E
A New Springtime
“
“Our lives are linked
together not merely
because we live
in Fairfield County,
or travel the same roads,
or shop in the same stores,
”
but rather, because
we are baptized members
of Christ’s Body.”
two | Pastoral Letter
Early in January 2001, I was working in my office in the Pastoral Center in Washington,
D.C. It was about nine in the morning when I was told that the Nuncio, the Pope’s
personal representative to the United States, was on the line. He asked if I would meet
with him at the Nunciature at four that same afternoon. I agreed, of course, and hanging
up the phone, I was pretty sure I’d be packing my bags.
I like to think that I trust in God’s Providence and that I am
a loyal son of the Church. On that day, however, I was also a
curious son. So I checked to see which dioceses were expecting the
appointment of a new bishop. Two stood out: Fairfield, Connecticut
and Fairbanks, Alaska. I said a little prayer that it might be the
former. I’m just not that
good at ice fishing and
flying a Cessna.
The rest, as they say,
is history. The Nuncio
told me that the Holy
Father wished me to
serve as the Fourth
Bishop of Bridgeport
and I happily accepted
the appointment.
Shortly after I met with
the Nuncio, I was in
Rome where I had an
opportunity to thank
Pope John Paul II for naming me to such a wonderful diocese. On
the long plane ride home, I also read his newly published letter,
On the Third Christian Millennium. In that letter, the saintly Pope,
advanced in years and ailing, expressed his hope for a new spring-
time in the life of the Church.
Somewhere over the Atlantic, it occurred to me that my installa-
tion as Bishop of Bridgeport would take place just a few days before
spring, on March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph. I thus concluded that
my installation homily should echo the Holy Father’s hope for a
new springtime, his hope for a new season of life, grace, and vitality
in the Church’s life. Even as I began writing my homily, however,
I knew that the Pope’s vision of the future was not the idle wish of
a dreamer. It was the well-founded hope of an experienced, coura-
geous, and saintly leader who discerned the Providence of God amid
global adversity and human weakness. How many times he echoed
the words of Jesus, “Be not afraid!” Countless people, especially
the young, responded to his proclamation of Christ, his teaching of
the faith, and his defense of human dignity. As we prepare for Pope
John Paul II’s beatification on May 1st, let us also take heart from
the courage and love of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI,
a Shepherd who leads the Universal Church with extraordinary
holiness, grace, and intelligence.
March, of course, is a month that often brings cold weather,
snow storms, and high winds. Yet it is also a month filled with the
hope of spring as the days lengthen and first signs of new life appear.
Just as I began here in March 2001 amid many challenges and
opportunities, so now in March 2011, I recognize with you that this
new springtime in the Church’s life continues to require of us assidu-
ous prayer, holiness of life, wholeness of faith, unflagging hope, and
dogged perseverance in love. With St. Paul we must strain forward
to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).
To Give Thanks, To Assess,
To Look Ahead
Anniversaries are a time to give thanks, to assess, to look ahead,
and to ask for the grace of renewed fidelity and generosity in living
one’s vocation. On this 10th anniversary of my service as Bishop of
Bridgeport, I ask your kindness in taking a few moments to join me
in doing those very things – giving thanks, assessing, looking ahead,
and asking for the grace to serve the Lord’s Church with renewed
love – so that, together, we may grow as One Body in Christ.
In his encyclical on hope, Pope Benedict writes: “Our lives are
involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they
are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is
saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine, into
what I think, say, do, and achieve. And conversely, my life spills
over into that of others, for better or for worse” (Spe Salvi, no. 48).
Our lives are linked together not merely because we live in Fairfield
County, or travel the same roads, or shop in the same stores, but
rather, because we are baptized members of Christ’s Body, which is
the Church. St. Paul puts it this way: “For as in one body we have
many members, and not all the members have the same function, so
we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually mem-
bers of one another” (Rom. 12:4-5).
