July 22, 2018

Dear Friends,

As Deacon John Hoffman noted in this space a few weeks ago, Archbishop Blair has announced his intention to convene a synod for the Archdiocese of Hartford, probably in the fall of 2020. A synod is a special and graced gathering of representatives from around the Archdiocese, clergy, religious and laity. The synod delegates meet to pray, discern, and discuss the future of the Archdiocese in terms of its priorities and direction. At the end of a synod, the delegates approve a series of recommendations to the Archbishop, who accepts them and then undertakes a process of implementing them.

All around the Archdiocese this summer, every parish is expected to hold a listening session which is open to all the parishioners. The session is not attended by any members of the clergy, be they priests or deacons, so that freedom of expression and openness of mind can be promoted. The results of the listening session are recorded as are the names of all who attend and sent to the synod office in Hartford.

Our parish listening session will take place on Wednesday, August 8, beginning at 7:00 PM in the hall at St. Agnes. The facilitator will be Tracy Casey, and I am grateful to her for her willingness to assist in this manner. I will be present at the beginning to welcome all who come and to lead the group in prayer, after which I will leave.

In preparation for the synod, the Archbishop has asked us to consider carefully the following three questions, again noting that the focus is on the Archdiocese as a whole and not the parish in particular: What is the Archdiocese of Hartford doing well? What is the Archdiocese of Hartford not doing well? What is the Archdiocese of Hartford not doing that it should be doing? Please consider these questions and plan to come to the synod listening session on August 8. Your ideas and input are valued by the Archbishop.

I am happy to announce that our parish has achieved its goal for the 2018 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, just surpassing the $110,000 mark. I am grateful to all who contributed to the appeal and encourage those who have not yet made a gift to do so. The Appeal remains open for gifts through December 31.

Finally, by way of an update, for reasons of his health and personal safety, Father Callahan has relocated permanently from the St. Agnes Rectory on Merwin Avenue to his sister’s house in Fairfield. His new address is: The Rev. Francis X. Callahan, 178 Hollydale Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. I am sure that cards and notes would be appreciated.

June 24, 2018

Dear Friends,

This Friday, June 29, the Solemnity of SS. Peter & Paul, Apostles, marks the first anniversary of the founding of Precious Blood Parish. Our new parish, formed from two venerable parishes, St. Mary and St. Agnes, in these past twelve months, has come together in many ways. We have had several social opportunities for the people of the parish to mingle and meet. Our new parish council and finance council have been formed and have met several times. The fruits of these meetings included the new Mass schedule, approved overwhelmingly by the people of the parish, a parish mission statement, and discussion of future plans and actions that will bind the parish closer together. Already I have noticed with pleasure that none too few of you are willing to go to either church for weekend or daily Masses. This is to be encouraged as the new Mass schedule goes into effect next January.

In reflecting on the past year, I am pleased with the progress that has been made. You, the people of the parish, by and large, have been most cooperative and supportive, even if there was some initial unhappiness. As we move forward, we will be working on bringing similar ministries from both churches together in a way that eliminates duplications and at the same time enhances possibilities. These ministries include the Ladies Guilds, the social outreach programs, as well as religious education and faith formation. May we keep our new parish foremost in our prayers this week as we mark this milestone, asking God to bless us in our efforts to be effective witnesses to the Gospel as the Catholic Church in central and eastern Milford.

Archbishop Blair has announced that he will convene a Synod for the Archdiocese of Hartford, which will be celebrated in 2020. Between now and then, there will be an intense period of preparation and discernment in which all of the people as well as the clergy of the Archdiocese will be involved. The purpose of the Synod is to take a good, long and hard look at how we as God’s people in the Archdiocese of Hartford are doing in responding to our call to be witnesses to Christ and missionary disciples, as Pope Francis call us to be. As we move into the summer months, we will be sponsoring a listening session to which all the people of the parish are invited. The session, the date and place for which will be announced in the next several weeks, will focus on three questions:

1. What is the Archdiocese of Hartford doing well?
2. What is the Archdiocese of Hartford not doing well?
3. What is the Archdiocese of Hartford not doing which should be done?

Note that the focus of the questions is not on our own parish but on the Archdiocese as a whole.

A word on Father Callahan is in order. Last Sunday night, he fell in his room at the rectory on Merwin Avenue. He was taken to St. Raphael’s Hospital in New Haven, where he spent several days being evaluated. Happily, he seemed to suffer no serious injuries. As of this writing, he is in residence at the Milford Health and Rehabilitation Center on Platt Street. Should you wish to drop a card or a note in the mail to him, the address is 195 Platt Street here in Milford, the ZIP code being 06460. I will keep you posted on how he is doing.

Finally, there is a letter from the Catholic Bishops of Connecticut regarding Education Savings Accounts. You are urged to read it and get behind this initiative. A copy of the letter is available on the parish website. Check the bulletin cover for how to access the website.

Have a good week!

June 17, 2018

Dear Friends,

Last weekend at St. Mary’s and this weekend at St. Agnes, we showed a video at all Masses regarding the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The Appeal funds the works of the Archdiocese of Hartford, its offices and agencies, all of which seek to promote the Gospel and its values and to serve the poor and needy across Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Last year, over one million dollars from the proceeds of the Appeal was given in the form of grants to help local agencies and organizations who serve the poor and needy. Here in Milford, our own John Rigely Food Pantry, as well as the Beth-El Shelter were among local charitable organizations that received funding from the Appeal.

