|
|
Celebrating The Blessing of Three New Priests
|
By Molly Murkett
The Norwich Diocese is facing a growing need for men pursuing vocations to the priesthood. This is not an uncommon challenge at the moment – locally, regionally or on a national scale. While the Catholic population has remained steady and shown growth among some key demographics, the numbers of priests to serve the faithful has not kept pace. This is a serious dilemma. The recent realignment of parishes in the Putnam Deanery reflects the adjustments necessary when there are too few priests. The good news is that there are definite signs that the number of vocations is beginning to climb. The recent ordination of three new priests here in the diocese gives us a real and tangible reason to be encouraged about the prospect of meeting the demand for priests over time.
The dedicated efforts of the Vocations Ministry here in the diocese, under the guidance of Father Gregory Galvin, is becoming more successful in delivering the message to young men to listen for the call to serve and seize the opportunity to make a difference. This message is strengthened by Pope Benedict XVI continuing to inspire so many young people in his travels to the U.S. and World Youth Day in Australia. The number of young men responding is clearly on the rise.
Close to home, three men were recently ordained as new priests at the Cathedral of St. Patrick here in Norwich. On the morning of May 31, 2008, a gathering of more than 500 friends, family and parishioners witnessed the transformation of Reverend Richard D. Breton, Reverend Tomasz Albrecht and Reverend Gregory Jednaki, applauding with a standing ovation twice during the ceremony.
The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, led the ceremony. He laid his hands on the ordinands’ heads and anointed their palms. Finally, he gave each the fraternal kiss, signifying their acceptance.
“It can be difficult for people to make a lifelong commitment in this society…but that shouldn’t stop anybody,” said Vocations Director, Rev. Gregory Galvin. “It’s about handing yourself over completely.”
Father Galvin described how the parish and familial support is so important for the candidates’ success, especially since general societal support is often hard to realize. The sacrament of holy orders for the ordained is similar to marriage for lay people, both requiring a permanent vow.
Following a year which did not produce any ordinations in the diocese, this year there were three; and next year Father Galvin anticipates two more. He emphasized the Pope Benedict XVI’s inspiration factor. Responses to the call to vocations are up in Washington, DC and New York, and will gradually create a “ripple effect” here in Connecticut.
As Vocations Director, Father Galvin builds vocation awareness and creates opportunities for interaction with the Bishop and other clergy, sometimes including dinners and picnics. Discernment nights encourage personal reflection about individuals’ vocations.
Through these activities, he hopes that more people will consider a religious vocation. About one in six Catholic men have ever considered becoming a priest or religious brother, according to a study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. The study also stated that one in four Catholics would encourage someone they know to become a priest.
The CARA survey of the ordination class of 2008 showed that one-third of new priests were not born in the US. This trend was reflected in the recent ordination, where two of our priests are from Poland.
Father Albrecht came from Rybnik, Poland. When he came to the US and was looking for a home parish, he met Mr. and Mrs. Ryba who had adopted three of their seven children from Albrecht’s hometown. The connection affected Albrecht’s decision to choose the Diocese of Norwich. Mrs. Tina Ryba referred to her family as Albrecht’s “adoptive family.” They witnessed the ordination from the front row in the Cathedral.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” Mrs. Ryba said.
Father Albrecht has been placed in Saint Bernard Parish in Rockville since July 1st. His duties include working with their youth group.
Father Jednaki, who also came to us from Poland, has, since July 1st, been settling into his new duties as Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in North Grosvenordale.
Since June 17th, newly ordained Father Breton has been appointed to All Saints Parish in Somersville, as Parochial Vicar. His many assignments have included visiting the sick and celebrating funerals.
“We live in a world that makes a vocation difficult to recognize or follow. If you feel you have a vocation to the religious life or the priesthood, don’t be afraid to follow it,” he advised. “Once you reach that vocation that you’ve been called to, it’s a wonderful experience.”
The most fulfilling experience as a priest for Father Breton has been celebrating Mass, particularly the rite of Holy Communion. The first time he did so was at his home parish in Massachusetts on June 1st.
“It was an overwhelming experience to say the words of consecration, to actually transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ,” Father Breton said.
He expressed an almost disbelief over the transition to his new role. “I still have to pinch myself and say, ‘Oh, I really am a priest.”