In Christ, we are brothers and sisters who claim God as our
Heavenly Father even as we seek to do his will “on earth as it is in
heaven.” It is by taking part in the Eucharistic Liturgy, by sharing in
Christ’s redeeming sacrifice and receiving His Body and Blood, that
we are truly bound together as One Body in Christ, a local incarna-
tion of the Church Universal here in Fairfield County, the Diocese
of Bridgeport. As is the case in every diocese or “particular church,”
here the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Christ is truly
just a matter of hoping that negative headlines will subside or that
people’s memories will fade. Far from being something passive,
restoring trust means first and foremost asking for the grace to
be trustworthy. It also means recognizing that some have left the
Church because of scandal and then praying and working for their

“
present and operative (Christus Dominus, no. 11). return. It requires that we reach out to those who, while remain-
ing, find it difficult to support the Church’s ministries, such as our

Along Redemption’s Road

inner-city schools and charities, to name a few. By prayer, openness,
necessary reforms, and love, we must bear witness to the importance
and worthiness of the Church’s God-given mission.
It would be foolish for us to imagine that, on our own, we can Sometimes people say that, while their faith in Christ is intact,
“Continuing to build trust
bring about a new springtime, a new season of life and vitality in the their trust in the Church has been shattered. Yet Christ and the
life of the Diocese. As the One Body of Christ we rely on the grace Church are inseparable, as the Head is to the Body. Throughout remains a great challenge.
of Christ, the Head. And while we already have been redeemed the long history of the Church there have been saints and scoun-
This isn’t just a matter
by the Death and drels, high points and
Resurrection of Christ, low points, yet our of hoping that negative
still, His saving love has forebears kept the faith.
yet fully to take root in They recognized that,
headlines will subside
our hearts, which are despite human folly, or that people’s memories
beset by sin and unruly Christ continues to love
inclinations to sin. So, His Church and to lead
will fade. Far from being
while the Church herself us, the members of His something passive,
is holy and endowed Body, in the ways of
with the means of holi- holiness. Like those restoring trust means
ness, we, the members who have gone before first and foremost asking for
of the Church, are often us, each of us has a
plagued by sin. Thus, responsibility, even in the grace to be trustworthy.
we experience the need difficult times, to build It also means recognizing
for redemption in our up the Body of Christ by
individual lives and as professing the faith, shar- that some have left the
members of the Body of ing in the Mass and the
Church because of scandal

”
Christ. In fact, the purpose of the annual Lenten Penance Campaign Sacraments, praying each day and participating in the mission of our
is not only to give individual penitents ample opportunity to go to parishes, schools, charities and programs of service. and then praying and
confession but also to acknowledge our common need for repen- As a pilgrim in history, the Church is often buffeted not only by
working for their return.”
tance and for the forgiveness Christ offers us in the Sacrament of internal strife but also by external tragedies. One has only to think of
Penance. I am very grateful to the priests serving in this Diocese for the tragedy of 9/11 in which so many residents of Fairfield County
their pastoral generosity and charity as confessors and for their devo- – relatives, friends, and colleagues – lost their lives. Indeed, many
tion to the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). of those who died and many of those who lost loved ones are fel-
Just as we find attractive the goodness of people on their way low parishioners, members of the One Body of Christ. As the 10th
toward holiness, so too, we can be discouraged by the failings and anniversary of 9/11 approaches, we shall honor both those who died
sins of those who have not lived up to their high callings, includ- and those who survived that awful day, even as we shall redouble
ing members of the clergy who have abused children and young our prayers for peace and justice in this complex and troubled world.
people. This has deeply wounded the Body of Christ and has called At the same time, we shall
for responses of healing and reform. The past ten years have been honor the first responders
marked by strenuous efforts to remove offenders from ministry, to whose heroism will forever
create a truly safe environment for our children and young people, be etched in our
and to reach out to victims. collective memory.
