Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport

Diocese of Bridgeport Dioecesis Bridgeportensis
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Fairfield County, Connecticut
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Hartford
Metropolitan	Bridgeport, Connecticut
Statistics
Area	633 sq mi (1,640 km2)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 955,000 479,000 (50.2%)
Parishes	82
Schools	38
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	August 6, 1953
Cathedral	Cathedral of Saint Augustine
Patron saint	St. Augustine
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Frank J. Caggiano
Metropolitan Archbishop	Leonard Paul Blair Archbishop of Hartford
Vicar General	The Rev. Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle
Map
Website
bridgeportdiocese.com

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the southwestern part of the state of Connecticut, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut. There are 82 parishes in the diocese. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport.

As of September 19, 2013, the diocese is led by Bishop Frank Joseph Caggiano. He succeeds William E. Lori, appointed March 19, 2001, who served until 2012, when he was installed as Archbishop of Baltimore.^[1] The diocese was led by Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle as Diocesan Administrator until Caggiano, named by Pope Francis on July 31, 2013, was installed as bishop on September 19, 2013.^[2][3]

Description

Cathedral of St. Augustine in Bridgeport

The diocese is one of 195 Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is one of four dioceses in the Ecclesiastical Province of Hartford—the others are the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Diocese of Norwich and the Diocese of Providence.

The church with the greatest capacity in the diocese is St. Mary's Church on Elm Street in Stamford, built in 1928.

Sacred Heart in Georgetown is where Catholic writers Flannery O'Connor and Robert Fitzgerald worshipped in 1949–1952 when O'Connor was living in Ridgefield as a boarder with the Fitzgeralds. ("The working day as we set it up that fall began with early Mass in Georgetown, four miles away," Fitzgerald wrote.)^[4]

Demographics

The diocese has more than 410,304 registered Catholics in Fairfield County, 44 percent of the total population.^[5]

Other statistics:^[6]

• Baptisms: 4,343
• First Communions: 4,907
• Marriages: 981
• Funerals: 3,334

Leadership: These figures from the Diocese are said to be accurate as of 2011:^[6]

• Diocesan Priests: 240
• Permanent Deacons: 103
• Religious Sisters: 330
• Seminarians for Priesthood: 35
• Priests Ordained in 2011: 1

History

The Church in Fairfield County, in Connecticut and in America faced ongoing challenges through much of its history as diverse immigrant groups struggled to acclimate themselves to American culture. Another early challenge came from deep suspicions among many (although not all) Protestants.

Seventeenth and eighteenth centuries

In the seventeenth and much of the eighteenth century, Connecticut Puritan divines were vociferously anti-Catholic in their writings and preaching. Suspicion of the Church as a foreign political power and of Catholics as having loyalty to that power remained widespread into the 20th century.^[7]

"In the summer of 1781, Rochambeau and his army marched through Connecticut, encamping in the Ridgebury section of Ridgefield, where the first Catholic Mass [in Fairfield County] was offered. His troops were mostly Catholic and were ministered to by priests whom history proudly remembers: Reverend Fathers Robin, Gluson, Lacy, and Saint Pierre."^[8] In 1780–1781, the small town of Lebanon, Connecticut, had the distinction of being the place in which the Catholic "Mass was first celebrated, continuously and for a long period, within the limits of the State of Connecticut."^[9] On June 26, 1881, St. Peter's parish, Hartford, celebrated "the centenary of the first Mass in Connecticut." ^[10]

Connecticut passed an act of toleration in 1784, allowing any Protestant to avoid taxes supporting the local Congregational Church who could show authorities a document proving membership and regular attendance at another church. In 1791 the same right was extended to all Christians. The act had little practical effect for Catholics, however, since there was no Catholic parish in the state.^[11]

Nineteenth century

The first Catholic church in the state was started in 1829, in Hartford, the second began in 1832 in New Haven. By 1835 the rector of the New Haven church estimated there were 720 Catholics in Fairfield County, with Bridgeport the home of the biggest community—about 100 people.^[12]

On July 24, 1842, St. James the Apostle Church was dedicated by Bishop Fenwick at the corner of Washington Avenue and Arch Street in Bridgeport, which by then had a population of about 250 Catholics. The rector of the church was given responsibility for small Catholic communities of Derby and Norwalk. Catholics in Stamford, Greenwich and some other towns were ministered to by the Bridgeport rector and by Jesuit priests based at Fordham College in New York City.^[12]

The Diocese of Hartford was split off from the Diocese of Boston (which had covered all of New England) on November 28, 1843. The new diocese covered all of Connecticut and Rhode Island (which wasn't split off from the Hartford Diocese until decades later).^[13]

Twentieth Century

The diocese was established August 6, 1953, from the Diocese of Hartford.^[14]

Bishops

The list of ordinaries of the diocese and their terms of service:

1. Lawrence Shehan (1953–1961)
2. Walter William Curtis (1961–1988)
3. Edward Egan (1988–2000)
4. William E. Lori (2001–2012)
5. Frank J. Caggiano (2013–Present)

Parishes

The following is a sortable list of parishes which are currently functioning in the Diocese of Bridgeport. For example, to see the parishes listed alphabetically by town, click on the box at the top of the "Town" column. To find mass times and other information about a parish, click on the parish name. All information is taken from the records of the Diocese.^[15]

Education

Primary and secondary level

The diocese sponsors 32 regional elementary schools (with 9,974 students) including All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk and five diocesan high schools (with 2627 students). Two other Catholic high schools are directed by religious communities. Altogether, these schools educate nearly 14,000 youth (2,500 of whom are minorities and 1,700 are non-Catholics).^[6]

High schools

• Convent of the Sacred Heart*, Greenwich
• Fairfield College Preparatory School*, Fairfield
• Immaculate High School, Danbury
• Kolbe Cathedral High School, Bridgeport
• Notre Dame Catholic High School, Fairfield
• St. Joseph High School, Trumbull
• Trinity Catholic High School, Stamford

*Independently operated with blessing of Diocese.

