Accomplishments
and challenges
Looking back at Bishop Lori's eventful
first year as Bishop of Bridgeport
published in Fairfield County Catholic, April, 2002
By VENESSA ANDERSON
When
the Most Reverend William Edward Lori, S.T.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Washington,
D.C., and Titular Bishop of Bulla, was installed as the Fourth Bishop
of the Diocese of Bridgeport on March 19, 2001, no one could have predicted
how warm a welcome he would receive throughout Fairfield County. Nor
could anyone have imagined the accomplishments and challenges of his
first year in office.
CAPTION:
On March 19, the Feast of Saint Joseph, Bishop Lori is installed as
Bishop of Bridgeport (right) at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
(Photo by John Glover)
To
mark Bishop Lori’s first anniversary, Fairfield County Catholic
takes a nostalgic look back at some of the highlights of the past 12
months.
March
2001
March 19, 2001 marked a pivotal day in the history of the Diocese of
Bridgeport. Nearly 4,000 guests from all corners of Fairfield County,
and hundreds of visitors from Washington D.C., Indiana, and further
afield, gathered in William Pitt Center on the campus of Sacred Heart
University to celebrate the installation of Bishop Lori.
“I
am truly happy to begin my service as Fourth Bishop of Bridgeport on
the Feast of Saint Joseph,” Bishop Lori said in his homily. “I am relying
on the prayers of Saint Joseph, who believed and trusted in God so deeply
and who took such good care of his family. Trusting in God, may I also
take good care of the family of faith entrusted to me!”
In a gesture of his commitment to his new diocese, Bishop Lori made
a vow to visit all 87 parishes. Msgr. Richard Shea, pastor of Saint
Catherine Parish in Trumbull, thought Bishop Lori’s statement was extremely
ambitious and powerful. Two days after the bishop’s installation, Msgr.
Shea welcomed Bishop Lori and his visiting parents warmly to his parish.
“We
felt very honored to be the first,” Msgr. Shea says. “The bishop and
his parents were so friendly, open and loving,” he recalls. “The parishioners
were very comfortable with the bishop’s presence because he was open
and available and wanted to meet everyone.”
April
2001
Holy Week and Easter offered Bishop Lori an ideal opportunity to begin
his pastoral ministry. Joined by 300 priests, and many more deacons,
seminarians, and lay people from around the diocese, Bishop Lori celebrated
the annual Chrism Mass, blessing the three sacred oils to be used during
the upcoming year. With his words echoing among the marble arches of
Saint Patrick Church in Bridgeport, the bishop inspired his priests
to be his “co-workers in the Lord, called to concern for the world.”
Father
Nicholas Pavia, parochial vicar of Saint Stephen Parish in Trumbull,
felt a strong bond with his new bishop and fellow clergy at the Chrism
Mass. “After Mass, we went to Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Weston
for a reception,” Father Pavia remembers. “I was really struck by the
bishop’s humanity. He has an incredible personal tone with a sense of
humor. Yet he is bishop, and he encompasses all the dignity of that
office with his humility and work ethic.”
May
2001
Bishop Lori urged an assembly of judges, lawyers, and other members
of the legal community to put their faith into practice at a Red Mass
on May 10 at Saint Mary Parish in Greenwich. He challenged those gathered
to lead virtuous lives, perform their jobs with integrity and respect
for the human person. “Your work profoundly affects the common good
of society and indeed the overall health or decline of our culture,”
he said.
Later
that month, on May 19 at Saint Theresa Parish, Trumbull, Bishop Lori
ordained his first priests as Bishop of Bridgeport: Father F. John Ringley,
Jr., and Father Thomas N. Haber. “You will respond in love to the Lord
by the witness of your lives,” he told the two young men in his homily.
CAPTION:
"You will respond in love to the Lord by the witness of your lives,"
Bishop Lori told Father F. John Ringley, Jr. and Father Thomas N. Haber
the day of their ordination. The two young priests were the first Bishop
Lori ordained in his new diocese. (Photo by John Glover)
Father
Haber, now parochial vicar at Saint Peter Parish in Danbury, says that
the happiness and excitement of his ordination day was only the beginning
of the joy he feels every day, and that Bishop Lori’s support of his
vocation continues. “Bishop Lori met with Father Ringley and myself
about six months after our ordination,” Father Haber recalls. “He was
interested in what we were doing and wanted to know how he could help
us in any way. It is very clear that he is a pastoral bishop.”
Not
long afterward, Bishop Lori was faced with the first great challenge
in the diocese: Father John Castaldo, spiritual director at Trinity
Catholic High School in Stamford, was arrested and charged with dissemination
of indecent material to a minor over the Internet.
Bishop
Lori’s swift response to the situation won praise within the diocese
and in the media. In accordance with the diocesan sexual misconduct
policy, Father Castaldo was immediately removed and suspended, and counselors
were dispatched to Trinity Catholic to be available to students, faculty,
and parents.
On
May 29, Bishop Lori celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass for seniors at
Saint Mary Parish in Stamford and spoke to the assembled press afterwards.