Our goal for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal as the newly-formed Precious Blood Parish is $110,000, which may seem like an exorbitant sum. In actuality, the goal represents a combining of the goals of the former St. Mary Parish and the former St. Agnes Parish, $70,000 and $40,000 respectively. As of this writing, we have as a parish pledged some $103,000. So we are well along the way to making the goal. I thank those who have made a contribution and ask those who have not yet done so to consider making a pledge or gift. I do not ask this only so that we might achieve our parish goal, as good as that is. I also ask this mindful of how much good our gifts and pledges to the Appeal do for so many.

I remind you that the Mass books are open and available. There are a number of Sunday Masses available, especially at St. Agnes, and a number of weekday Masses available at both churches. Masses are traditionally offered for the deceased, often on the anniversary of death, the birthday of the deceased person, or even in commemoration of a wedding anniversary for one’s deceased parents. Masses can also be scheduled for living people in celebration of birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or as a means to praying for good health or a special intention. In recent weeks, a disturbing trend has emerged in that there are weekday and even occasionally a Sunday Mass with no intention at St. Mary’s. I have not encountered this before, and I wonder just what this may be signaling. If there are any questions or concerns that you may have about the scheduling of Masses at either church, please speak to me in person or you can email me at fr.aidan.donahue@aohct.org.

Finally, we are in the midst of graduation season. I offer my warmest congratulations to the Class of 2018 of St. Mary’s School, who received their diplomas at graduation ceremonies on June 6. I also congratulate those who have graduated or will graduate from local high schools, Catholic, public, or private, as well as those who will graduate from middle school in the coming days. May God’s blessing be poured out abundantly on them all and may the future for all our graduates be bright and filled with hope and endless possibilities.

Have a wonderful week!

June 3, 2018

Dear Friends,

We celebrate today the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, what used to be known as Corpus Christi, which means “the Body of Christ”. With the revision of the Roman Missal several years ago, the title was expanded to include mention of the Precious Blood of Christ as well, for as many of you may remember from your religious education, the Eucharist is the “Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity” of Jesus Christ. Today also marks the first time that we at Precious Blood Parish celebrate our patronal feast.

When the name of the newly-merged parish was announced last May by Archbishop Blair, there was more than just a little grumbling and discontent about it. It seemed archaic and old-fashioned, even strange. But with the passing of a year, and with most of us getting used to the new name, I have grown in my appreciation for it. Indeed, it is quite an honor for our parish to have this name.

In the time of the Old Testament, many cultures practiced animal sacrifice as a means of worshiping and even placating the gods. The shedding of blood was necessary for this to happen. Even in ancient Judaism, there was an elaborate sacrificial system centered in the Temple at Jerusalem whereby devout Jews would offer sacrifice to God as a means of worship, atonement for sin, and asking for blessings. This was established in the covenant on Mount Sinai between God and the Israelites.

With the death of Jesus once for all on the cross, there was no further need for the ancient Jewish sacrificial system. A NEW COVENANT was established. The blood of lambs, bulls, and goats was rendered powerless and insignificant by the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away once and for all, the sins of the world. The death of Jesus, the shedding of his Blood, brought about the salvation and the redemption of the world. We remember and celebrate this new and everlasting covenant whenever we gather to celebrate the Eucharist.

The true significance of the Precious Blood is brought out quite well in the Prayer over the Offerings taken from the Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It reads as follows:

As we offer our oblation to your majesty, O Lord, may we draw near in these mysteries
to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and celebrate anew the sprinkling of his Blood, in which lies all our salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.

Have a good week!

May 6, 2018

Dear Friends:

By the time you read these words, the celebrations of First Communion will have concluded for the year in our parish. This year, Precious Blood Parish welcomed one hundred thirty-one children to the Lord’s table for the first time. I wonder how many of us, even after so many years, can still remember the day of our First Communion? We should at least be able to remember some things about it, for the celebration of First Communion is a significant milestone in the life of every Catholic. I myself received First Communion fifty years ago this week, on May 11, 1968 at SS. Peter and Paul Church in Waterbury. I remember it as a sunny warm day and I also remember that almost eighty of us, the second grade class at SS. Peter & Paul School, made our First Communion together. As is often done even today, so then the girls wore white dresses, veils, and gloves and the boys blue trousers, white shirts and white ties. The point of my small trip down memory lane is to stress that we should even now appreciate the wonder that is the Eucharist and that our reception of what is the “Sacrament of sacraments” should fill us with awe as much now, after so many years, as it did that day however many years ago.

This Thursday, May 10, is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, a holy day of obligation. There will be a Vigil Mass on Wednesday at 7:00 PM at St. Agnes, and on Thursday, Masses at St. Mary’s will be celebrated at 7:00 and 9:00 AM and at 12:05 PM. There will also be a Mass on Thursday morning at 9:00 at St. Agnes.

This week I leave for ten days of vacation in Florida. While I know that the parish is in good hands with Father Sam and Father Deny, I am happy that we will be sponsoring a Parish Mission that runs from Monday to Wednesday, May 14-16, with presentations each evening at 7:00, preceded by the recitation of the Rosary and followed by the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I am happy to welcome Father William Garrott, OP to our parish for the mission. He will speak at a number of Masses this weekend and help Father Sam and Father Deny with the celebration of Masses as well. Please make every effort to come to the mission presentations next week. A parish mission is a special moment of grace where we can encounter the Living God in new and even surprising ways. May God bless our mission with success!

Have a good week!

April 15, 2018

Dear Friends:

By way of starters, I would like to echo the excellent comments made by Deacon John Hoffman in last weekend’s bulletin regarding the observance of Holy Week and Easter in our newly-merged parish. It was gratifying to me to note the excellent attendance and participation in the liturgical observances of Holy Week, from Tenebrae on Wednesday evening, to Morning Prayer on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and especially in the large numbers who came to the Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper as well as the Good Friday Service and the Great Vigil of Easter. Of course, Easter was happily typical, with Masses both at St. Agnes and at St. Mary’s filled to capacity.