These years also witnessed the misuse of parish funds in a small This past decade
number of instances. This spurred on the development of a nation- has also been a time of
ally recognized, state-of-the-art parish finance system. In addition to challenge for religious
a revised parish finance and administration manual and a clear chart liberty. In these days,
of accounts, parish finances are managed on a uniform and secure we are witnessing an
on-line program. Parishes with incomes exceeding $400,000 are irrepressible yearning for
reviewed by external auditing firms; quarterly and annual financial freedom in the Middle
reports to parishioners are also mandated. A similar system has been East. Yet we also we
instituted for Catholic schools throughout the Diocese. While these recognize that many of
measures and others are good and necessary, they do not absolve our fellow Christians in
any of us, me especially, from continuing to ask the mercy and the countries like Egypt
protection of God as we look to the future. and Iraq are being persecuted and systematically driven out of the
Continuing to build trust remains a great challenge. This isn’t region. Consider, for example, the plight of the Coptic, Chaldean
three | Pastoral Letter
 and Palestinian Christians. Even as we pray for them, we no longer
imagine that our own religious liberty rests secure. Last fall, I wrote
a pastoral letter on religious liberty (www.bridgeportdiocese.
com), which described those challenges in detail. It remains true
that every generation must struggle for freedom and exercise it,
if it is to survive.
Thus we united as One Body in Christ with the other dioceses in
Connecticut in turning back an unconstitutional bill that would have
“
re-organized the Catholic Church in Connecticut along the lines
of the Congregational Church. We fought back when the Office of
State Ethics tried unsuccessfully to put arbitrary limits on our right
to defend our religious liberty in a public rally. We have struggled
with the decisions of state courts which seemingly changed their
“Inspired by countless own rules of procedure midstream so as to accommodate the
untimely demands of various news organizations. And we have had
saints who gave their to struggle continuously against bills introduced by State legislators
lives to promote the that aim to impose upon the Church unlimited liability for sexual
abuse claims while holding state-run schools and programs exempt.
dignity of others, your These struggles have not only tested our unity as the Body of Christ,
but in many respects, they have helped to forge it. I thank all of you
support of Catholic
Charities enables those
living in poverty to begin
reaching their God-given
potential. . . . We don’t
merely preach about
human dignity. It’s at
the heart of what we
”
do on a daily basis as
the One Body of Christ.”
who have united in response to these challenges and ask God to
give us the strength to maintain that eternal vigilance which is the
price of freedom.
The Multiplier Factor
In reflecting on the challenges facing the Diocese, I sometimes
meditate on Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the 5,000 recounted
in Mark 6:30-44. All that the disciples had on hand were “five
loaves and two fish” – yet Jesus said to them, “you give them
something to eat!” Taking what little they had, Jesus abundantly
fed the multitudes.
Yes, there are days when I feel something of the dismay that the
disciples must have felt when they heard Jesus say this. “So few are
the resources compared to the needs!” I am wont to say. Yet, over
and over again, I have seen how the Lord multiplies the gifts He
gives to members of this Diocese. He has endowed the Church with
His living Word, with the Sacraments, and indeed all the means of
holiness and apostolic vigor. He has enabled us to root our profes-
sion of faith in that of St. Peter and his successors. The Lord has
touched our hearts with His grace to cleanse, enliven, and uplift the
natural gifts and talents He has bestowed upon us. And in parishes,
schools, Catholic Charities, and other ministries which are part
of this particular Church, the Lord continually raises up men and
four | Pastoral Letter
women who not only place their talents but indeed their very lives
at the service of Christ’s redeeming mission. Here I am thinking
especially of so many devoted priests and deacons, religious and lay
people who are deeply engaged in the mission of the Church to evan-
gelize, to catechize, to sanctify and to serve the needs of the poor. I
am especially grateful for the eight new religious communities that
began to serve here in the last ten years. Reflecting on these gifts and
on so many co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard, “how, indeed, shall I
make a return to the Lord for his goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12).
How can I adequately thank the Lord for the privilege of serving this
portion of his flock, this family of faith?
More Than We
Could Ever Ask or Imagine
Allow me, then, in a spirit of thanksgiving, briefly to discuss the
“multiplication” of your generosity as exemplified through several
diocesan ministries. For the Lord’s grace at work in our midst is
indeed “accomplishing immeasurably more than we could ever ask
or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
Inspired by countless saints who gave their lives to promote
the dignity of others, your support of Catholic Charities enables
those living in poverty to begin reaching their God-given potential.
