November/December 2023 Four County Catholic "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, As we approach Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas I am reminded of the above verse from the Gospel of Luke which captures the essence of Thanksgivin...

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September/October 2023 Four County Catholic "For I know the plans I have for you . . ." Jeremiah 29:11 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, There is a somewhat well-known quote that is attributed to author, humorist, and former Connecticut resident, Mark Twain –– "The two ...

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April 2021 Four County Catholic Hidden to Our Senses “The two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:35 Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord, One of the most interesting and often puzzling aspects about the appearances of our Lord...

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March 2021 Four County Catholic Lessons of the Basin and the Towel “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:15   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Our 40-day Lenten journey of sacrifice and self-reflection is well underway. As we mov...

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April 2020 Four County Catholic There Is A Season   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   There was a song that I recall from my youth called Turn, Turn, Turn. The lyric will be familiar to you —   To every thing, turn, turn, turn there is a season, turn, turn, turn and a time to e...

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January 2020 Four County Catholic Overcoming a Weary World “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Isaiah 40:31 My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, “A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejo...

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December 2019 Four County Catholic Christmas Message 2019 “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:15b My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Each year as we commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus at Christmas, it is important for us ...

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September 2019 Four County Catholic Our Future Hope All your children shall be taught by the LORD; great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Saint Mother Teresa, whose feast day we celebrated on September 5th, had this advice, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let...

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August 2019 Four County Catholic Who is Walking Who? My Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Not too long ago I observed a neighbor walking his puppy Sam, a newly adopted rescue.  The leash was taut as the puppy charged forward which caused me to ask, “Who is walking who?”  My neighbor and I both laughed...

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June/July 2019 Four County Catholic “Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it. ” Proverbs 22:6 My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, June is a time of joyful exhilaration for our young people as another school year comes to completion. As we transition from the Easter se...

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April 2019 My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, As we continue our Lenten journey together toward Holy Week, I would like to share with you two occasions which recently reminded me of yet another reason why I am grateful for being your Bishop. The two events, while on the surface quite different from each other, had something ...

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March 2019 Four County Catholic “My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Our 40-day journey of self-reflection and sacrifice that is Lent is already well underway. It is a journey that brings us closer to Christ and will leave us changed by our encounter with Him. In my Lenten message this year I spoke of how prayer, fastin...

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February 2019 Four County Catholic “My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, January 22, 2019 marked the forty-sixth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. This year, as has become a tradition, hundreds of thousands of the faithful gathered in Washington, DC for the annual March for Life. This year's March, ...

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January 2019 Four County Catholic “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:12 My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Last month at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Gales Ferry, we, as a diocese, had the distinct honor of hosting the Incorrupt Heart of Saint John Vianney, the...

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December 2018 Four County Catholic “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, May the spirit of this holy season fi ll your hearts with joy and your homes with peace! Christmas...

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November 2018 Four County Cathol;ic “Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good; His Love Endures Forever.” Psalm 118:1 My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Thanksgiving season is upon us. A time specifically set aside by the Pilgrims, nearly 400 years ago, to thank Almighty God for carrying them through their first y...

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October 2018 Four County Catholic “As I Have Loved You” My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Three words. Love One Another. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commanded the Apostles and by extension all of us with this simple directive. “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved yo...

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September 2018 Four County Catholic   My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We all recognize the ever-growing reliance on the convenience, capacity and speed of digital communications. It creates quite a challenge and, at the same time, a wonderful opportunity for the Church and for those of us living our faith in a rural ...

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August 2018 Four County Catholic My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote in my newspaper column of “our shared call to action as faithful Catholics to stand in solidarity with those enduring the struggle of keeping families together.” The continuing struggle at the southern border ha...

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June/July 2018 Four County Catholic My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, June is such an exhilarating time of hope and promise as we embrace the continuing joy of the Easter Season and the gifts of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is a season bursting with enthusiasm as seen in the faces of our graduating classes across the Dio...

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