Bell ringing called for on July 4
Prayer services for liberty to be held nationwide
Resources available at www.fortnight4freedom.org

WASHINGTON—Mass at the Baltimore’s historic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, scheduled for June 21 at 7:00pm EDT, will open the Fortnight For Freedom, which runs from June 21 to July 4. Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore will celebrate the liturgy to kick off the Catholic Church’s national education campaign on Religious Liberty.

FAIRFIELD--The St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Human Relations Committee recently celebrated Earth Day by doing a clean-up at Sasco Hill Beach. On a cold, windy spring day the committee representatives collected a tremendous amount of trash--from cups, tin foil, bottles, plastic bags, soda cans, food wrappers, to broken glass and more. When you are next enjoying Sasco Beach, notice how clean the beach is thanks in part to the efforts of our Human Relations committee. Let’s hope our citizens will keep it that way!

NEWTOWN - Recognized as one of two outstanding students statewide, Patrick Briscoe, an eighth-grader at St. Rose of Lima School, received the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.  Patrick conducted a penny collection drive that raised more than $1,200 to purchase two cobblestones and a granite paver to remember those from his hometown at the National 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan.

FIRST COMMUNION--St. Rose of Lima School students received their First Holy Communion on Saturday May 5th at St. Rose of Lima Church, Newtown, CT.Students pictured from Mrs. Jeanne Vitetta's Class include:From Left to Right- Kayla Ondy, Ella Schmitt, Allison Pavlicek, Justin Zemo, Gregory Gargano, Angelo LaManna, Ryan Gommo, Michael Queenan, Tyler Griffin, Hope Johnston, Ashley Gotch, Mia Sadlouskos, and Lara McDougall. Holy Communion is the second of seven sacraments beginning with Baptism, and a time of joy and celebration as young boys and girls receive the Eucharist for the first time.

Photography by Bernadette Queenan

STAMFORD--Trinity Catholic Middle School sixth graders tied for second place in the competition for the 2012 International Online Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The results of the competition were announced on May 1.

FAIRFIELD--The Student Council at Assumption Catholic School organized a service project during Lent to benefit the March of Dimes. The Student Council gave each student a box and asked them to collect spare change throughout the Lenten season. All grades, pre-k3 through eight, participated and the students raised $1,037.00 towards the March of Dimes.  Student Council members, (l-r) Ivan Whyte, Daniel Gardella, Lina Vivo and Jillian Cass.

As the spiritual leader of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Bishop William Lori has acted as a “shepherd” for many in his flock. Dedicated to providing educational opportunities to those less fortunate, Bishop Lori has been a supporter of the Shepherds Program, an independent, nondenominational non-profit organization whose mission is to provide financial assistance and guidance to qualifying candidates, opening the doors to deserving inner city youth and offering them brighter futures. Nancy Forvil, 26, a former Shepherds
student, shares a special bond with the Church leader.

Letting Students Lead at St. Ann School in Bridgeport
May 01, 2012
Posted in Local News

Step into the halls of St. Ann School in Bridgeport, Connecticut – one of the poorest cities in the country – and you immediately feel a special energy and spirit. Perhaps it’s the halls lined with evidence of student-led community projects and ventures (even the landscape design that greets you at the front lawn is a student-designed and constructed stone labyrinth, originating from a 6th grade math project). Or perhaps it’s the teachers who eagerly begin listing their favorite student inventions that come out of the yearly Invention Convention at the University of Connecticut – like the idea to include Braille bumps on soda cans to help diabetics who’ve lost their eyesight identify which cans are sugar-free. It soon becomes obvious that students at St. Ann’s are more than just students: they are young citizens of the world, aware of its diverse perspectives and challenges, and already confident that they can play a part in making it better.