Early on in my service here I visited the Thomas Merton Center in
Bridgeport, one of the largest soup kitchens in Connecticut. While
I was helping to serve food and greeting visitors, the Director of the
Merton Center said simply, “This is a place where men and women
can be the people God meant them to be.” It is not enough for us to
say that Catholic Charities is the largest, non-governmental source
of charitable and social services in the County. What must be said is
that the “engine” that drives Catholic Charities is the dignity of each
human person understood by reason yet wondrously confirmed by
Christ, the Son of God who assumed our humanity. Whether you
visit the 22 new apartments of low-cost housing on the Merton cam-
pus or help serve a meal at the New Covenant House of Hospitality
in Stamford, or learn about the mental health and family counseling
services which Catholic Charities provides to those in need, you see
our reasoned and faith-filled convictions about the dignity of the
human person being put into practice. We don’t merely preach about
human dignity. It’s at the heart of what we do on a daily basis as the
One Body of Christ.
The teaching of the Church on human dignity is evident also in
our Catholic schools. Dedicated to helping parents as the first educa-
tors of their children, our Catholic schools unremittingly strive for
excellence. First and foremost, they strive to be excellent partners
in helping form our young people in the faith of the Church and in
the practice of the faith, for it is in being an active part of the One
Body of Christ that our young people discover the depths of God’s
love for them and thus their human dignity and their vocation in
life. Our conviction about the human dignity of our young people
also demands that our schools be academically excellent, and they
are. Since 2008, twelve of our elementary schools have received
the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award,
meaning that our students’ scores rank in the top 10% of all schools,
public or private, across the nation. To the best of my knowledge, no
diocese or public school district has more Blue Ribbon Schools than
the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Is this because our schools are the wealthiest? Far from it! Here
again it is question of multiplying gifts. In 2004, in a talk at Fairfield
University, I invited the laity to work together in a new way with
clergy and diocesan officials to strengthen our schools. I am grate-
ful to God for the wonderful response that invitation received. Our
parish priests, our Superintendent of Schools and her team, our prin-
cipals, teachers, and staff, our parents, advisory boards, and most of
all our students – all collaborate and give generously of themselves
in making our schools second to none in faith, academic excellence,
security and love.
This same commitment is found in our Cathedral Education
Cluster, which brings hope to students and families through six
elementary schools in inner city Bridgeport. Simply put, these stu-
dents are educated in an environment that promotes success and
encouragement far beyond what they would receive in the public
school system. Many if not most of these students attend Catholic
high schools where the graduation rate is 100% and where almost
all the graduates go to college. In the last three years, for example,
100% of the graduates of Kolbe-Cathedral High School have gone
on to college. I proudly invite parents to see the wonderful work that
is going on in all our diocesan college-preparatory high schools –
Notre Dame, St. Joseph’s, Trinity, Immaculate, and Kolbe-
Cathedral. This Diocese is also strengthened by the splendid edu-
cation provided by Fairfield College Preparatory School and the
Convent of the Sacred Heart.
Recently, I was asked by a young girl what I would have wanted
to become had I not become a priest. People smiled when they heard
her question and I did too – but my reply was very simple: I have no
greater joy in life than being a priest. I have never seriously wanted
to be anything other than a priest. I am proud to stand should-to-
shoulder with the priests of this diocese – some of the most talented
and dedicated men I have ever met. This joy motivates me to ensure
that your generosity provides an outstanding formation program
for young men who are being formed for the priesthood. Thanks
to your prayers and generosity, some 38 men are preparing for the
priesthood in our Diocese. Please continue to pray for vocations to
the priesthood and the consecrated life.
