November, 2006

Deacon William Koniers appointed to head new program to strengthen and enhance financial controls at all 87 parishes of the Diocese of Bridgeport; details of plan to be shared at meetings across Fairfield County this month

As Thanksgiving approaches, the soup kitchens and nutrition programs run by Catholic Charities appeal for food donations and volunteers to serve an increasing number of homeless, working poor, senior citizens, and families with small children

Theodore Cardinal McCarrick to visit the Diocese of Bridgeport on November 29 to deliver the third Saint Augustine Lecture on "Evangelizing in Today's Culture"

Knights of Columbus invite all Catholics to join in a "spiritual pilgrimage" of prayer for the success of Pope Benedict XVI's journey to Turkey this month

Fairfield County Catholic presents
a Voter's Guide designed to help Catholics
vote with their consciences
on Election Day, November 7

Click here

 

NEW HAVEN – The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a “spiritual pilgrimage” with Pope Benedict XVI as he travels to Turkey later this month. Knights, their families, and all Catholics are being asked to pray daily for the pontiff during the trip, which begins on Tuesday, November 28, and concludes on Friday, December 1.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest lay Catholic organization, with more than 1.7 million members in North and Central America, the Philippines, and Poland. There are 6,000 Knights in 30 councils in Fairfield County.

Knights will pray for the pope’s intentions beginning on November 26, the Sunday before the pope departs (the Solemnity of Christ the King). In addition, the Knights of Columbus will print and distribute cards with a special prayer (below) written by the Order’s Supreme Chaplain, Bishop William E. Lori.

God’s Truth and Love

“By prayer, we unite ourselves to the Holy Father as he prepares for this journey and goes on pilgrimage as a servant of God’s truth and love,” Bishop Lori says. “Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support Pope Benedict, and it is the key to the fruitfulness of the pope’s mission.”

The prayer asks that the pope’s visit will bring about “deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam.” And it asks that “Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love.”

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Spiritual Pilgrimage With Pope Benedict XVI

Prayer composed by Bishop William E. Lori, supreme chaplain,
for the Spiritual Pilgrimage with His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI,
on his Nov. 28-Dec. 1 pastoral visit to Turkey

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name,
we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI,
as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey –
a land to which Saint Paul brought the Gospel of your Son;
a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt;
a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed.
Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith
and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history.
In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father
bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among
Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam.
May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute
both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God,
and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.
We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict
and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima,
a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims.
Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm
as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples
to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love.
We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Ecumenical Purpose of Trip

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, issued a reminder that the purpose of the pope’s trip to Turkey is primarily ecumenical. Because the pope’s September 12 speech in Regensburg, Germany, roused controversy in the Islamic world, and because Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation, the discussion of the pontiff ’s trip has centered on Catholic relations with Islam.

But in an interview with the Italian daily Avvenire, Cardinal Bertone noted that the pope had originally planned the trip around a meeting with the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. That meeting between the pope and the ecumenical patriarch “has great significance for the dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox churches,” the secretary of state observed.

The pope’s trip will also be welcomed by Turkey’s small Catholic community, he added. And the nation’s Christian minority hopes that the worldwide attention brought by the papal visit will lead to “more freedom, security, and tranquility.”

United in Prayer

“Only a few Catholics can physically travel with the Holy Father to Turkey,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson says, “but millions of us can be united with him in prayer during his pilgrimage for peace. “We will ask Our Lady of Fatima to intercede for the pope during this journey,” Anderson continues. “Mary is regarded with special esteem by people of the Islamic faith, and this is especially true under her title Our Lady of Fatima, since Fatima was the name of the prophet Mohammed’s daughter.”

(For more information about the Knights of Columbus' spiritual pilgrimage, and to download a PDF file of the prayer card, click here.)

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FAIRFIELD - His Eminence, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Washington, DC, will deliver a public lecture on "Evangelizing in Today's Culture" on Wednesday, November 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish, 1719 Post Road, Fairfield.

All are welcome to attend, especially members of the media.

The lecture, the third in the Saint Augustine Lecture Series, will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction, and Confession will be available. Following the lecture, a reception will be held in the parish hall.

Pastoral Plan Connection

Education has always been a priority of Cardinal McCarrick, and his talk is tied to the recent launch of the five-year Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Bridgeport.

"This topic has a strong connection to our Pastoral Plan," says Sister Alejandra Keen, director of the Office for Pastoral Services of the Diocese of Bridgeport. "We want to waken in people the desire and zeal to see themselves as disciples. Now we have to look at the cultural context in which our evangelization takes place. What challenges are we facing? How can we be creative, and use new tools or new technology to convey our message?"