It is a wonderful and remarkable journey from the first whispers of the call to serve, through the encouragement of family and friends, and the studies and sacrifice – all leading to the ordination to the priesthood. And even then, the journey has just begun. For Father Albrecht, Father Breton and Father Jednaki, they are now beginning the fulfillment of their mission to serve the faithful in a parish setting within the diocese. The diocesan family welcomes them and joins together in prayer that the blessing of their service will inspire other young men to follow as we all journey toward replenishing the numbers of priests. |
|
Putnam Deanery Realignment Marks a New Beginning
|
By Sister Elissa Rinere, CP, JCD
Pastoral Planning Director
Following several years of study and discussion, Bishop Cote has recently announced the first stages of parish restructuring for the diocese of Norwich. The mission is to realign parishes to provide new and more efficient opportunities for available priests to serve the faithful and to nurture more vibrant parish life. The focus of the decisions announced is the thirteen parishes of the Putnam Deanery, the northeast corner of the diocese.
The parishes of that area have been involved in a program of lay, clergy and religious committee work and parish meetings for the past two years. Restructuring recommendations from the parishes were submitted to Bishop Cote in May 2007. The decisions announced in July are, in part, based on those recommendations.
The restructuring decisions fall into four groupings; some parishes will remain open and as they are, some will remain open and will be yoked to other parishes, some parishes will close, and some mission churches will close. Of the four mission churches in the deanery, three will close; St. Joseph in Sterling, Our Lady of Peace in East Killingly, and Sacred Heart in Thompson. The fourth mission church, Our Lady of Lourdes in East Hampton, will remain in operation.
Each of the missions to be closed has a long and distinguished history, in some cases going back to the mid-nineteenth century. However, because of the relative ease of travel today, declining population of regular worshippers, as well as the difficulties surrounding the upkeep of the buildings, there is no longer a need to have Mass available outside the parish church.
Two parishes will be closing; St. Ignatius in Rogers will begin the closure process immediately, to be followed at a future time by St. Anne in Ballouville. St. Ignatius was a mission church for several decades before being established as a parish in 1939. The parish has shared a pastor with St. Joseph Parish in Dayville since 1960, and now with population decreases of regular worshippers in the Rogers area, will merge with St. Joseph’s.
St. Anne Parish in Ballouville was established in the 1880s to serve French Canadian factory workers in the Dayville area. The parish has had its own pastor only since the late 1950s. As with the parish in Rogers, because of a decline in local population of regular worshippers, as well as the number of other parishes in the area, St. Anne will close at a future time when the present pastor, who is retiring, no longer resides in the rectory.
The following parishes will be yoked: St. Augustine in Canterbury with St. John in Plainfield; St. Joseph in North Grosvenordale with St. Stephen in Quinebaug; and for the time being, St. Joseph in Dayville with St. Anne in Ballouville. All Hallows Parish in Moosup and Sacred Heart in Wauregan have been yoked for several years, and will remain so.
Yoking, or twinning of parishes is being used in many dioceses across the country to deal with several factors, among them, population shifts and the decline in the number of priests available for parish ministry. The term” yoking” means that the two parishes (or sometimes more than two) remain open and will work together as a team - sharing the same yoke or framework. In this case, the yoked parishes share the ministry of one pastor.
When parishes are yoked, the goal is that each parish will continue to function independently, and neither will close. It is the task of the pastor and staff of the parishes to find the right balance between activities which bring the parishes together and activities in which the parishes remain separate, so that this goal is accomplished. The task is very difficult, and must be tailored to each situation in which yoking is used.
Working out the details about all these parish activities, ministries and organizations takes time, since there is a real transition involved in going from being an individual parish to being a yoked parish. The transition calls for much communication with the people in the pews, and much collaboration and conversation between the pastor, staffs and parish volunteers. Everyone must be involved if the transition is to be successful for pastors and all parishioners.
In addition to the transition to sharing pastors, the other parishes of the Putnam Deanery will also be adjusting to significant changes. Beginning in September, each parish which has a mission church closing will be invited to celebrate the transition with a special liturgy. Likewise, those parishes that are or will be involved in merger will be invited to mark those transitions with prayer and celebration.
Each of the processes involved in this stage of diocesan restructuring presents its own blessings and challenges. Whether the goal is to maintain distinct parishes under the leadership of one pastor, or to unite parishes that once were distinct, the broader goal is to encourage and foster more vibrancy in our life together as Catholics, to have the Eucharist available to us, to grow in our faith and in the knowledge of God, and to bring new vitality to our parish life.
|
|
Faithful Citizenship—Our Collective Responsibility
|
By Jean Wilczynski
In the weeks since the end of the presidential primary season and the emergence of Senators Barack Obama and John McCain as the major political parties’ presumptive presidential nominees, not a day seems to go by without a new story about one of them. With the overwhelming amount of information available, how are we to sort through it all to find those crucial facts that will allow us to make the best choice come November?
Neither McCain nor Obama is the ideal candidate from a Catholic Christian perspective. Many of their positions on matters of Catholic social teaching are troublesome; some we don’t even really know yet. So what do we do? Stay home because there is no perfect candidate? In their recently published “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) tells us that “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. … We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world.” Since we are morally obligated to vote, how do we choose among the candidates?