“My
desire this night first and foremost is simply to be with you – as a
pastor, a shepherd – to serve you in love,” Bishop Lori said in his
homily. “I wanted to be present to you tonight to pray with you, to
encourage you, to share your joy but also to share your sorrow. I also
want to come before you to assure you of my deep concern, to offer you
my sincerest apologies, and to express my bedrock commitment to respond
to this situation as openly and fairly as I can, aided, of course, by
your prayers and support. Among other things, I want to emphasize the
desire of the Church to listen to you and to receive any information
you may have, no matter how unsettling it may be."
June
2001
Accompanied by Brian Cronin, executive director of Catholic Charities,
Bishop Lori embarked on a whistle-stop tour of every Catholic Charities
location in Fairfield County on June 8. He visited soup kitchens, a
homeless shelter, counseling offices, a day care facility, and many
other places that serve the poor and disadvantaged.
CAPTION:
BISHOP LORI VISITS WITH A MEMBER of the New Heights center in Danbury
last Christmas. Bishop Lori has visited all of Catholic Charities’ programs
around the diocese during his first year as Bishop of Bridgeport. (Photo
by John Glover)
"It was a rigorous day," Cronin remembers. "We have 35
programs in 16 venues, and we visited them all, starting at 8:30 a.m.
and not stopping until evening. It's important to say that the bishop
not only visited the programs, but he made a point to get involved with
the clients. His message was that he plans to invest in the work of
Catholic Charities. That is a message that the workers of Catholic Charities,
who view their work as a vocation, needed to hear."
July 2001
Bishop Lori welcomed Sister Mary Nirmala, M.C., superior general of
the Missionaries of Charity, to Bridgeport on July 2 during Mass at
Saint Peter Parish. Sister Nirmala's visit coincided with the opening
of a convent for the Missionaries of Charity, their first in Connecticut
and the fulfillment of a pledge made by Bishop Lori at his installation.
Four Sisters are in residence.
Bishop
Lori continues his support of the Missionaries of Charity, according
to Msgr. Aniceto Villamide, pastor of Saint Peter's. "He sees the
sisters regularly and says Mass for them," he says. "The bishop
also attends adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in their chapel, praying
to build a culture of life."
August
2001
With Mass on August 25 at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Bridgeport, Bishop
Lori fulfilled his promise to visit every parish in the diocese of Bridgeport.
The tour that had taken him five months and six days to complete brought
the bishop to every corner of Fairfield County.
CAPTION: RECEIVING FLOWERS FROM A YOUNGSTER of Our
Lady of Fatima Parish in Bridgeport, Bishop Lori completed his pilgrimage
to visit all 87 parishes in the diocese on August 25. "It is a
joy to be with the people whom I have been sent to serve," he says.
(Photo by John Glover)
"These
visits are only the initial phase of a continuous journey of faith that
will bring me back to my parishes again and again in the years ahead,"
the bishop said. He repeated two appeals which he had made in every
parish he visited. He asked all the parishes to pray for vocations,
and he asked them to pray for him, "That I may be a good man, a
wise priest, and a loving and holy bishop."
September 2001
Under tragic circumstances, Bishop Lori continued to display his loving
pastoral care for the People of God in Fairfield County in the aftermath
of the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11. At Noon, he celebrated
Mass at Saint Augustine Cathedral, which was filled to overflowing.
"To
be sure, it will take a very long time for us to comprehend the dimensions
of this tragedy," he said in his homily. "We will mourn, we
will question, we may wonder why it is that God would allow human beings
to makes such horrible choices. We may wonder why God would grant such
freedom to very flawed human beings."
CAPTION:
PRAYING WITH FELLOW RELIGIOUS LEADERS from the Bridgeport area at an
Interfaith Prayer Service in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bishop
Lori leads the faithful during the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist
attacks. Many people from the Diocese of Bridgeport were among those
lost in the World Trade Center disaster. (Photo by John Glover)
"The immediate response of the bishop was absolutely appropriate,"
recalls Betty Anne Cassaretti, diocesan director of Charismatic Renewal.
"Organizing the Mass was a powerful statement. With his presence,
he said, 'I am in the middle of this with all of you.' I felt as though
he was embracing the entire diocese, saying, 'We're going to get through
this together.'"
Amid
calls of support to the families of victims in Fairfield County, Bishop
Lori celebrated Memorial Masses in Stamford, Greenwich, Fairfield, and
other cities.
October
2001
The annual Mass for Life, celebrated at Saint Stephen Parish in Trumbull
October 7, was especially poignant as the faithful were still struggling
to comprehend the terrorist attacks of four weeks earlier. Ironically,
as the bishop spoke, the United States launched its bombing of Afghanistan.
CAPTION:
BISHOP LORI WALKED with the nearly 1,800 Catholic school students and
parents from the Diocese of Bridgeport at the annual Walkathon for Catholic
Schools on October 21. Catholic schools and religious education have
emerged as priorities for our new bishop. (Photo by John Glover)
"We
find ourselves as citizens of a nation fighting to preserve what is
best in our way of life, fighting to protect the innocent from violence,"
Bishop Lori said in his homily.