She encourages Catholics to attend, and to bring a friend or family member who is non-practicing or, perhaps, lukewarm in their faith. "This wonderful and inspiring talk may encourage them to respond in faith to Jesus' invitation to share the Good News," she says.

Cardinal McCarrick

A native New Yorker, Cardinal McCarrick was ordained in 1958. He was Dean of Students and Director of Development at the Catholic University of America, and later became President of the Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. He was Auxiliary Bishop of New York, the first Bishop of Metuchen, NJ, and finally Archbishop of Newark before his appointment to Washington in 2001.

He has held several positions for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including head of the Committee on Migration, Committee on International Policy, and Domestic Policy Committee. For the Vatican, he serves on the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, and Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The Cardinal, who speaks five languages, has visited many nations as a human rights advocate. In 2000, President Bill Clinton presented him with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.

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(For directions to Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish, click here.)

 

 

ACROSS FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Friday, November 17, 2006 - Thanksgiving is a time when we gather to celebrate family life, but it is also a time when many people feel more pain, either because they are alone, lack food to celebrate, or have difficult family relationships.

Thanks to the feeding, counseling, case management services, and housing programs of Catholic Charities in Fairfield County, a growing number of homeless, working poor, and families with young children will be given sustenance - and hope - over the holidays.

Last Resort for So Many

CAPTION: At the Thomas Merton Center in Bridgeport, home to Connecticut’s largest soup kitchen, an army of volunteers, including (left-right) Maureen Manfredi, Gene Fairfield, Jean Cormier, Betty Stratford, and Frank Manfredi, donate their time, services, and foodstuffs to ensure that an increasing number of homeless, working poor, and families with small children will be sustained this holiday season.

"We're the provider of last resort for so many," observes Al Barber, president/COO of Catholic Charities. "If people couldn't turn to us, they would go to bed hungry or homeless."

Barber says that, during this season of giving thanks, he is particularly grateful for the hundreds of volunteers who assist in the feeding and senior nutrition programs.

 

"We at Catholic Charities are very thankful for the volunteers, financial resources, and prayers that allow us to help so many needy here in Fairfield County," Barber continues. "Our programs, though highlighted at the holidays, are a 24-7, 365-days-a-year effort."

Increased Demands

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year for Catholic Charities' soup kitchens and senior nutrition programs. Cold weather always seems to increase demands for food and clothing, but nutrition is an issue that is important all year round, not just on Thanksgiving Day.

In one of wealthiest counties in the United States, people are still going to bed hungry. Likewise, many of the poor eat the wrong kinds of food and are not getting balanced nutrition. Without the help of agencies like Catholic Charities, the problem would be much worse. Last year, the agency served a record 630,000 meals to the poor and homeless of the county.

Mary Ann Furlong, director of the Thomas Merton Center, says the downtown Bridgeport soup kitchen usually has plenty of volunteers and food for the holidays, but needs the support of the community year-round.

"Our needs continue throughout the year," she says. "We get many, many individuals donating turkeys at this time of year, so we usually have enough. Donations of money for fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, and eggs are always welcome as we try to serve them year-round and they are our most expensive items, not counting our meat purchases."

Brian Jenkins, director of the New Covenant House of Hospitality in Stamford, says that volunteers from Saint Leo Parish will uphold a 28-year tradition at the soup kitchen when they prepare and serve Thanksgiving dinner from soup to nuts for all guests.

More than 150 guests are expected to attend the meal, which will be served from noon through 1:30 p.m.

Meals for the Elderly

Cindy Phelps, director of the Senior Nutrition Program of Catholic Charities, said she will be feeding a bigger family this Thanksgiving due to her commitment to serve the more than 100 elderly formerly served by Meals on Wheels of Stamford/ Darien, which closed its doors earlier this year.

She expects to feed more than 1,000 seniors in a pre-holiday feast. Seniors will celebrate at 13 congregate meals sites from Greenwich through Westport. Others who can't get out will have their meals home delivered.

"Many of our seniors might not have Thanksgiving dinner at all if it weren't for the program," Phelps notes. The Senior Nutrition Program serves all seniors 60 and over regardless of income. Recipients range in age from 60 to 100 years old.

Holiday Stress

Elaine Malgieri, vice president of mental health services in the Danbury region of Catholic Charities, notes that the holidays can be a difficult time for individuals. Some are lonely because they have no family. Others are stressed because they have poor family relationships, including abuse, and will once again be together over the holidays.

