our understanding of the faith so that we may be nourished by word and Sacrament to go into our world and renew the earth. Each of us fulfills this mission each and every day by the way we live our lives, by the way our words and our actions show others that God is present within us, and by the way we share the joy and the love of Jesus with those we encounter.

To strengthen us for our role as missionary disciples I encourage everyone to join us for our upcoming spiritual and social events in 2020 so that together we can be strengthened by one another and God’s Word to truly go forth and bring others to the Lord by our lives. More information on the events and activities that we have planned will be in our bulletins in the weeks ahead, posted on our social media, and on our user-friendly website, www.stbridgetcheshire.org.

Here are some of the highlights of what we did as a parish family, which causes for us to express our gratitude to God for His many blessings and pray for His continued guidance:

1. We began the year strengthening our presence on social media and utilizing the tools of today to effectively communicate the faith.

2. We welcomed to our parish family the new Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese, Bishop Betancourt, who celebrated Mass with our parish family and offered his blessing to those in attendance.

3. We, once again, experienced the pain and the disgust of the sexual abuse crisis as the Archdiocese released the names of all those who were credibly accused. A fulfillment of a promise made to the people of God but one that, once again, caused us, priests and laity, to experience the pain of knowing that this took place in our beloved Church.

4. We saw the transfer of the beautiful Stations of the Cross from the Epiphany Church

property to the front of St. Bridget School as a way of uniting us as one family of faith; respecting the histories of the former parishes and building us up as one family of faith.

5. We executed the sale of the Epiphany Church and Property to Holy Theotokos and Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in May. We wish them well in their new spiritual home. We thank them for the plaque in front of the outdoor statue of Mary recognizing the parishioners who worshipped there for 50 years. We look forward to collaborating with them in 2020 and well beyond.

6. We said goodbye to Father Philip O’Neill and wished him well on his new journey with the US Air Force as a Chaplain, and, we welcomed Father Anthony Federico as the new Parochial Vicar of our parish family. We are blessed that our parish family gets the excitement, enthusiasm, and joy of young holy priests in the early years of their ministry.

7. We painted Saint Thomas Becket Church, carpeted both Churches and the Education Wing at our South Campus, and repaired the masonry issues on Saint Bridget Church and our Parish Rectory.

8. We welcomed the Knights of Columbus State Council and the Silver Rose as we gathered to pray for a greater respect for all human life from conception to natural death.

9. We gathered to grow together as a family at events like our awesome Parish Picnic, the amazing Oktoberfest, and the relaxing and enjoyable No Turkey Thanksgiving Parish Dinner.

10. We walked the path of re-accreditation with our parish school throughout the year

culminating in the official on-site visit with New England Association of Schools and Colleges in October. We also witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the John G. Martin Foundation with their recent grant to St. Bridget School of $85,000 for us to purchase all NEW Smartboards for each of our classrooms.

There are many factors that are not reflected in our 2019 Annual Report that define us as a parish family.

· We are a family that reaches out to those in need beyond our parish boundaries, we collect tons of food, clothing, and other items for the clients of the Cheshire Community Food Pantry, the Saint Vincent DePaul Mission in Waterbury, and countless other organizations throughout the Archdiocese and beyond.

· We are a parish family that has dedicated parishioners ready and willing to lend a hand to any number of programs and events to make a difference in the lives of their fellow parishioners and the less fortunate.

· We are also a parish family blessed with the dedication of hundreds of volunteers who serve their fellow parishioners through various ministries here in the parish.

· We are blessed with a competent and, dare I say, extraordinary Pastoral Staff and support staff who are always ready to give one hundred and ten percent to anything and everything they do. I am indebted to each of them for their work each day in our parish family!

I have said it before, but I say it again, we want to hear from you! Is there a particular ministry you would like the Pastoral Staff to work toward forming? Is there a particular devotion you would like to see us offer? Is there a particular topic you would like covered in an evening Adult Education Talk? Let us know. Write it out and email it to rectory@stbridgetcheshire.org or drop it in an envelope marked Pastoral Staff in the collection on the weekend. All ideas are possible for consideration.

Finally, I hope you will not only focus on the financial report but that you will look through this Annual Report booklet and see that we are doing so much as a community of faith. We educate future generations, we gather in groups, we work together to enhance our liturgies, and we reach out to those most in need. That is what makes us such a strong family of faith! May God bless our efforts in the years ahead. Thank you for all that you do to make Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish such an amazing family of faith.