Megan
Spillane, a senior at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford, spoke
at Mass and was comforted by the bishop's words. "He found a way
to touch on the fighting and turn it around to talk about the unseen
horror of abortion that happens every day," she recalls.
November
2001
The bishop celebrated All Saints Day on November 1 with the students
and faculty at All Saint Regional Elementary School in Norwalk. On his
first visit to the school, Bishop Lori celebrated Mass and visited classrooms.
"Bishop
Lori interacted with the students in such a warm, friendly way that
they readily responded to him," says Sister Catherine Sheehy, R.S.M.
"The kids now feel as if they know him. He's our bishop now."
December 2001
Seminarians Hernan Bohorquez, Robert Boyd, David Daigle, and Peter Smolik
were ordained to the transitional deaconate by Bishop Lori on December
1. The seminarians took their next step on their vocational journey
with Bishop Lori during Mass at Saint Augustine Cathedral.
"You
will be transformed in the very depth of your being to resemble Christ,
the servant," Bishop Lori said in his homily. "God the Father,
in the power of the Holy Spirit, will indeed place His words in your
hearts. He will refashion your hearts, already made new in the waters
of baptism, after the image of His own son, the Eternal Word made flesh."
"Bishop
Lori's words were filled not only with theological truths but also with
the conviction of a person who has a close relationship with God,"
remembers Deacon Bohorquez. "When I heard him talking, I thought
I was not worthy to receive that amazing grace of God, but at the same
time I was very thankful to God who chose to give me all these blessings."
Deacon Bohorquez was also touched by the bishop's gesture to the Hispanic
community. "It took me by surprise when Bishop Lori started to
speak Spanish during the homily," he says. "My family and
friends were grateful to him for being so thoughtful in acknowledging
their presence by addressing them in Spanish."
January
2002
Gathering with nearly 100 pro-life supporters outside the Summit Women's
Center in downtown Bridgeport on a cold winter's morning, Bishop Lori
proclaimed his commitment to life by leading a Rosary for the salvation
of the unborn. The prayer vigil took place after the bishop celebrated
a special pro-life Mass at Saint Peter Parish.
"It is time for everyone to be an advocate for life in the holiness
of truth," Bishop Lori said. "Let everyone know: we are patient
and persistent. We are not going away."
On January 22, Bishop Lori joined 600 pilgrims from the Diocese of Bridgeport
in Washington, D.C., for the 29th annual March for Life. The March held
a special memory for him. One year ago, after giving the benediction
at the March, he flew up to Connecticut for the announcement of his
appointment as the new Bishop of Bridgeport.
Father Greg Markey, parochial vicar of Saint Peter Parish in Bridgeport,
said Bishop Lori's support for the pro-life movement demonstrates that
abortion is a mainstream issue for Catholics. "The bishop is not
ashamed of the issue," Father Markey says. "He is an authentic
leader who can stand up for an issue that may not be popular and show
other people they can do the same."
February
2002
Bishop Lori announced his intention to visit Haiti on New Year's Day,
during a Mass in honor of Haitian Independence Day at Saint Charles
Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport. On February 18, accompanied by members
of the Order of Malta, he flew to the Caribbean country to witness firsthand
the work to support young people and families in this most impoverised
nation.
CAPTION:
REALIZING THAT HAITIANS ARE THE SECOND-LARGEST ETHNIC GROUP IN THE DIOCESE,
Bishop Lori continues to reach out to the community. In June 2001, he
visited Stamford to bless and dedicate the new Haitian American Catholic
Center. Last February, he traveled to Haiti for the first time. (Photo
by John Glover)
"I
returned from Haiti with a renewed affection for the Haitian people,
and their tremendous faith in the face of incredible suffering,"
Bishop Lori said. "I hope my brief sojourn will help me to become
a more compassionate bishop."
July
2, 2001: Welcomes Sister Mary Nirmala, M.C. (right), superior general
of the Missionaries of Charity, to Bridgeport for the opening of the
Sisters' first convent in Connecticut. 
July
22-28, 2002: Joins 110 pilgrims from the Diocese of Bridgeport (left)
in Toronto, Canada, for World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II. 
March
20-21, 2004: "Human Love in the Divine Plan: Pope John Paul II's
'Theology of the Body,'" was the focus of a major conference sponsored
by the Diocese of Bridgeport at Sacred Heart University. 
October
12, 2004: More than 750 people, including parents, teachers, and
concerned Catholics, gathered at Fairfield University for
"Our Children, Our Future: A Renewed Commitment to Catholic Education
in Fairfield County," a special evening (left) which explored changes
in the governance, funding, and curricula for the existing 39 Catholic
Schools run by the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Diocese is committed to
not only keeping these schools open and flourishing, but to enhancing
their currently high levels of academic achievement and faith-based
education, and making the dream of Catholic education a reality for
every child.