Counseling helps people deal with holiday stress and approach relationships that are a source of ongoing pain. Malgieri's office also helps with a food pantry stocked by the generosity of members of Saint Edward the Confessor Parish in New Fairfield, who conduct a food drive every November and deliver the non-perishables to Catholic Charities.

To make a donation of food, money, or service this holiday season, please contact the Thomas Merton Center: 367-9036, New Covenant House of Hospitality: 964-8228, or Catholic Charities: 416-1318.

For more information on Catholic Charities, click here.

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BRIDGEPORT, Monday, November 6, 2006 - In the next big step in an ongoing commitment to improve and enhance financial controls, Bishop William E. Lori has announced the appointment of a top business professional, Deacon William Koniers of Stratford, as Finance Director of Parish Finance Services for the Diocese of Bridgeport, effective today.

In this newly-created position, Deacon Koniers will oversee the implementation of a program to enhance and strengthen financial controls and procedures at all 87 parishes throughout Fairfield County.

Details of the program will be shared this month at five regional meetings of pastors, parish finance councils, and parish councils across Fairfield County. The purpose of these gatherings will be to explain the key elements of the program, receive feedback, and learn of existing best practices in the parishes that can be shared and incorporated.

Skills and Experience

“We are fortunate to find in Deacon Koniers not only a man of great faith who is an active member of his parish community, but someone with an extraordinary resume,” says Bishop Lori. “Deacon Koniers has the knowledge, skills, and experience that we need to assist our dedicated pastors in furthering the mission of the Church. With the twin goals of greater transparency and accountability, Deacon Koniers will provide our parishes with helpful management tools.”

Bishop Lori's column in the November 4 edition of Fairfield County Catholic discusses the plan in more detail: click here.

WELCOME ABOARD – Deacon William Koniers (left), the new finance director of Parish Finance Services, is greeted by Norm Walker, chief financial officer of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Positive Feedback

Key elements of the new program were presented to pastors and priests at a meeting in Bridgeport on October 30. Feedback was positive, according to Msgr. J. Peter Cullen, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese.

"Our pastors are willing partners in this effort to enhance and strengthen controls at both the Diocesan and parish levels," says Msgr. Cullen, himself a former pastor for many years in Bridgeport and New Canaan. "Our pastors bring to the table years of experience and fiscal responsibility, and are pleased to help the Diocese take this to the next level. Their input, guidance, and leadership will be invaluable are we take the next steps towards implementation of this program, which will benefit all of the Catholic faithful in Fairfield County."

Biography of Deacon Koniers

A native of Philadelphia, PA, and graduate of Philadelphia University, Deacon Koniers, 56, has more than 30 years of experience in global corporate management and operations. He spent 11 years in various management positions with General Electric, and another 11 years with Pirelli North America. His responsibilities included operations, strategic planning, financial services, mergers and acquisitions, business process re-engineering, and commercial financing.

Most recently, he was a division president with full profit-and-loss responsibility, and then promoted to corporate vice president, customer service, for Air Products HealthCare, a $300 million regional provider of ancillary home healthcare products and services. Among his duties were co-owning and redesigning a new "order-to-cash" revenue cycle, and implementing change management throughout a company of more than 2,000 employees.

Deacon Koniers was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Lori in 2004, and has since served at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull. He and his wife of 32 years, Jeanne, live in Stratford. They have two children, James and Marianne.

He is a third-degree Knight of Columbus, and is proud of volunteer work as senior vice president of the Stratford Coalition for the Homeless, which operates two transitional shelters, Bethlehem Houses I and II.

"Deacon Bill is a bright and gifted man," says Deacon Anthony Detje, director of the permanent diaconate program. "Even though he held very responsible management positions with Air Products, he selflessly gave of his time to his parish, including directing the RCIA ministry, and overseeing a very creative parish survey project. As committed as he is to his business life, you always know that his two families - his own and his parish - come first."

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A Conversation with Deacon William Koniers

Why did you decide to leave the corporate world to come work for the Catholic Church?

Deacon Koniers: I'm a person who believes in setting personal goals and objectives. I have already achieved everything I set out to do in my business career.

Since my ordination as a deacon two years ago, I have been undergoing a continuing conversion to the Church and her mission.

Bishop Lori and I spoke several times, and I am impressed with his vision and leadership. After much discernment and prayer, I decided I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life and career for the betterment of the Church. I know that sounds very noble, but I really mean it!

What can you tell us about the new program for strengthening parish finances?