FINALLY, I wish to thank you the people of our parish family. I thank you for your love and dedication to our parish family, for your great generosity—especially financial generosity—which enables us to offer the great variety of programs and activities, and I thank you for your presence at Mass both daily and Sundays. We exist as a parish family because of each of you. This past year has indeed been a year of blessings for us as a parish family and I am most confident that God is indeed at work in our midst. God bless each of you and thank you for all you do for our parish family!

LENT IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER…Ash Wednesday is next week, February 26th! As we prepare for the Holy Season of Lent I want to make you aware of a couple of things we will be doing this Lent.

1. Ash Wednesday will be a little different than years past. We usually just have Masses and services and offer the distribution of ashes during those times. However, in an effort to be more accommodating of people’s schedules, IN ADDITION to the Masses and Services that are scheduled, we will be offering a special opportunity for you to receive your ashes. From 10AM until 2PM, we will have someone in Saint Bridget Church available for the distribution of ashes. You are invited to come during this time. Someone from the Knights of Columbus, the Men’s Club, the Women’s Society, or the Greeter’s Ministry teams will be at the doors of the Church to welcome people, provide them with a special prayer card, and invite them to say a few prayers in quiet before approaching for their ashes. It is something new. It is something out of the ordinary. I hope it works!

2. We will, once again, as a parish family focus on the Corporal Works of Mercy in a special way during the weeks of Lent. It will be an opportunity for us as a family of faith to reach out to others with the mercy and love of God and to fulfill the call of Pope Francis to be instruments of mercy in the lives of others. It is our hope that each weekend a basket will be in front of the altar and at the time the collectors are organizing the collection, our young people (and any “older” young person who wishes to come forward) will bring the particular item to the basket. These will occur as follows:

· Weekend of February 29 & March 1—Feed the Hungry—non-perishable food items for the Cheshire Community Food Pantry

· Weekend of March 7 & 8—Give drink to the Thirsty—beverages (water, juice, coffee, etc.) for the Cheshire Community Food Pantry

· Weekend of March 14 & 15—Clothe the naked—new (WHITE) socks for the Saint Vincent DePaul Shelter in Waterbury or onesies for use at Carolyn’s Place

· Weekend of March 21 & 22—Shelter the Homeless—a monetary collection for the Saint Vincent DePaul Shelter in Waterbury

· Weekend of March 28 & 29—Visit the Sick—children of the parish are asked to make Easter cards to be given to those in skilled nursing facilities or our homebound parishioners

· Weekend of April 4 & 5—Palm Sunday—Visit the imprisoned—the chaplains in our prison ministry in the Archdiocese ask that we collect Good News Bibles and Pocket Dictionaries for use in prison ministry…you can purchase these at any retailer or on Amazon

· Weekend of April 11 & 12—Easter Sunday—Bury the Dead—as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we remember our loved ones who have gone before us in faith. May they share in His Resurrection!

I look forward to seeing all our parishioners, and in particular our young people, involved in this activity as we reflect on the importance of helping those in need among us.

As always, remember to pray for our parish family and ask God’s blessings as we build His kingdom here. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.

God is Beauty

Why Media Matters

I don't know about you, but I love media and the art that's made using it. Books, movies, podcasts, Spotify, all of it! I might be a little biased (I studied Communications, Media & Journalism in college), but you get to be a little biased when you write a blog. I have a lot of opinions on Catholic media literacy, but the chief among them is this: Catholics can, and should, learn to appreciate media for its beauty while viewing its morality through a critical lens.

This sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Basically, what I mean is that we should all be able to watch a popular TV show or movie, read a popular book, or play a popular video game and appreciate the beauty in the art. I think of the beautiful shots and cinematography that we see in movies like The Revenant and even Avengers: Endgame (that portals scene, WOW), or the clever storytelling and humor of NBC's The Good Place. Now, the fact that these pieces of art have beauty in them doesn't mean they're perfect. "The Good Place" can get raunchy with their jokes, and The Revenant is a very violent movie. The point is that we should be able to recognize and acknowledge both.

There's a well-known Catholic author and speaker named Christopher West who wrote a great essay on this called "Christian Moviegoers: Please Don't Settle for Bad Art!" It's only about a page and a half long, and I'd recommend reading it if you have a spare 2 minutes. His main point is that it's important to recognize the beauty in human art, even if that art doesn't 100% agree with our moral worldview. That's easier said than done, but it's important! Here's why: All beauty comes from God, because He's the source of all that is good.

Okay, so all beauty comes from God. Why does that matter? It matters because beauty is not just a pretty girl or a picturesque nature scene. I would argue that beauty is anything in this world that points to God. By that logic, is a beautiful shot in a movie beautiful? Yes! The things shown point to God because he created people and all natural things. It's also beautiful because the mere existence of that image in a movie wouldn't be possible without the skill, creativity, and ability that God gave the people who put the movie together.

