I recently attended a reunion of my high school class. Most of the men I hadn’t seen in over a half-century. We reminisced about our high school experience, the great times, the great and not-so-great teachers, and the good and bad of attending an all-boys high school. But what we all remembered most was the wonderful academic environment created by the Vincentians who administered the school. We attended St. John's Preparatory School, which at the time was located on Lewis Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. “The Prep” w...

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Four Acclaimed National Comedians to Perform at 2nd Annual “Comedy, Charity, Community” Night at Wesleyan University, Friday, January 24th, to benefit Amazing Grace Food Pantry St. Vincent de Paul Middletown (SVDM) in partnership with Wesleyan University’s Robert F. Schumann Institute of the Bailey College of the Environment is proud to present a night of “Comedy, Charity, Community” on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. at. Wesleyan University’s Fayerweather Building, Beckham Hall, 55 Wyllys Ave, Middletown. Tickets ($69) a...

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The Diocese of Norwich proudly announces the Our Lady, Queen of Hope Award, which celebrates the extraordinary contributions of women of faith within our diocesan community. Named after Mary, our Blessed Mother and role model in faith, this award recognizes women who exemplify vision, leadership, and hope in the Catholic Church. Award Details: The recipient will receive an award and a check for $200, made payable to the Catholic charity, parish, or diocesan ministry of her choice. Nominee Criteria: Nominees should embody the following qualities: Strong fai...

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How many days is Christmas? When should you finally take those lights off the porch or remove the tree? Read on for some of the arguments for and against commonly agreed-upon end dates for Christmas. ‘Christmas is one day’ This, of course, is the simplest answer. Christmas is typically celebrated on Dec. 25 for most of the world — or Jan. 7 for churches using the Julian calendar (Jan. 6 for yet another, considerably smaller, part of the world.) On this day, the liturgy celebrated is the feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Priests wear white vestments on...

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From inside the walls of Rome’s largest prison, Christmas hymns rang out as inmates and prison guards together sang “Silent Night” and exchanged the sign of peace during an intimate Mass led by Pope Francis to mark a historic moment — the first opening of a jubilee Holy Door within a prison. The pope’s Thursday Mass in Rome’s Rebibbia Prison Complex on the feast of St. Stephen — the first Christian martyr — marked a profound beginning to the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, symbolizing redemption and the possibility...

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This morning, December 29, on the Feast of the Holy Family, the Diocese of Norwich joyfully celebrated the Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick. The liturgy, celebrated by Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford, was a profound reminder of the Jubilee theme, “Spes Non Confundit” (Hope Does Not Disappoint), as the Church enters this sacred time of renewal and grace. Bishop Betancourt delivered a homily emphasizing the unity of the Church as one faith, one family in Christ. The celebra...

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After years of excavation work, the leader of an archeological expedition at the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey, announced this week that her team has found a sarcophagus that may contain the body of St. Nick — a discovery that could muddy the conventional wisdom about the true resting place of the saint’s relics, which is currently believed to be Italy. In a recent interview, the leader of the expedition, Professor Ebru Fatma Fındık, said that sources point to Turkey’s southern Antalya Province as Nichol...

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Merry Christmas! The beauty of the cathedral can be experienced year-round and will remain fully decorated until the Solemnity of the Epiphany on January 6, 2025. Masses are daily 7 AM and noon.

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The 45th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols was held on Sunday, December 22, 2024, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. One of the most festive ways to enjoy the beauty of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, the event featured readings of sections of the Christmas story, choir music, and the singing of carols appropriate to the season. The evening began with a musical procession down the center aisle, setting the tone for a truly memorable celebration. Prayers were offered by Father Julian Cuervo-Lozada, Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral. Readings were proclaimed by The Cat...

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Pope Francis had a full weekend with regular audiences and a consistory to create new cardinals Dec. 7 and a Mass with the new cardinals the next morning. But he did not miss his traditional visit to the center of Rome to pay homage to Mary and her Immaculate Conception. ROME (CNS) -- With the city of Rome presenting a gauntlet of major roadworks and construction projects ahead of the opening of the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis used the disruptions as an opportunity to encourage people to do some spiritual renovation before the jubilee. On a cloudy afternoon with the ...

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