September 3, 2024 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I am writing to share some important news with you. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has graciously accepted my letter of resignation, which I submitted on the occasion of my 75th birthday on June 19, 2024, in accordance with the norms of the Church. I am deeply grateful to Pope Francis for his acceptance of my resignation. At the same time, the Holy Father has now appointed Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne as the Apostolic Administrator of our diocese. As I now transition to the role of Bishop Emeritus of Norw...

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Deacon Francis J. Bachand, 96, of Plainfield, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at Colonial Health and Rehabilitation. He was the beloved husband of the late Edna (Millovitsch) Bachand, with whom he shared 61 years of marriage. Born in Norwich, he was the son of the late Ernest and Cora (Morin) Bachand. After a brief service in the Navy and working in local textile mills, Fran spent over 30 years at the Jewett City Post Office, where he was a familiar and welcoming face at the counter. June 27, 1981, he was ordained as a permanent deacon for the Dioce...

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Anyone preparing for ministry should spend time with the Bible, prayer books and theology tomes of course, but Pope Francis insists that reading literature and poetry also are essential for spiritual maturity. VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Every Christian, but especially seminarians, should set aside their screens regularly and spend time with a book of literature or poetry, Pope Francis said. In a world that so often prizes efficiency and accomplishment, "we desperately need to counterbalance this inevitable temptation to a frenetic and uncritical lifestyle by stepping ...

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The cards are all in. Now the letters are going out. The Called by Name vocations initiative is in motion. Since August, Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne has been actively sending out letters to vocation nominees, inviting them to discern a call to the priesthood, to the religious and consecrated life or to the diaconate. Additional batches of letters will be mailed throughout the fall. The nominees are fresh names that resulted from the Called by Name vocations initiative, which was held in parishes throughout the archdiocese on the weekend of June 8 and 9. During tha...

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