If we take this to heart, we can unlock a whole new way of looking at media for ourselves. There are lots of popular pieces of media that have objectionable things in them. Shows like Breaking Bad and The Office, books like Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird, even various different types of music can have these things we take issue with as Catholics. But that does not mean that we should write them off entirely! What we should instead do is learn to appreciate the beautiful parts of media while recognizing the potentially harmful parts.

This can be tough to practice! Put simply, what I'm saying is that it's okay to look at popular, secular media through a critical lens. We celebrate the beautiful and the good and speak against the bad. That's what we're called to do with every part of the world! Why should media be any different? As Catholics, we're not called to isolate ourselves. On the contrary, the very word "Catholic" means universal! We're not called to only watch Christian movies, read Christian books, and listen to Christian music.

Think of this past Sunday's Gospel: We are called to be the "light of the world," and not to hide that light. We have a duty to shine brightly as examples of a different way of life. It's important and good that we should be able to discuss popular media with our friends and family! We should be able to discuss the immoral and dark parts of these movies, TV shows, books, and songs, but we should also be able to discuss and appreciate the beauty. Because beauty points to God, and that's exactly what our lives are supposed to do, too.

We are called to live our lives in a way that points to the goodness of God. Our lives are not given to us for mere pleasure or personal gain. We are instead put on this Earth to become saints, and to make saints of those around us (saint here means anyone who makes it to Heaven, not necessarily a "capital S" Saint). By engaging with the popular media in our culture, we can show the world that God and the Church do not view all media as bad. On the contrary, we celebrate the beauty and marvels of human achievements in media!

We should speak out against the immoral things we see in media, absolutely. But we should also be able to appreciate just how great some of these things are. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go see 1917 again on my day off, because that movie was downright fantastic. I pray that God will give you the grace to see secular media in an appreciative yet critical light, and I hope to see you all soon.

God Bless,

Regis

P.S. All high schoolers are invited to our first Youth Group meeting! This Wednesday (February 12th) from 6:30-8:30pm in the Fr. Frisbie Hall at St. Thomas Becket Church. We'll name the group, play some games, eat some snacks, and generally have a great time. I hope to see many of you there!

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 9, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ:

Last week I had a horrific experience as part of a funeral procession that got me thinking “what has happened to our society?” Last Friday, as we pulled out in front of Saint Bridget Church I was in my car between the funeral director and the hearse. There were no cars coming but the funeral director waited for a car to come around the corner to get them to stop. The person slowed down but then proceeded to get between me and the hearse. She was now in the middle of the procession. The funeral director got out of his car to tell her she was now in a procession and, actually to his credit, was giving her a chance to get out of the procession and go ahead of us when all of a sudden she started to scream, using words I cannot print in our parish bulletin.

What has happened to our society? I was really bothered by this experience. I have been in other funeral processions on Route 10 when cars give it their all to get ahead of us before the two lanes turn into one lane. I have even been on highways when near accidents have been avoided thanks to the drivers in the procession. This experience last Friday really has been on my mind. Why are we so disrespectful to the dead?

When I was younger my parents ALWAYS pulled over and let the procession go by. They taught us from an early age to show respect for the dead. They told us when the procession is going by to stop and pray for that person even if you do not know them. It is the right thing to do and remember one day that will be you! We also were taught as the procession went by, if we were out of the car somewhere and had a baseball cap on to take it off as another sign of respect.

It is clearly obvious to many that younger drivers today are not being taught how to handle the oncoming funeral procession. But this driver was around my mother’s age. She was not a teenager though she had the language of a younger person I assure you. The problem is we live in a world that is getting busier and busier, more and more people could care less about giving the right of way to other drivers, or even respecting a funeral procession, because they feel they are too busy! Society tells us to be concerned with only one thing: me. This procession has nothing to do with me, and in fact it is inconveniencing me, so I do everything I can to get around it. Because society tells me to worry about myself.

How many of us have heard family and friends say things like “that procession was too long,” or “letting the funeral procession go by made me late for something,” or “I sped up when I saw the funeral procession ahead of me.” THESE are teachable moments to help instill some respect for the dead in our society and for their families. By STOPPING for a funeral procession you are paying your respect to that individual who has died and paying respect to their family who have lost someone close to them, someone who meant the world to them.

So let’s get back to showing respect in our society to one another. Let’s move away from being so focused on ourselves and more focused on others. Next time PULL OVER and let the procession go by whether it is for a few seconds or even a couple of minutes, it will not impact your schedule that much and you can use it as an opportunity to say a prayer for that person being brought to their place of rest. Rebuilding a culture of respect starts with one person, can I count on you to be that one person in your neighborhood or home?