As I looked out at St. Mary’s Church last weekend (and I am sure the same was true for St. Agnes), I was led to wonder where everyone had gone? Of course, the regular, faithful church goers were here, but the throngs of Easter Sunday had all but evaporated. Why is this and what can we do about it?

On one level, I suppose we should be grateful that so many still feel that connection to the Church, that God and his presence in their lives moves them to come at least at Easter and also at Christmas. Why not every week? We try to celebrate the liturgy well here in our parish. The preaching is good, as is the music. What more can be done?

One thing that can be done is for all of us to take some time to refuel ourselves spiritually from time to time. The observance of Lent, which just ended, is one such example. By way of advance notice, I would like to call your attention to a special Parish Mission that will be taking place at St. Mary’s Church the evenings of May 14, 15, and 16. Father William (“Bill”) Garrott, OP, a Dominican father who gave the missionary appeal at St. Mary’s last summer and was very well received, will be leading a mission titled “iMercy: The Divine Hotspot.” Fr. Bill will be with us the weekend of May 12-13 by way of setting the stage for the mission and he will give a message on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evening of that week. The praying of the Rosary will be offered for anyone who wishes to come twenty minutes early each evening. Confessions will also be available after the preaching. Mark your calendars and plan to be with us. It will revitalize your spiritual life and great things can happen if we set aside some special time to be with God.

Finally, I want to congratulate the sixth-grade boys’ basketball team from our own St. Mary’s School. Last weekend, the boys won the New England CYO Basketball Championship. To them, as well as their coaches, Carl DeProfio and Eric Swanson, well done! 

April 8, 2018

Alleluia! He is Risen!

During this past Easter weekend, it was gratifying and fitting to join so many celebrating our Savior’s triumph over death and sin. His continuing promise to each of us is that death is overcome, and we are freed from sin through his death and resurrection. Between our two churches in Precious Blood Parish, we estimate that over seven thousand faithful joined in worship. What a powerful statement that so many would gather to proclaim in one voice, “He is Risen!”.

Our celebration of the Triduum, the sacred three days leading to Easter, was well attended and especially spiritual. Saint Mary Church was the site for The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday, Saint Agnes Church was the site of the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Friday, and the Solemn Easter Vigil was at Saint Mary Church. Many of you remarked about the reverence and uplifting nature of these services. Having packed Churches is a great sign of a healthy parish, and we certainly are healthy. A special thanks to Frank Zilinyi and the choir for the excellent music at all the Triduum services, and to Deacon Bob Magnuson for those prepared in RCIA who entered the Church this Easter.

A special thanks to all those “behind the scenes” person at both Churches who do so much in decorating, cleaning, and preparation for Holy Week and Easter. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

I hope all of us can redouble our efforts to continue to welcome everyone in our community to join us each week to worship the Risen Lord. May the blessings of this Easter season continue for each of you and may each of us be more determined to bring the Risen Lord with us to all we meet.

April 1, 2018

Dear Friends:

Our celebration of Easter marks the

culmination of our observance of Lent and the very apogee of the entire liturgical year. The Resurrection of the Lord is the very bedrock of our faith, without which everything else we say, do, or believe is essentially meaningless. As St. Augustine (d. 430) once put it, “We are Easter people, and alleluia is our song!”

When we ponder the mystery of the Resurrection, it is utterly amazing that there are no actual eyewitness accounts of that event. Of course, as it is told in Matthew 28, as the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week, a great earthquake occurred, for an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, approached, and rolled back the stone, sitting upon it. We are told that his appearance was like lightning and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards sent to watch over the tomb lest the disciples steal the body of Jesus presumably fainted out of sheer fear. Then the angelic figure announced the fact of the Resurrection. In the other gospels, we are told that the women came to the tomb that Sunday morning after the death of Jesus only to find the tomb opened, the stone rolled away from the entrance, and the body of Jesus nowhere to be found. No one, we are told, actually saw the Risen Lord walk out of the tomb.

What are we to make of this? It seems clear that the accounts of the empty tomb are no proof of the fact of the Resurrection. After all, the Jewish authorities told the guards, who feared for their lives since it would be reported to Pontius Pilate that they were derelict in their duty, that they would smooth things over with the governor and keep them out of trouble. The story that the Jewish authorities circulated was that the disciples stole the body of Jesus while the guards were asleep. The fact of the tomb found empty on Sunday morning only points to the reality of the Resurrection. It does not prove it decisively.

What seems to serve as proof of the Resurrection is the fact that Jesus appeared to his disciples alive, not only that first Easter morning, but a number of times over a period of forty days. Of course, as we would be, they were utterly dazzled and amazed. At first, they were frightened, thinking that they were seeing a ghost, but Jesus allayed their fears by having them touch him and taking some fish and eating it right before their eyes. Ghosts do not eat, nor are they tangible, having flesh and bones as we do.

The incontrovertible proof of the Lord’s Resurrection ultimately comes in the utter transformation of the disciples. Remember that we are told that they hid in the Upper Room where they had shared the Last Supper with Jesus, hiding for fear of the Jewish authorities, for fear of their very lives. Yet, when Jesus appears to them alive, and ultimately when the Spirit of God descended upon them, empowering them on Pentecost, they went forth and proclaimed the Risen Jesus as Lord and Savior, even to the point of laying down their lives for him. As Jesus told them, they were to be his witnesses, not only in Jerusalem, but also in Samaria and Galilee, and even to the ends of the earth.

