Home/Stay Informed/All Diocesan Articles

All Diocesan Articles

Let His Love Shine Through What You Do - Colleen Puscas

Posted on September 08, 2022 in: News, Events

Let His Love Shine Through What You Do - Colleen Puscas

Music, especially Liturgical music, has always been a passion for Colleen Puscas. Some 30 years ago, she was the director of liturgy and music at Christ the Teacher Parish/Newman Center at Northern Illinois University. Then her husband, Michael, had a job opportunity in Connecticut, so she and her family moved to Colchester.

One Sunday morning, after moving there, the family was running late preparing their four children for church, so they ended up attending a later Mass, 11 a.m. at St. Andrew Church. That was the first time Colleen heard the choir sing for Mass, and although the choir was composed of only a dozen members, she was struck by their spirit. 

Sometime after that, the pastor, having learned of her credentials (master’s degrees in Liturgy and Music Composition), offered her the job of director of music. Since then, for the past 28 years, she has not only provided St. Andrew Church with beautiful liturgical music, but 16 Passion Plays, 12 choir concert performances around the world, and assorted Madrigals and dinner/musical concerts.

The St. Andrew choir calls itself the “Gumby Choir” (referring to Art Clokey’s 1950 clay animation figure who could bend and flex in any position), because of the choir’s ability to bend and flex to the musical challenges offered by Colleen. And indeed bend and flex they did. 

Twenty years ago Colleen began formulating what was to be her magnum opus, the St. Andrew Passion Play. Colleen’s version can actually be referred to as “The life of Christ and His Passion,” as it begins with the nativity, progresses through major events of the life of Christ, and culminates with the Crucifixion and Resurrection. 

Up until 2020, when performances were curtailed due to Covid restrictions, she had written and produced 16 unique versions. Each included 120 to 150 actors and dancers, numerous stagehands and behind-the-scenes personnel, professional sound and lighting equipment, and of course the Gumby choir. “Launching a Passion Play was a dream come true, as I know hundreds of people were touched by the Spirit of God as they watched the Gospel come to life,” Colleen said. 

However, the Gumby choir had more bending and flexing ahead of them. At a conference she attended, Colleen came across a workshop entitled,”Take your Choir to Rome.” She inquired and had a discussion about the possibility of the St. Andrew choir singing at the Vatican. Seven months later, in October 1998, the Gumby choir was in Rome singing for Pope St. John Paul II, on the occasion of his 20th anniversary as the Holy Father. This concert was the first of 11 more venues where the Gumbies performed, including: Lourdes, Fatima, Athens, Dublin, Salzburg and others.

Colleen is now moving on to new adventures in her life. Sadly, on Nov. 27, 2021, her husband of 42 years, Deacon Michael Puscas, passed away. 

“Michael’s sudden journey to eternity changed almost everything about my life and caused me, with great sadness and intentionality, to seek the Lord’s counsel regarding my future,” Colleen said. 

As Providence would have it, she was offered the position of director of music and liturgy at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Noblesville, Indiana, the very parish where her daughter, Julia, is the director of youth ministry. 

“I have been inordinately happy to serve the parish of St Andrew for most of my adult life. The Principal Choir and the Young People’s Choir have been my joy,” she said. 

Colleen believes that, “Everybody has a gift that God has given them and it is just so unsettling to me that people use their gifts for something other than worshiping God.” 

She has truly used her gifts to worship and praise God. We thank her for her faithful service, and pray for her continued success.

All are invited to bid farewell to Colleen after each Mass, at St. Andrew Church, Colchester, September 24th and 25th.

By Deacon Ben LoCasto


Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Calendar of Events

Posted on June 13, 2025 in: Events, Around the Diocese

31094

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, Events

1341

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!
Middle School and High School youth are invited to a special hike with Bishop Reidy on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00 A.M. at Hurd State Park in East Hampton. Hurd State Park provides the perfect backdrop for a meaningful outdoor adventure, blending fun, exercise, scenic views, and moments of spiritual reflection. The park's flexible trails, peaceful riverside spots, and stunning overlooks make it an ideal place to connect with nature and one another. What to bring: Comfortable shoes, water, and a picnic lunch. Parents are welcome, and Youth Groups are encoura...

Read More

Pope Leo XIV’s Prayer Intention for the Month of June
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful in St. Peter's Basilica, May 31, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA   In his first prayer intention video of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has asked the faithful to pray that the world might grow in compassion during the month of June. “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world,” the pope said in a video released June 3. The video also includes an original prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which the m...

Read More

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, School News

1020

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators
There are several current job openings for educators in our diocese.  The positions are updated weekly, so be sure to bookmark this page in your browser-  NorwichDiocese.org/Employment Click Here to See the Current Open Positions  All candidates must complete the official professional application to be considered for a teaching position or principal position and submit it to the Diocesan School Office. Applications are available on the employment page of the website. Visit NorwichDiocese.org/Employment to view all of the open jobs in the di...

Read More

Pray for the Pope: Join the Sacred Heart Novena June 19–27
Knights of Columbus Launches Sacred Heart Novena for Pope Leo XIV New Haven, Conn. — The Knights of Columbus have announced a special novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intention of Pope Leo XIV, beginning June 19—his anniversary of priestly ordination—and concluding June 27, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly is encouraging Knights, their families, and all people of goodwill to participate in the novena and to submit personal prayer intentions, which he will personally bring to Rome later this Jubilee Year. P...

Read More

Parish Bulletins Remain Relevant in the Digital Age
  Kristyn Figbie, communications coordinator for St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Britain, designs a Sunday bulletin that takes a more graphic approach to information with browsable tables and photos that capture the vitality of the parish community. Photo by Shelley Wolf   Parishes within the archdiocese are always looking for better ways to engage parishioners. To meet parishioners’ information needs and grab their attention, two parishes recently overhauled their Sunday bulletins with fresh new designs, more graphics and photos, and enhanc...

Read More

Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA DONATE

English

Español

 

Latest Articles
Recently Added Galleries
Click to view album: Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Richard F. Reidy
Click to view album: Students Called to Feed the Hungry
Click to view album: 40 Days for Life 2024
Click to view album: Blessing of the Fleet 2024
Signup for Weekly Newsletter

     

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
    201 Broadway
    Norwich, CT 06360-4328
    Phone: 860-887-9294