It can be a real challenge to apply our faith in the political arena. How do we decipher the real positions of candidates when many of their statements appear designed more to quell the concerns of specific groups of voters than to clearly articulate their positions? Often the candidates prefer not to openly discuss their positions on difficult or divisive issues. Yet, as Catholics our consciences compel us to consider the candidates’ views on many of these divisive issues — issues such as legal abortion, the death penalty, embryonic stem cell research, just war and torture; immigration reform and worker rights; marriage and family life — in our political decisions. Even more challenging, what if one candidate indicates stronger support for an intrinsic evil — like abortion — but more closely follows Catholic moral teaching on other issues than another candidate? How do we balance those differing views?
In his book, The Good Enough Catholic (Ballantine Books: New York, 1996) author Paul Wilkes tell us, “Vatican II places your informed conscience as the highest moral guide. Listen to it thoughtfully, prayerfully, honestly.” But what is an informed conscience and how do we get one? Doesn’t it sound like a lot of work in our already busy lives? Wouldn’t it be easier if the Church just told us how to vote or for whom? That is not an option today, if it ever was. Our Church, though, does offer us a framework for making responsible decisions. The USCCB offers us a complete “Faithful Citizenship” package (see www.faithfulcitizenship.org). In it, the Bishops have expanded upon their past efforts to “highlight the role of the Church in the formation of conscience.”
In their “Reflection on Catholic Teaching and Political Life,” the bishops affirm, “Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere “feeling” about what we should or should not do. Rather, conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil. Conscience always requires serious attempts to make sound moral judgments based on the truths of our faith.”
In the coming months, I will be working hard, with the help of tools available at the Faithful Citizenship Web site, to inform and develop my conscience in preparation for determining the best candidate for president, and other political offices as well. I hope you will join me in this effort to prayerfully reflect on the issues in light of sacred scripture and church teachings to discern the will of God. As Catholic Christians it’s our mission to build up the Kingdom of God on earth. What better way than by ensuring our country—still the most powerful country in the world—is led by thoughtful and concerned leaders who share as many of our values as possible. |
|
Pro soccer player has new goal: studying for priesthood
|
By Tom Dermody, Catholic News Service
PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- Professional soccer player Chase Hilgenbrinck is changing fields to pursue greater goals.
On July 14 he announced his retirement from Major League Soccer's New England Revolution team to begin studies in August for the priesthood as a seminarian of the Diocese of Peoria. He will study at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.
"More than anything, I am excited to administer the sacraments, and to be with people at the most important times of their lives, like baptism, marriage and death," Hilgenbrinck, 26, told The Catholic Post, Peoria's diocesan newspaper, the day after his decision became public.
The national media quickly got a kick out of this soccer-to-seminary story.
Hours after his retirement and the reason for it were announced, Hilgenbrinck was interviewed by writers from The Associated Press and USA Today. When those stories appeared, interest in the story went international, with Hilgenbrinck soon fielding media calls from as far as England, Switzerland and Lithuania.
"It's been amazing," said Hilgenbrinck, who happily shares his story of faith not for personal recognition, but "to give glory to Christ."
"I feel like God is blessing me, being able to witness to so many people," said the athlete, a Bloomington native who began playing soccer at age 5.
A defender for his pro team, he honed his skills in grade school and high school before playing college soccer at Clemson University in South Carolina.
The Revolution was in first place when he left -- fresh from a July 4 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy, which has world soccer celebrity David Beckham. But Hilgenbrinck is now content for the spotlight to shine elsewhere.
"I want to be a light for Christ," he said. "It's about him, not about me."
Hilgenbrinck considered his decision for years, but God's calling intensified while he was out of the country playing professional soccer in Chile after graduating from Clemson in 2004.
"Being alone in another country, with a new culture and language, I did a lot of soul-searching," he said. Through prayer and frequent reception of the sacraments, he strengthened his personal relationship with Christ and the fears and barriers surrounding his decision began to melt away.
Late last summer, while still in Chile, he made his first contact with Father Brian Brownsey, Peoria's diocesan vocations director. The application process was begun via e-mail, and preliminary testing was done last December when Hilgenbrinck came to the U.S. He began mingling with diocesan seminarians at various events.
And then Major League Soccer came calling.
Hilgenbrinck signed briefly with the Colorado Rapids but was cut because of salary-cap issues. The day of his release, the acceptance letter to the Peoria seminarian program came from Bishop Daniel R. Jenky.
His agent, however, negotiated another MLS contract, this time with the New England team. When Hilgenbrinck learned the contract had an option for him to be released July 1 -- about the time new seminarians needed to be in Peoria -- he considered it yet another sign. As that contract expired, he told the team of his decision.