We, too, twenty-plus centuries later, are also called to be witnesses to the Risen Christ. We know he is alive. We sense his presence among us. We stake our very lives, our eternal destiny on him and him alone, for without Jesus our lives have no meaning and there is no future, no eternity awaiting us. Without Jesus, our lives have no purpose and all that awaits us is everlasting death.

As we launch into the Easter Season, with our Lenten observance completed, what we need to ask ourselves is a simple question: how can we be effective witnesses to the Living Christ, the Jesus who is alive and among us, who is Lord of heaven and earth, and who is the One who gives meaning and purpose not just to our own lives but the lives of everyone?

On behalf of the priests, the deacons and the staff of Precious Blood Parish, I extend to all of you our warmest greetings for Easter. May the Risen Lord bless you and your loved ones with his very presence and may his Resurrection renew in all of us a lively hope and a deepened love for one another. Happy Easter to you all! 

March 18, 2018

Dear Friends:

As announced in last weekend’s bulletin, the report on the financial state of our newly-formed parish is being given at all Masses this weekend. Copies of the financial report are being made available to interested parishioners for purposes of following along with the report as it is being given. Should you have any questions, please feel free to speak with me or to call me or Meg Hayes at (203) 878-3571 for assistance.

In this space, I will present the spiritual statistics for the year 2017, which will include the number of baptisms, weddings, First Communions, Confirmations, and funerals. While these may seem to be little more than raw statistics, they do present a “snapshot” of the life of our parish in general and the lives of numbers of parishioners in particular. The numbers I present indicate that Precious Blood Parish is a large and active parish with a vibrant and rich liturgical life. What is not detailed is the social outreach of the parish, the efforts made at forming the people of the parish, young and old, in knowledge of their faith, and other aspects of parish life.

During the year 2017, there were one hundred ten (110) children baptized. One hundred twelve (112) received their First Communion. One hundred and forty (140) young people and adults were confirmed by Archbishop Blair in October. Eighteen (18) couples were joined in marriage and one hundred forty-three (143) parishioners were commended to God as their funerals were celebrated.

Reflection on these numbers leaves me with a clear sense of the size and the potential of this parish, but it also leaves me wondering if our potential is being reached. The weekend Mass attendance stands at just around two thousand (2000) between both churches. The parish census indicates that there are 5469 households who claim Precious Blood as their parish. The weekend Mass attendance should be much greater than what it is. How many of the newly-baptized will be raised properly in the faith, receiving religious formation at home as well as here in the parish? Should not our numbers in religious education be much larger than they are? Or is religious education for many tied only to the reception of the sacraments, such as First Communion and Confirmation? A consistent concern these days is the sharp drop in the number of weddings celebrated in the Church. Young

couples, if they marry at all, choose to celebrate their wedding at commercial venues rather than as a sacrament in Church before God. Another trend is the movement away from the Mass of Christian Burial as the proper way for Catholics to commend a departed loved one to God. Far too often, the choice is made of a funeral home service, or still worse, a graveside service, both of which in the mind of the Church are to be the exception, rather than the rule, for funeral celebrations.

Lest I seem too negative, I still remain encouraged by the number of parishioners who come to church regularly and try to live their daily lives grounded in the truths of the Catholic faith. Precious Blood remains an active, vibrant parish. Good things are happening in our section of Milford and all of you are to be thanked profusely for your support, both in terms of your presence and in terms of your generous financial sacrifices. Good things are happening, and even better things can happen if we put our minds and hearts into making this not just a good parish, but one of the best in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

March 11, 2018

Dear Friends:

With this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we celebrate what is known as Laetare Sunday, that is, the Sunday “of rejoicing.” We have fasted and prayed for over three weeks and now we sense that Easter nears, the great feast of our salvation. The color of the vestments worn this weekend traditionally is rose, which symbolizes joyful anticipation. Of course, there are two weeks of Lent that are ahead of us before we begin Holy Week. In light of that, we are called on this Sunday of joyful anticipation to intensify our spiritual observance of Lent.

Next Sunday, the season of Lent enters into what is known as Passiontide. The Fifth Week of Lent as well as Holy Week focus on the cross of Christ, the sacrifice that Jesus made for our salvation and the promise of eternal life that dawns for us all in the mystery and joy of Easter. At both St. Agnes’ and St. Mary’s Churches beginning next weekend, the statues will be covered in purple. This was a longstanding tradition in the Church prior to the Second Vatican Council, when what we call the Fifth Sunday of Lent was called Passion Sunday. On that Sunday, the Gospel account of Jesus going into hiding from the Jews was read and in recognition of that, the statues were all covered, usually in purple. While we no longer read that gospel passage on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the bishops in recent years have granted permission for the statues to be covered as they once were. In observance of that, all statues and images in both churches will be covered beginning next Saturday evening and remain covered until Holy Saturday afternoon. What will remain uncovered is the crucifix, and appropriately so, for in these last days of Lent and the days of Holy Week, we should contemplate the mystery of the Lord’s cross. In doing so, as we genuflect in church, we could pray the antiphon that is used during the Stations of the Cross: “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”

The third annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner will be held next Saturday, March 17 in the St. Mary School gym. Be sure to get your tickets. It promises to be a wonderful time with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and more, including lively Irish music.

Next weekend at both churches, a very brief homily will be given and the homily will be followed by the annual parish financial report. Copies of our financial statement will be available in the bulletin and comments will be made on it. Should you have any questions, you may contact me or Meg Hayes at (203) 878-3571. In this space next weekend, I will supply a report on the spiritual state of our parish.