KCHS…a few people have asked what the initials mean after my name in the bulletin and on other correspondence. These are the initials to indicate my ranking in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. They stand for Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre. This Symbol of our Order is the Jerusalem Cross I wear on my lapel pin as well when I have on a sport coat. I have been a member of the Order since November of 2013. We also have one other parishioner to my knowledge who is a member of the Order and that is our Parish Trustee, Candy Nesbit.

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is one of the oldest and most historic Chivalric Orders of the Roman Catholic Church. The Order originates from the time of the First Crusade in 1099, when Godfrey de Bouillon reclaimed Jerusalem and the Holy Lands from the Turks and established a guard of honor to protect one of the region’s most sacred sites – the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Today the Order is charged, in its Constitution:

· To strengthen in its members the practice of Christian life, in absolute fidelity to the Supreme Pontiff and according to the teachings of the Church, observing as its foundation the principles of charity which make the Order a fundamental means of assistance to the Holy Land.

· To sustain and aid the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, particularly those of and in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with which the Order maintains its traditional ties.

· To support the preservation and propagation of the Faith in those lands, and promote interest in this work not only among Catholics scattered throughout the world, who are united in charity by the symbol of the Order, but also among all other Christians.

· To uphold the rights of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre is open to Catholic lay men and women, clergy and religious who are at least 25 years of age. These individuals actively participate in and contribute to the activities and work of their local parish and diocese and are committed to actively support the Order’s mission as defined in its Constitution. Please realize there is a financial requirement each year for membership as well that goes to support the efforts of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.

If there are any parishioners interested in becoming a member of the Order please contact me as soon as possible as the application for membership will be due on March 13th and we will need to get started on it soon.

Facility Coordinator Job Opening…as announced last weekend, unfortunately, the new Facility Coordinator for our parish has resigned as she was offered full-time employment elsewhere. THIS MEANS WE ARE HIRING. The Facility Coordinator is responsible for welcoming groups and organizations who utilize the school facilities from 5PM until 9PM Monday through Thursday as needed. If there are no events taking place on a particular evening then there are no hours. A schedule will be provided the week prior. The primary purpose is to have someone at the door of our facility to welcome those coming to programs, events, and meetings. This person will be responsible to ensure the people are directed to the proper room for their function. This person is also the point person in case of an emergency. If you are interested in learning more please email us at rectory@stbridgetcheshire.org.

It is envisioned that some light duties might be required in addition to welcoming and opening the facility. It is also possible to have different people for each night, so if you are interested in working one night a week in such a role please send your interest to the email rectory@stbridgetcheshire.org.

St. Bridget School News…as we continue the Search Process for the next Principal of St. Bridget School, we welcome to our School Family Ms. Margaret Sheehy as our new Associate Principal. Ms. Sheehy has an extensive background in Catholic School Education in the Archdiocese of Hartford. She has served as a Principal in the Archdiocese and before her retirement served as Director of Curriculum in the former Office of Catholic Schools. She brings to this position her extensive background in education and leadership to her new position with us.

I take this opportunity to express public gratitude to Mrs. Marilú Rochefort for her heroic efforts in the role of Interim Principal while still handling her duties as Assistant Principal for Academics. Ms. Sheehy will serve as a resource to Mrs. Rochefort and assist her in sharing some of the duties of the role of Principal. Mrs. Rochefort remains the Interim Principal, but will now have much needed assistance to cover the many tasks necessary. I am confident that together, and with the assistance of Mrs. Rowinski, they will lead our school with great enthusiasm as they seek to ensure the positive year we are having continues to be a success for our students. Welcome Ms. Sheehy to our parish and school family!

Connecticut State Council of the Knights of Columbus…the State Council is holding their annual raffle. Tickets are $10 each and are available in the Parish Office.

Prizes are as follows:

1st Prize---$5,000.00

2nd Prize--$3,500.00

3rd Prize--$2,000.00

4th Prize--$1,500.00

5th Prize--$1,000.00

6th Prize--$600.00

7th Prize--$500.00

8th Prize--$400.00

9th Prize--$300.00

10th Prize--$200.00

Winners will be drawn at the meeting of the Connecticut State Council Annual Convention on Friday, April 17th at 9PM. Ticket holders need not be present to win. Winner required to pay all Federal, State, and Local Taxes. Get your tickets today by visiting the Parish Office.

As always, remember to pray for our parish family and ask God’s blessings as we build His kingdom here. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.