The Office for Pastoral Services is responsible for assisting parish-
es in vital areas such as RCIA, catechetics, and youth ministry. Our
young people benefit from the great dedication of parish directors
and coordinators of religious education as well as our many volun-
teer catechists. Working closely with diocesan catechetical leaders,
the Office for Pastoral Services last year organized a Catechetical
Congress that welcomed nearly 700 people. It also convened the
first Convivio retreat in any diocese in the United States for 250
young people, and completely restructured the St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Program for Catechesis so that all parishes would have profession-
ally recorded classes about the Catholic faith on DVD as well as
online. In order to better employ the gifts and talents of lay people,
a Facilitator Training Program was launched so that parishes would
have laity professionally trained to guide parish ministries. Mention
should also be made of the thoroughly revised Marriage Preparation
Program, which is being carried out at the diocesan level and also in
parishes. This past year it was a special grace for our Diocese to
welcome two Sisters of Life who are directing our Respect Life
Ministry. The Ministry for People with Developmental Disability
continues to grow. We are one of only a very few dioceses around
the country who offer professional help to parishes in preparing
children and adults with developmental disabilities to receive
“
“Recently, I was asked
by a young girl what
I would have wanted
to become had I not
become a priest.
People smiled when
they heard her question
the Sacraments of Initiation.
and I did too – but
Helping the Diocese
my reply was very simple:
”
I have no greater joy in life
Grow as One Body in Christ
than being a priest.”
Your financial contributions to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal
fund these and other ministries. Sometimes, however, parishioners
hesitate to give to the Appeal because they think it is used for
administrative purposes or to cover legal fees and the like. That is
simply not true. What is collected for the Appeal is used to fund
Catholic Charities, Catholic Education, Religious Education,
Priestly Formation, Services for Retired Priests, Continuing
Education of Clergy and other ministries directly connected with
preaching the Gospel, worshipping the Lord, and serving those
in need. I am especially gratified to witness the prudent steward-
five | Pastoral Letter

“
“The Lord never ceases
calling us to live our faith
to the fullest by putting
it into action. When we
place ourselves and our
resources at the service
of the Church’s mission,
they are not only multiplied,
they also shine with glory
of the Lord’s truth, beauty,
”
and goodness. For that
reason, we should look to
the future with confidence.”
six | Pastoral Letter
ship of those who direct these various diocesan ministries, thereby
stretching and even multiplying the resources at hand.
In addition, the Diocese has worked hard to keep administrative
costs low. It froze the defined benefit lay pension plan and insti-
tuted a defined contribution plan. The priests’ retirement plan has
remained sound, even during a time of financial turmoil. Continued
efforts are underway to contain and even drive down the costs of
health care insurance. In addition, you should know that the dedi-
cated men and women who work at the Catholic Center do so at a
considerable financial sacrifice. We are in their debt.
Looking to the Future
as One Body in Christ
As we look ahead, we wonder what the future will bring.
Trusting in God’s Providence, we ask for the grace to respond
to whatever challenges and opportunities lie in store for the Diocese
and for our journey of faith as One Body in Christ. Prudent
foresight, however, suggests that we consider the following.
First, the heart of any diocese is its parishes. Most Catholics
experience the Church in and through their parish communities.
It seems to me that one of the greatest challenges facing the Church
today is ensuring that parishes remain not only operationally
viable but also apostolically vigorous. Thus, I am discussing with
the Presbyteral Council models by which parishes can assess their
vitality while reaching out anew to parishioners who, for whatever
reason, no longer practice the faith. In this connection, I began a
process, now well underway, to study urban parishes with the goal
of strengthening pastoral ministry and using personnel and material
resources as wisely as possible. More will be said of this later.
Second, the Eucharistic Liturgy, the Mass, is the heart of every
parish. Indeed, it is the “source and summit” of the Church’s life.
The Presbyteral Council and most priests with whom I’ve spoken
believe that the introduction of the newly translated Roman Missal
later this year is an opportunity to help parishioners grow in their
understanding of the Mass and the Sacraments. The new translation
aims to unfold for us more amply the richness of the original Latin
prayers, which, though compact, are suffused with biblical allusions
and doctrinal references. A small committee of priests is assisting
their brother priests and deacons in studying in the new translation
and in helping parishioners understand more deeply the nature,
structure, and beauty of the Church’s liturgy and its central impor-
tance in our lives as followers of Christ. For it is principally through
the Eucharistic Liturgy, the Mass, that we become One Body in
Christ. When we consume the Holy Eucharist, we become the “mul-
tiplication of the loaves and fishes” through the various ways we live
our faith and serve the needs of others.