Have a great week! 

March 4, 2018

Dear Friends:

One of the onuses of being a pastor is the administrative work that is entailed in overseeing a parish, particularly a parish of our size, just short of 5500 registered households. The day to day operation of an organization the size of Precious Blood Parish can be daunting especially given the fact that we have two churches, a school and convent building as well as a cemetery. Thankfully, I do not have to do this alone. I am assisted by a competent and supportive staff, both clergy and laity, and while it can appear to be overwhelming to me, it really is not.

Last Sunday the Finance Council met to review the results of the past year and to approve the budget for the current year. Overall, the fiscal state of the parish is good. Your financial support of the parish has been quite generous, as it always has been. We have been careful in the expenditure of money, spending money as needed on repairs and improvements to the parish plants. A report on the financial state of our parish will be given at all Masses the weekend of March 17-18.

A question has been raised, and it is a good one. What is the purpose of the monthly collection? To be quite frank, I am not sure how the monthly collection originated. It dates back far into the history of the former St. Mary’s Parish and may have been started as a building fund to pay for the construction of the current church, school and convent on Gulf Street back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. It could have originated earlier for other reasons. The people at St. Agnes have not had a monthly collection, at least in their recent parish history, if ever. Now, since we have to normalize the collection schedule for the entire parish, a monthly collection is taken in both churches.

I am not a fan of extra collections, but most of them, save the monthly collection, are mandated by the Archdiocese or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. All of them aim to support worthy causes and important dimensions of the mission of the Church here at home as well as around the world. As for the monthly collection, we simply cannot do without it. The annual proceeds of the monthly collection, which last year reached around $90,000, approximates the annual expenditures needed for ongoing maintenance and repair of the parish facilities. The regular Sunday and holy day collections cover salaries and benefits for our staff, clergy and laity alike, as well as the support required from each parish by the Archdiocese, the subsidy of the parish school the religious education program, insurance costs, what can be deemed the “bread and butter” aspects of the parish budget. In any event, I am cognizant of your sacrifices on behalf of the parish and I am grateful for your support.

Please remember in prayer the medical mission team which is in Marbial, Haiti this week, doing essential and Christ-like work for the people of our sister parish, St. Therese. In just seven days, the team will perform a number of critical surgical procedures and conduct a large number of checkups. We ask God’s blessing on their work and a safe trip home from Haiti next weekend. I thank all who so generously support that part of our parish mission outreach.

Please remember that next weekend, Daylight Savings Time begins. Before you retire next Saturday evening, set your clocks AHEAD one hour. We all might be a bit tired next Sunday morning but the longer daylight hours will be certainly appreciated. 

February 18, 2018

Dear Friends:

With Ash Wednesday this week, we have launched into Lent, the annual season of repentance and spiritual renewal. These forty days which will culminate in the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter should be markedly different from other days for devout Catholics. The Church offers us all some ideas on how to make Lent a time of spiritual growth and renewal. The traditional “legs” of Lenten observance, as set down by the Lord himself in the Gospel for Ash Wednesday, are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. All of us can make a determined effort to pray a bit more, eat and spend a bit less, and share more from what we have been given with those who are in need.

Several ideas present themselves for your consideration. Last weekend, those who participated at Mass at St. Mary’s heard about the annual Healing Tree Lenten Project. For a small donation of as little as one dollar and no more than fifty dollars, you can help the people of St. Therese in Marbial, Haiti, who live with far less that we have been blessed to have. The money raised from the Healing Tree in past years has helped to fund the annual medical mission to Marbial, to make clean water systems available to the people, and to donate school supplies, over the counter medications and vitamins for use there. The twinning partnership which we have had for over a decade now has done so much good and you are to be commended for your ongoing generous support of the work that is done there.

Operation Rice Bowl is conducted each Lent. By forgoing something that you like or something that you do not really need and instead donating the money you would have spent to Operation Rice Bowl, you bring alive the spirit of almsgiving which has always been praised as a means of spiritual blessing for those who make the sacrifice and material help to those who are in need. Take a rice bowl with you. Put it on the table or somewhere else in your home and put the money you would have spent on non-essentials or things of pleasure into it. When Lent ends, make out a check payable to Precious Blood Parish noting on the check that it is for Operation Rice Bowl and return it to the church. We will send the proceeds to Catholic Relief Services which will then be sure to send the money where it is needed most.

Finally, there is another option. We can fast from using our cell phones each Friday during Lent. Keep your cell phone with you, of course, in case of emergency, but leave it off if possible or try to avoid using it for the day. Spend the time you would have spent on the phone by praying more, by actually talking face to face with family or loved ones. Read a book, perhaps the Bible. Take a walk and as you do so, pray the Rosary or do some meditation.

These are suggestions. Consider them or consider some other worthy way to make this a special Lent, a special time to grow closer to God and others. 

February 4, 2018

Dear Friends,

It is now seven months into the life of our new parish of the Precious Blood, created from the merger of the former St. Mary’s Parish and St. Agnes’ Parish. Some aspects of parish life have remained essentially the same, others have seen some changes. A new Pastoral Council convened in November and a new Finance Council did likewise in December. We have had several social activities which served the purpose of helping us to get to know each other.

Now it is time to announce the revised Mass schedule which will be implemented the irst weekend of January next year, namely January 5 - 6, 2019. This revised schedule is the fruit of careful study and somewhat broad consultation. Throughout the months of July through October of last year, a careful count of Mass attendance was taken at every Mass in both churches. These results were studied, averages for each Mass determined, and then they were presented to the Pastoral Council at its November meeting with the directive that two schedules should be drawn up, each of them having one less Mass on Sunday morning in both churches. The two schedules were produced and then they were placed before the people of the parish for their input. Schedule A received considerably more votes than did Schedule B by a ratio of two to one.