"We understand Chase's decision to retire from soccer and pursue his mission of helping others and we support his desire to make this change in his life," said Michael Burns, vice president of player personnel for the New England Revolution, in the team's official announcement.
"Playing professional soccer has been my passion for a long time and I feel blessed to have successfully lived out this dream," said Hilgenbrinck. "My passion now is to do the will of God, which is wanting only what he wants for me. Though I will miss the game of soccer, I know that I am moving on to something much greater."
Hilgenbrinck is quick to credit his parents, Mike and Kim, for a strong upbringing in the Catholic faith. Since telling them of his decision to enter the priesthood, "they've been nothing but supportive and very loving and accepting," he said.
Now he hopes to bring the same passion he had on the soccer field to serve God.
"When you play soccer you have to continue getting better every day," he said. "It's the same with faith. You have to improve every single day, search for opportunities to deepen your relationship with Christ."
He will have many such opportunities at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, where he will be one of 17 first-year seminarians for Peoria this fall. A bit of soccer may be in his future there as well.
Mount St. Mary's fields a team that competes with area seminaries in an annual tournament called the Rector's Cup. The rector is Msgr. Steven P. Rohlfs, a Peoria priest and former vocations director for the diocese.
"Msgr. Rohlfs liked the prospect of having me on his team," said Hilgenbrinck.
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops |
|
Spanish priest says planning begins now for World Youth Day 2011
|
By Anna-Patrice Bitong, Catholic News Service
MADRID, Spain (CNS) -- Less than a day after Pope Benedict XVI announced that Madrid will host the next World Youth Day in 2011, Catholics in Spain started to prepare.
Father Francisco Manrique, a youth minister at St. Michael of Fuencarral Parish in Madrid, said the announcement is a necessary "spiritual injection" for Spanish youth.
"The expectation is enormous. Our preparation, interest, excitement starts today," Father Manrique told Catholic News Service July 21 after hearing the news.
"This has great significance for Spain. The whole world will be watching as Spain is challenged to stretch ties between the government and the church," he said, referring to tense church-state relations.
Father Manrique said he plans to lead youth committees preparing for the gathering.
"As I said, the preparation starts today," he said, adding that Madrid's celebration will be even bigger than the July 15-20 World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. More than 350,000 international pilgrims gathered for the 2008 international youth festival.
"I expect double, triple the number of young people that were in Sydney" to be here in three years, he said.
In remarks to Spanish media immediately following the July 20 announcement, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid, president of the Spanish bishops' conference, said the decision is "of exceptional value to the church in Spain" and will benefit Spanish society and culture.
"We are ready to prepare (World Youth Day) in the way it deserves," said Cardinal Rouco, who was in Sydney for the July celebrations.
He added that he will draw from his first experience organizing the event when it was held in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela in 1989. Cardinal Rouco was archbishop of the city at the time and will be the first archbishop to organize two youth-day celebrations.
He told the Spanish radio station COPE that organizing the upcoming event will be a challenge but also "another chapter, new, fresh, jubilant, joyful." The cardinal added that logistical planning was not as important as spiritual preparation for the gathering.
When asked by the station how to invite youths who have distanced themselves from the church, Cardinal Rouco said: "There's a world worth knowing, (a world) of truth, love, of Christ, God, that is fantastic. They should not be afraid. Open your doors to Christ, do not be afraid."
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops |
|
Clergy Appointments
|
The Most Reverend Michael R Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, has made the following appointments:
Reverend Tomasz Albrecht, to Parochial Vicar, Saint Bernard Parish, Rockville.
Effective: July 1, 2008
Reverend John Antonelle, to Parochial Vicar, Saint Michael Parish, Pawcatuck.
Effective: July 1, 2008
Reverend Richard Breton, to Parochial Vicar, All Saints Parish, Somersville.
Effective: June 17, 2008
Reverend Anthony DiMarco, to Parochial Vicar, Sacred Heart Parish, Vernon and Saint Maurice Parish, Bolton.
Effective: July 1, 2008
Reverend Anthony Gruber, to retirement.
Effective: July 1, 2008
Reverend Edward F. Howard, S.J., to Parochial Vicar, Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Norwich.
Effective: July 31, 2008
Reverend P. Grzegorz Jednaki, to Parochial Vicar, Saint Joseph Parish, North Grosvenordale.
Effective: July 1, 2008
Deacon William McGann, to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, Catholic Chaplain.
Effective: July 1, 2008.
Reverend Stanley Szczapa, to Pastor, Saint Maurice Parish, Bolton, while continuing as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Vernon.
Effective: June 4, 2008
-- Monsignor Robert L. Brown, Chancellor |
|
|