Deacon Koniers: The special Task Force created by Bishop Lori carefully developed several key elements covering a wide range of areas, including best practices for parish finance councils; controls for collections and expenditures; improving financial reporting to parishioners; training for pastors, parish finance council members, business managers, accountants, and counters; and instituting annual re-views and tests of parish financial controls and procedures.

Before we finalize and implement these key elements in all 87 parishes over the next year, we need observations and feedback from both clergy and laity and to fine-tune the recommendations as necessary. So far, we have shared the key elements with the Diocesan Finance Council, the College of Consultors, our pastors, and many priests. The next step, this month, is to hit the road, and present our ideas at vicariate gatherings of parish finance councils and lay trustees. We hope to issue the final result and the implementation plan in early December.

How important is it to work closely with the pastors and their parish team?

Deacon Koniers: I'm a firm believer in frequent communication and openness. There are good and sound "best practices" already in place in many of our parishes. The goal is to add to these best practices and share them with other parishes. This task will be the most rewarding aspect of my position, networking person-toperson with my colleagues.

The more you can bring leadership together in a teambuilding atmosphere, the better. Everyone in our parishes needs to be part of the change process, have a seat at the table, and take ownership of these changes.

The biggest challenge will be convincing this wide and diverse audience that improved processes and controls will help set the stage for the better financial stewardship of our parishes and the common good of our diocese.

How will your business background and experience help you in your new role?

Deacon Koniers: Coming from a 32-year career in the corporate world, I believe I can share many good and varied business experiences and have an arsenal of transferable skills and programs at my disposal. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the need for standards, compliance, and accountability.

I have never been labeled a "caretaker." I am personally at my best when the dynamics of an organization are changing. The reality is that our Catholic Church in the United States is changing. We live in a very different world today, one that expects nothing less than the very best from our clergy leaders and lay administrators. The winds of change are here, and all organizations - secular and religious - are now being held to very high standards of professionalism and efficiency. No one in our society will tolerate abuse or fraud, whether in the private sector, the government, or, especially, the Catholic Church.

What is your management style?

Deacon Koniers: My style will not be to manage from an office or armchair, but to go throughout the diocese and develop strong working relationships. I've found throughout my career that dictating policies and procedures via e-mail or fax just doesn't work.

I intend to eventually meet with all 87 pastors and their staff to build their trust, assess their needs, and determine the level of administrative professionalism and expertise.

Quite frankly, our parishes and the important work they do are the very backbone of our diocese. We're here to help them fulfill their important mission.

Would we be making this effort, had the crisis in Saint John Parish in Darien not occurred?

Deacon Koniers: Yes. We need to remember that, since Bishop Lori arrived five years ago, many financial improvements have been made in the diocese and our parishes. This new program is just the next phase. We were already heading in this direction.

We're committed to our efforts to become more transparent and effective financial administrators. Our parishioners have a right to expect, and demand, that our diocese continue to manage finances professionally and strive to be the best that it can be at all times.

These expectations can only be met by leveraging known best practices and new technologies and keeping an eye out for identifying and instituting additional best practices for the administrative work that we do.

Do you believe that being a member of the clergy will help you in your new role?

Deacon Koniers: I do. I'm extremely proud to serve my Church. Being active in parish life throughout the years, first as a layman and now as an ordained clergyman, I believe I have gained an appreciation of the day-to-day complexity of running a parish. I'm also keenly aware of the challenges facing our priests and deacons.

As a member of the clergy, I have come to better understand the Church's mission of evangelization. Recently, I have focused on trying to identify how we can all help and strengthen the Church. How can we assist her?

Our Catholic Church has been, throughout the ages, a significant provider of services and aid to people in need. We cannot continue to maintain this high level of service unless we become more proficient at managing our own house.

How does your new position fit in with the recently-launched Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Bridgeport, "Following in the Footsteps of Christ"?

Deacon Koniers: I would like to think they go hand in hand. For evangelization to be effective, we need to support it with a well-run administration and organization. Good stewardship, whether for our evangelization mission or for the day-to-day financial administration of our diocese and its parishes, is the priority.

I sincerely hope and pray that, over time, our pastors will come to understand that we're here to help, serve, and assist them in every way possible. There's no room in the Holy Catholic Church for the diocese to be viewed as non-supportive of parishes, or vice-versa. There can be no "us" versus "them." We're all in this together.

If we all execute our jobs well by practicing good stewardship and serving our parishioners throughout Fairfield County, then our "return on investment" will be most rewarding - leading more souls to Heaven.