Thus, I announce the following Mass schedule and other changes to the parish schedule effective the first weekend of January next year:

SATURDAY VIGIL MASSES
4:30 PM at St. Mary’s
5:00 PM at St. Agnes’

SUNDAY MASSES
8:30, 10:00, 11:30 AM and 4:30 PM at St. Mary’ 
7:30 and 10:30 AM at St. Agnes’

CONFESSIONS
Saturdays from 3:30 - 4:30 PM at St. Agnes’
Mondays from 6:00 - 7:00 PM at St. Mary’s (except on holidays)

The changes are really “tweaks” with the Saturday vigil Mass at St. Agnes moving back by a half hour, the elimination of the 7:00 AM Mass Sunday morning at St. Mary’s and the combining of the 10:00 and 11:30 AM Masses at St. Agnes into one Mass at 10:30 AM. The change in the confession schedule allows us to schedule weddings as late as 2:30 PM on Saturdays at St. Mary’s, which might be desirable for some couples. It also adds an additional hour of confessions each week on Monday evenings.

Change is not easy, but it is an essential part of life. I know that some will not be very happy with the new schedule, but I ask that everyone cooperate and adapt to the changes. The future of our parish is bright and I thank you for your support and understanding.

January 28, 2017

Dear Friends:

Every year the last Sunday in January marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week across the country. The Catholic school system in the United States traces its origins back to the work that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton did in the early nineteenth century. In the succeeding two centuries, Catholic schools multiplied and their influence on the life of our Church and our society in general grew exponentially. Many graduates of Catholic schools have gone on to successful careers in many fields and the contributions that they have made have had a lasting impact on life in the United States and beyond. Many of you, myself included, are the products of Catholic schools.

At Precious Blood Parish, we are blessed in that we have not just a Catholic school as part of our parish life, but a Catholic school that is thriving and excelling on so many levels. Financially, our school is on a solid foundation thanks to the foresight of Father Dennis Moran, who served as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish for many years and who, on his death in 1967, bequeathed a sizeable sum to be invested in an endowment for the school. Over the past fifty years, that endowment has grown and it remains available for use, should we ever need it. Happily, however, through the careful stewardship of parish resources, especially by my two immediate predecessors at St. Mary’s, Father Francis Seggel and Father James Cronin, as well as the sacrifices made by parents and even grandparents of our students through the years up to the present, our school is one of the most financially stable in the Archdiocese of Hartford. I pledge to do my utmost to keep that tradition intact as we move forward.

At the beginning of this Catholic Schools’ Week, I extend my deepest gratitude to the parents and grandparents of our students, over 360 in all, for the sacrifices, sometimes great sacrifices, they make to insure that their children and grandchildren receive the benefits of a well-rounded education, an education that is not only academically excellent, but one that tries to instill in our students the importance of faith, of knowing Jesus and what it means to be his disciples in the world of today. Every morning as the school day begins, the students in our school are asked what the motto of the school is. I ask it of them at almost every school Mass as well, and their response is always loud and clear: to live the message of Jesus.

I also want to thank Mr. Frank Lacerenza, the principal of our school, for the excellent work he does. We congratulate him on his selection as the Archdiocesan School Administrator of the Year for 2017. I thank the faculty and the staff as well for all of the work that they do each day. St. Mary’s School is a special place and we are blessed to have it as part of the life of our parish.

Next weekend, as I announced several times previously, I will announce formally the new Mass schedule which will take effect the first weekend in January next year. This schedule is the fruit of extensive consultation, thought, and input from the parish at-large. While I know that not everyone will be happy with some of the changes, I know that I can count on your fullest cooperation as the schedule takes effect eleven months from now. 

January 21, 2018

Dear Friends:

As I write these words, we are in the middle of the annual observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which begins on January 18 and concludes on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25. This annual observance is grounded in the fervent prayer that Jesus prayed on the night before he died as recorded in John 17, namely, “that they may all be one, Father, as you are in me and I am in you.” The timing of this annual week of prayer is aptly connected to the feast of St. Paul’s conversion for it was the great Apostle to the Gentiles who wrote passionately about the unity of the Church as the Body of Christ. Without question, St. Paul probably had many near sleepless nights agonizing over the problems and divisions in the churches he established. As he prayed and worked so hard for the unity of Christians, so must we. In your prayers, ask the Lord to heal the many divisions in his Church, the many wounds that harm the effectiveness of our witness to Christ and our mission as ambassadors for Christ.

We are in the last stages of purchasing and installing a new organ at St. Agnes which will replace the original Allen organ installed when the church was built in1960. We are purchasing a four-year-old Allen digital electronic organ which was used in St. Bernard Church in Tariffville, which was closed when the Archdiocesan pastoral plan was implemented in June. When it was new, the organ sold for $48,000. We are fortunate to be getting it for $20,000. Frank Zilinyi, our music director and organist at St. Mary’s, went up with me to St. Bernard just after Christmas and he signed off on the purchase. It should serve St. Agnes for many years to come.

Finally, I note with gratitude the ongoing generosity of everyone to the new parish. The collections have been quite good and most everyone, perhaps owing to the new envelopes, has started making checks payable to Precious Blood Parish. A gentle suggestion: consider enrolling in the on-line giving program. This insures that your contributions reach us regularly, even when you are away. It eliminates the need to write out checks weekly. It assists us in our bookkeeping as well. All of this is done in a secure and safe manner. Should you have any questions, speak with Meghan Hayes at the parish office. 