Higher education

These three Roman Catholic schools in the diocese have more than 11,000 students:

• Fairfield University
• Sacred Heart University
• St. Vincent's College in Bridgeport

Social services

For the elderly

The Diocese also sponsors nursing homes in Danbury, Stamford, and Trumbull; and eight "Bishop Curtis Homes" for the elderly in Bethel, Danbury, Greenwich, Stamford, Fairfield, and Bridgeport.

Other

"Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, with 25 program offices throughout the county, provides the largest private network of social services in southwestern Connecticut," according to the diocese.^[5]

See also

References

1. ↑ "NOMINA DELL’ARCIVESCOVO DI BALTIMORE (U.S.A.)" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 2012-03-20. 
2. ↑ "Msgr. Doyle named Administrator of Diocese of Bridgeport". Diocese of Bridgeport. May 22, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012. 
3. ↑ "Bishop Caggiano to Head Bridgport". The Tablet. Retrieved 17 August 2013. 
4. ↑ Fitzgerald, Robert, "Introduction," p. xiv, "Everything That Rises Must Converge," (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: New York), nineteenth printing, 1978
5. 1 2 "Who We Are" page on Diocese Web site, accessed July 18, 2006
6. 1 2 3 "At a Glance" Web page of the official Diocese of Bridgeport Web site
7. ↑ DiGiovanni, the Rev. (now Monsignor) Stephen M., The Catholic Church in Fairfield County: 1666–1961, 1987, William Mulvey Inc., New Canaan, Introduction: Catholic Roots in Fairfield County, page xxiv, hereafter DiGiovanni
8. ↑ Lori, Bishop William E., "Happy Birthday, General Rochambeau!" article (part of Lori's regular column) Fairfield County Catholic, July 15, 2006, accessed July 27, 2006
9. ↑ Right Rev. Thomas S. Duggan, D.D., The Catholic Church in Connecticut, 1930, p. 13
10. ↑ Duggan, p. 14
11. ↑ DiGiovanni, p. xxiv
12. 1 2 DiGiovanni, p. xxviii
13. ↑ DiGiovanni, pp. xxvii–xxviii
14. ↑ Racial Justice Among Top Goals of Cardinal-Designate; Archbishop Shehan Called Well-Read, Energetic, Priestly, Scholarly, Tactful, Toledo Blade, January 25, 1965. Page 22.
15. ↑ Diocese of Bridgeport Parish Locater

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport Official Site
• Fairfield County Catholic, the official diocesan newspaper, is published monthly in the summer, biweekly the rest of the year.
• St. John Fisher Seminary, in Stamford, the diocese seminary. (Near the main entrance of the seminary, there is a Perpetual Adoration chapel in which someone is always praying before the Eucharist, 24 hours a day.)

Diocese of Bridgeport Ordinaries Bishops Lawrence Shehan Walter William Curtis Edward Egan William E. Lori Frank Joseph Caggiano Churches Cathedral St. Augustine Cathedral Basilica Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, Stamford Parishes St. Agnes, Greenwich St. Anthony of Padua, Fairfield St. Benedict-Our Lady of Montserrat, Stamford St. Bridget of Ireland, Stamford St. Catherine of Siena, Riverside St. Catherine of Siena, Trumbull St. Cecilia, Stamford St. Charles Borromeo, Bridgeport Christ the King, Trumbull St. Clement of Rome, Stamford SS. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport St. Gabriel, Stamford St. George, Bridgeport St. Gregory the Great Church, Danbury Holy Family, Fairfield Holy Name of Jesus, Stamford Holy Name of Jesus, Stratford Holy Spirit, Stamford Immaculate Heart of Mary, Danbury St. James, Stratford St. Jerome, Norwalk St. John, Darien St. Joseph, Brookfield St. Joseph, Danbury St. Joseph, South Norwalk St. Ladislaus, South Norwalk St. Lawrence, Shelton St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Brookfield St. Mark, Stratford St. Mary, Bridgeport St. Mary, Greenwich St. Mary, Norwalk St. Mary, Stamford St. Matthew, Norwalk St. Maurice, Stamford St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport Notre Dame, Easton Our Lady of Grace, Stratford Our Lady of Guadalupe, Danbury Our Lady of Peace, Stratford Our Lady of the Assumption, Fairfield Our Lady of the Assumption, Westport Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stamford St. Paul, Greenwich St. Peter, Bridgeport St. Peter, Danbury St. Philip, Norwalk St. Pius X, Fairfield St. Roch, Greenwich St. Rose of Lima, Newtown Sacred Heart, Georgetown Sacred Heart, Greenwich Sacred Heart, Stamford Sacred Heart of Jesus, Danbury St. Stephen, Trumbull St. Theresa, Trumbull St. Thomas Aquinas, Fairfield St. Thomas the Apostle, Norwalk Education Seminary St. John Fisher Seminary Higher education Fairfield University Sacred Heart University St. Vincent's College, Bridgeport High schools Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich Fairfield College Preparatory School, Fairfield Immaculate High School, Danbury Kolbe Cathedral High School, Bridgeport Notre Dame Catholic High School, Fairfield St. Joseph High School, Trumbull Trinity Catholic High School, Stamford Catholicism Portal

Coordinates: 41°12′42″N 73°12′55″W / 41.21167°N 73.21528°W / 41.21167; -73.21528