Diocesan Golden Jubilee Lecture to discuss Pope Pius XII and his visit to Fairfield County

NORWALK - The schedule of events marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Bridgeport begins this month, with the first of three special "Golden Jubilee Lectures."

The first Golden Jubilee Lecture will be delivered by Monsignor Stephen M. DiGiovanni, H.E.D., on Thursday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Matthew Parish, 216 Scribner Avenue, Norwalk. Tel: 838-3788. Msgr. DiGiovanni, pastor of Saint John the Evangelist Parish in Stamford and a recognized Church historian, will speak on: "Pius XII Slept Here: The Incredible Story of a Pope, a Bull, and Fairfield County."

Admission is free and open to the public. Accredited members of the media are welcome to attend.

CAPTION: With this document, or papal "bull," Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Bridgeport in 1953.

"Not many people realize that, in 1936, three years before he became pope, Pius XII traveled in the United States in his position as Vatican Secretary of State," Msgr. DiGiovanni says. "Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, as he was known then, came to Connecticut, and stayed in Norwalk as a guest of the Countess Brady. It is ironic that, 17 years later, Fairfield County was again uppermost in the pontiff 's mind when he signed the bull establishing the Diocese of Bridgeport."

Church Historian

Msgr. DiGiovanni, 51, was raised in Fairfield and ordained to the priesthood in 1977. He holds a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is the author of numerous articles and four books, including The Catholic Church in Fairfield County, 1666-1961.

Msgr. DiGiovanni's article on Pope Pius XII and The New York Times, which describes how, during World War II, the newspaper praised the Holy Father for his defense of the Jews, has generated national attention and challenged the misconception that the pontiff did not oppose the Nazis, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust. It was recently published by Harvard University and Rutgers University.

First of Three Special Lectures

Msgr. DiGiovanni's lecture is the first of three planned to mark the Diocesan Jubilee. On May 2, Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete of the Archdiocese of Washington will speak on "The Hispanic Presence in the United States and its implications for the Catholic Church." Msgr. Albacete will speak in Spanish, and provide a summary in English. On September 17, His Eminence Avery Cardinal Dulles will speak on a topic to be announced.

The Golden Jubilee Lecture Series is just one of many events and observances planned between now and May 2004. Each of the 87 parishes in the diocese has designated a Jubilee representative to help advertise the events and encourage a strong turnout of parishioners and the general public.

For an updated list of Golden Jubilee events and observances, click here.

BRIDGEPORT, Friday, February 14, 2003 – The Most Reverend William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, has appointed new pastors for three parishes in Ridgefield, Greenwich, and Stamford.

They are:

• Monsignor Laurence R. Bronkiewicz, S.T.D., is the new Pastor of Saint Mary Parish in Ridgefield, effective February 21, 2003. He succeeds Father Robert P. Morrissey, who resigned as Pastor last December following allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Father Frank C. McGrath, who has been serving as Temporary Administrator of Saint Mary’s, will resume his full-time position as Director of Clergy Personnel of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
  
  A native of Norwalk, Monsignor Bronkiewicz, 56, was ordained to the priesthood in 1973. He is the former Chancellor of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Since September 2002, he has been on sabbatical leave, assisting at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Westport. In 2000, following the appointment of Bishop Edward M. Egan to the Archdiocese of New York, Monsignor Bronkiewicz was elected Diocesan Administrator, and governed the Diocese of Bridgeport until Bishop Lori’s arrival.
  
  
  
• Father William F. Platt is the new Pastor of Saint Paul Parish in Greenwich, effective February 28, 2003. He succeeds Father Albert W. McGoldrick, who resigned as Pastor last December following allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Father Kevin T. Royal, who has been serving as Temporary Administrator of Saint Paul’s, will resume his full-time position as Rector of the Saint John Fisher Seminary Residence in Stamford.

  A native of Bridgeport, Father Platt, 43, was ordained to the priesthood in 1988. Since October 2002, he has been the Chaplain at Hall-Brooke Hospital in Westport, and priest-in-residence at Assumption Parish. From 1992-2002, Father Platt was priest-in-residence at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Riverside, and served as Chaplain at Greenwich Hospital.
  
  
  

• Father Stanley Staniszewski, C.M., is the new Pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Stamford, effective February 15, 2003. He succeeds Father Sherman W. Gray, who resigned as Pastor last December following allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Father Staniszewski has been serving as Temporary Administrator of Holy Name of Jesus Parish.

  Father Staniszewski, 65, is a member of the Congregation of the Mission Order of priests (Vincentians). He has served at Holy Name of Jesus as the Associate Pastor since 1995.
  

The announcements of new pastors was made in a personal letter from Bishop Lori which was mailed this week to parishioners of all three parishes, as well as to parents of children enrolled at Saint Mary Regional Elementary School in Ridgefield.

"I am confident that Monsignor Bronkiewicz, Father Platt, and Father Staniszewski will continue the process of healing in these three parish communities," says Bishop Lori. "They are prayerful, pastoral leaders with a wealth of experience. Each will provide the impetus to carry forward the many plans, projects, and ministries under way in each parish."

According to the Essential Norms of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the investigation of the allegations against Father Morrissey, Father McGoldrick, and Father Gray continues, with the assistance of the Lay Review Board of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

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