January 14, 2018

Dear Friends:

Now that our observance of Christmas has concluded, I must make some observations. Our first Christmas as a newly-merged parish went well, very well. Attendance at Christmas Masses was excellent. The music was very good and the decoration of both St. Agnes’ Church and St. Mary’s Church quite beautiful. I would put either church up against any other in the Archdiocese and would bet that we had the most beautiful decorations of all churches. Thanks to all who helped to make our parish observance of Advent and Christmas so beautiful.

I have noted in recent weeks a drop-off in the number of Mass intentions at St. Agnes. I wonder if it has to do with the merger of the parish offices and the transfer of parish records, including the Mass Books, to St. Mary’s Rectory on Gulf Street which took place at the directive of Archbishop Blair when the merger took effect on June 29. I take this opportunity to remind everyone that Mass intentions are available at both St. Mary’s and at St. Agnes’ both for 2018 and 2019. Contrary to what was previously announced, the 2019 Mass Book will be opened for intentions beginning next Tuesday, January 16. Please contact the parish office at (203) 878-3571 during regular hours to arrange for scheduled Masses. The usual rules apply.

The 2017 Annual Collection was a great success. Our final total for the collection stands at $54,472, which exceeds our goal of $50,000. I thank all who contributed to the collection.

Next Sunday, January 21, is the feast of St. Agnes and we will be celebrating that feast at all Masses at St. Agnes. We will be using the Mass prayers for St. Agnes and the readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. St. Agnes was an early martyr of the Church, martyred at a young age according to tradition rather than surrender her virginity which she had sworn to Christ alone. For ages, St. Agnes has been remembered in the first Eucharistic Prayer, known as the Roman Canon, as one of the esteemed martyrs of the Roman Church. In our age of senseless sensuality and unbridled sexual licentiousness, the example of Agnes, who devoted the entirety of her life to the Lord, even to the shedding of her blood, stands before us as a model.

The review of the input supplied by parishioners regarding the new weekend Mass schedule has been completed. I will announce that schedule in early February, having chosen to postpone it so as to avoid any confusion. Again, the new weekend schedule will go into effect the first weekend of January next year, that is January 5-6, 2019. All remains as it is until then. Effective immediately, I am implementing a new policy regarding the celebration of daily Mass in the event of bad weather, a sound policy that is already the norm at St. Agnes and was the norm when I was pastor of Sacred Heart in Bloomfield. Going forward, on those days when the weather is bad and the Milford Public Schools are closed, the morning Masses are cancelled and any intentions will be rescheduled. This policy applies only to weekday Masses. Sunday Masses will be celebrated as scheduled and will only be cancelled on the directive of the Archbishop. I hope that all will understand that this policy has as its sole intent the safety of those coming to Mass. In any event, whenever the weather is bad and the roads are in precarious condition, please use common sense and stay home. It is not worth the possible harm that could come to anyone who is out on the roads and need not be there.

Finally, please note that there will be NO MASS and NO FUNERALS scheduled for St. Agnes this coming Wednesday, January 17. We will need to have the church free so that the soot and stains caused by years of candle usage may be cleaned from the walls in preparation for the painting of the church.

Have a good week. 

January 7, 2018

Dear Friends:

We celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, the mystery of the manifestation or showing forth (which is what the word epiphany means in Greek) of Jesus as the Savior of the whole world. In actuality, the Epiphany is Part 2 of the Christmas story. On Christmas night, we read the story of the birth of Jesus as told by Luke. Angels appeared in the heavens, announcing the birth of the Savior to shepherds who were watching over their flocks in the fields at night. The announcement of such a wondrous event to shepherds is astounding, for shepherds were considered to be the lowest of the low among Jews in the societal standards of Jesus’ day. They were deemed to be dirty, unclean, unreliable rascals. They were “outsiders” as it were, living on the inside of Jewish society, but at the very fringes, barely noticed by anyone and looked down on by everyone.

This weekend, we read the story of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem as told by Matthew. The Magi are never described as kings or even as wise men. They are called “astrologers from the East” who arrived in Bethlehem looking for the newborn King of the Jews for they had come to worship him and do him homage. As “astrologers from the East,” the Magi were likely pagans, perhaps practitioners of sorcery, perhaps Persians who practiced an ancient form of pagan religion known as Zoroastrianism, which is still practiced by a minute number of believers in the Middle East, particularly Iran, which is modern Persia. Like the shepherds, the Magi were also outsiders, not Jews at all, but nonetheless, they came in a search of the one who was born as King of the Jews, recognizing him as kingly, divine, and the One who would save the world, Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) alike.

Outsiders are those who are excluded. In our time when senseless terrorist attacks take place again and again, there is increasing fear of those who are different, those who are from outside of our zone of experience. And while it makes eminent sense for sovereign nations to exercise control of their borders and to exercise caution in scrutinizing who may or may not enter a country, we should not be paralyzed by irrational fear. Epiphany and the whole Christmas mystery remind us that God is the Creator of all things and every person. God includes everyone in his plan of salvation. Everyone is offered salvation by God through Christ. No one is excluded except those who reject that offer of salvation. 

We pray that God may help us to open our eyes and our hearts to those around us so that we may see his hand at work in the marvelous variety of cultures, peoples and traditions that make up the world in which we live. On this day of Epiphany, may we, like the Magi and like the shepherds before them, have our eyes and hearts attuned to God, open to whatever way he may choose to show himself to us. 