Third, I am most grateful to all who share in my ministry of
the Word of God, most especially my brother priests and deacons,
religious sisters, parents, principals and school teachers, directors of
religious education and catechists, and youth ministers. You and I
must daily pray for the grace not only to teach the faith but to bear
witness to it by word and deed. For we recognize that the vitality of
all the Church’s ministries hinges on the faithful proclamation and
systematic teaching of the Word of God. It is the golden thread that
runs through every activity and ministry of the Church: the liturgy,
evangelization, catechesis, the renewal of family life, outreach to the
young, vocations, and service to the poor, to name a few. Each of
us must ask for the grace to be hearers of the Word and doers of the
Word, and thus witnesses to the Word.
Fourth, we have to recognize that a goodly number of priests will
reach so-called “retirement” age in the next few years. This includes
the large ordination classes from the 1960s. While priests may lay
aside certain leadership and administrative burdens, no priest ever
really retires, for the priesthood is not a job but a way of life, a voca-
tion. Clearly, the Diocese will have to redouble its efforts to ensure
that there will be a sufficient number of priests to serve our parishes.
Even as we give thanks for the momentum in our priestly formation
program, so too, we must intensify our prayers for an increase of
vocations to the priesthood in our Diocese and must work together
to encourage apt candidates to respond to God’s call. At the same
time, we are grateful for deacons, religious sisters and lay persons
who contribute greatly to the pastoral vitality of our parishes. In a
spirit of gratitude for their priestly service, we will need to provide
for priests in their advancing years by expanding the Queen of the
Clergy Residence and establishing an additional facility at St. Joseph
Manor in Trumbull.
Finally, our Diocese is working to strengthen its communications
capabilities. Much has already been done, including re-vamping
the Fairfield County Catholic, improving the diocesan website, and
moving into Facebook and other forms of social communications.
It has now also become possible for parishes to communicate with
parishioners by e-mail and the Diocese is also building its e-mail
network. These and other technological advances, however, need
to be matched by a renewed determination to bring the Church’s
faith into the public square, to show how revelation and reason shed
light on our daily lives and on efforts to create a humane society, a
civilization of truth and love. It is also up to us to move beyond the
negative images of the Church and instead to portray her vitality as
evidenced in wonderful works of evangelization, catechesis, educa-
tion, worship and service of the poor. Currently a small task force of
communications professionals is working with the diocesan director
of communications to develop an ongoing communications plan.

The Intercession of the Saints

The Lord never ceases calling us to live our faith to the fullest by
putting it into action. When we place ourselves and our resources
at the service of the Church’s mission, they are not only multiplied,
they also shine with glory of the Lord’s truth, beauty, and good-
ness. For that reason, we should look to the future with confidence,
especially as we see the vocations and youth programs gaining
traction and many other signs of new life and hope all around us.
Nonetheless, we must be attentive to our need to grow as indi- Please join us in the joyous celebration
viduals and as a people in the ways of ways of holiness. Because
there are empty pews in our churches, we have more work to do. of a sPecial Mass coMMeMorating
Because some have been lost and driven away, because some have
the 10th anniversary
simply allowed their faith to fade away, we must be Christ for them
of the
through our prayerful witness to Jesus and His Gospel. If we have
the financial means and God-given talents, must we respond gener-
Most reverend WilliaM e. lori
ously to the needs of all God’s Holy People. as bishoP of bridgePort
Ten years ago, I entrusted the pastoral care of this Diocese to saturday, March 19, 2011
St. Joseph, the Guardian of the Holy Family, and confident in his
4:00 P.M.
intercession, I once again call upon this great saint and Patron of the
Universal Church to intercede for us. I also invoke the prayers of st. augustine cathedral
the Patron of this Diocese and Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine. 359 Washington avenue
With the help of their prayers and united ever more closely to the bridgePort, connecticut
Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of Evangelization, may we continue
to grow together as One Body in Christ. recePtion to folloW
at Kolbe cathedral high school

Faithfully in Christ,
ParKing available on the cathedral caMPus
“to serve in love”
Bishop of Bridgeport

seven | Pastoral Letter