Are you interested in accompanying others through their journey of grief? The Diocese of Norwich is offering New Day Journal Facilitator Training for parish volunteers who wish to facilitate a bereavement ministry in their parish. Participants will explore the many faces of loss and grief, learn how to guide group discussions, and receive practical guidance for creating a supportive and confidential group environment. The training will also provide instruction on using The New Day Journal by Maureen O’Brien, O.P., a structured program incorporating prayer, Scriptur...

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Taking the Light Out From Under the Bushel Basket Every parish has people living just beyond its doors who may never think of the Church until they need it—when a loved one dies, when life raises a question they cannot answer, when loneliness settles in, or when they simply begin wondering whether faith has anything to say to the life they are living. The challenge is reaching them before that moment passes. That is the opportunity Father Brian Converse sees in the Tri-Parish Community’s renewed Evangelization Program, sponsored by St. Mary, Mother of t...

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NEW HAVEN — Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly was honored to be appointed by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Formed by Pope Francis, the Dicastery’s mission is “the promotion of life, the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan and for the safeguard and support of human life.” “I am deeply grateful to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for appointing me as a member of the Dicastery for Laity, Family a...

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The Diocese of Norwich will hold its annual Faith For The Future collection on the weekend of September 12th and 13th, 2026, supporting Catholic elementary education throughout the diocese. Faith For The Future is the diocese's dedicated in-pew collection benefiting Catholic elementary schools, helping ensure these schools can continue to provide an education rooted in high academic standards and Catholic faith-based values. Why Catholic Elementary Education Matters Our diocesan Catholic elementary schools are committed to: - Meeting high academic standards,...

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A new Chapter of the Third Order of Mary was founded at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Essex, Connecticut in May 2006. The local branch of the worldwide Society of Mary originally founded in Lyons, France in 1816, is devoted to performing solid spiritual work for the Church in a hidden way, imitating Mary in humility and mercy thus drawing attention to Jesus and His Gospel message. Mrs. Lorraine P. Maloney, a Professed Third Order of Mary since 1994 in Brunswick, Maine, moved to Connecticut and helped to found the group with the assistance of the late Fr. Paul Gaumond, then...

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A group of women inspired by St. Pio of Pietrelcina’s deep devotion to prayer gathers weekly at the Padre Pio Foundation of America in Cromwell to pray for others. “We pray from our hearts to Padre Pio,” says prayer warrior Donna Morales of Cromwell. “He’s drawing me here and we pray for the needs of the community. It’s a calling.” For the past 20 years, Morales and three other women have been the core group of the Padre Pio Prayer Group which meets three mornings each week. Surrounded by statues, artwork and holy relics of St...

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