December 24, 2017

Dear Friends:

As we bring our observance of Advent to a swift conclusion with this Fourth Sunday of Advent also coinciding with Christmas Eve, all of us at Precious Blood Parish wish all of you a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with health and much happiness. Please note that the parish office closed at 12:00 Noon on Friday and will reopen Wednesday, December 27, at 9:00 AM.

For purposes of convenience, I list here the schedule of Christmas Masses at both churches:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 [CHRISTMAS EVE] Christmas Vigil Masses
4:00 PM at St. Mary and at St. Agnes
4:15 PM in the St. Mary School Gym [with Pageant]
6:00 PM at St. Mary
Christmas Night Masses
10:00 PM at St. Mary and at St. Agnes Christmas Day Masses
8:30 AM and 10:30 AM at St. Mary
10:00 AM at St. Agnes.

One final note: the Annual Collection is now winding down. The response has been excellent and I thank those who have contributed. If you would like to make a contribution, please do so before December 31 if you would like it included in your contribution statement for income tax purposes. 

December 17, 2017

Dear Friends,

With this Third Sunday in Advent upon us, the tone and the focus of this season of preparation shifts to a more intense and joyful anticipation of our coming celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea which we celebrate at Christmas. We light the third candle on the Advent wreath, traditionally rose in color, and there is the option of wearing rose colored vestments at Masses this weekend. For those of us who are adults, it may take a bit of effort to stimulate a sense of joy at this point in Advent. Most of us tend to be harried by all that has to be done as Christmas nears. The real delight is to see the reaction on the faces of children at this time of year. Their excitement and joyful anticipation know no bounds. It is little wonder, then, that Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we must become like children if we are to enter the kingdom of God. So, let us pray that the timeless eternal God may instill in all of us, no matter what our age may be, just a bit of the joyful anticipation that should be ours at the coming celebration of the Incarnation, the wonder that God would become one like us in all things but sin so as to teach us how to live and lead us to salvation.

In these last two weeks of Advent, there will be additional times for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which should be at the heart of any proper observance of Advent. Confessions will be heard on Monday evening from 6:00-7:15 at St. Mary’s Church and also on Saturday of this week from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at St. Mary’s and from 4:00-4:45 PM at St. Agnes. If you have not made your Advent confession, now is the time to do so. If you have been away from the sacrament for a long time, even for years, now is the time to come back and to discover that peace of heart that God alone can give, that peace that will fill you with the joy that God wants all of us to experience.

The poll of parishioners regarding the new weekend Mass schedule to be implemented in January of 2019 takes place after the homily this weekend. We felt it necessary to postpone it from last weekend owing to the inclement weather that might have kept some from coming to church. In order to avoid confusion, I will announce what the new Mass schedule will be sometime in February or March. Again, I remind everyone that the current weekend schedule remains in effect through next December.

As I announced some weeks ago, we are eliminating the use of vigil candles at St. Agnes in anticipation of cleaning the church of soot and preparing to paint the church early in the new year. To that end, the last weekend candles will be available at St. Agnes will be December 30-31. If the candle supply runs out before that, there will be no more available. I can understand that this will require adjustment on the part of some, but I ask for your cooperation as we seek to make some aesthetic improvements in the church. We will also be responding to some real concerns raised by our insurance company.

Have a good week!

December 3, 2017

Dear Friends:

As we begin the season of Advent, we launch into a new liturgical year. In the Lectionary, the cycle of readings for Sunday Mass this year is Cycle B, during which we will read from the Gospel of Mark on almost all the Sundays of this year, with some exceptions during Lent and the Easter Season as well as a six-week period during the summer when we will read from the Bread of Life Discourse found in chapter six of the Gospel of John.

The season of Advent has two primary purposes, one of which is keeping us fixed on the coming of the Lord at the end of time, which will be our focus for the first two weeks or so. The latter days of Advent focus our attention on preparing to celebrate the wonder of Christmas as we remember the birth of the Lord as one like us in all things but sin. It is my hope that these weeks of Advent will not be unduly overshadowed by the hectic preparations for Christmas. Advent is a season in its own right and as such, we do not sing Christmas carols or set up the Christmas crib in church during this time. Advent has a rich musical heritage in its own right and it is only proper that we make full use of as many Advent hymns as possible during this all-too- short time of year. Of course, our personal observance of Advent should include time for quiet prayer each day to take us away from the hectic nature of this time of year. It should also include our celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To that end, there will be additional hours for confessions both at St. Mary’s and at St. Agnes’ as Christmas approaches.

Next weekend at all Masses in both churches, we will be conducting a canvass of the parishioners regarding the new weekend Mass schedule that will take effect in a year’s time, namely on January 1, 2019. All parishioners, eighteen years of age and older, will be asked to indicate which of two proposed schedules they prefer. We will take into serious consideration the input we receive in making a final decision. Again, however, I want to emphasize that the current weekend Mass schedule will remain in effect throughout 2018. It will effect those who wish to schedule Masses for loved ones in 2019 and beyond. Once we have reached a determination as to which of the two options is most preferable, I will announce the new schedule.

A reminder that the Annual Collection remains underway. To date, the total received stands at almost $43,000. To those who have made a gift, I

thank you. I encourage those who have not yet made a gift to do so before December 31 if you wish your gift to be included in the total sum of your donations to the parish for income tax purposes.

Once again, going forward, please make all checks payable to Precious Blood Parish. We will be closing the accounts of the old St. Mary’s Parish and the old St. Agnes’ Parish in the next several weeks. After that, we will have to return all checks not made payable to Precious Blood Parish so that they can be reissued. I know very well that old habits die hard, but I thank you for your cooperation.