January 29th

Dear Friends,


This Sunday kicks off the Annual Catholic Schools Week in our Archdiocese, and our parish is blessed to have two Catholic schools: Bridgeport Catholic Academy and Saint Gabriel Catholic School. Our schools have been entrusted with the education and faith formation of about 450 children- quite a responsibility! But it is also a blessing for us. Whether you have children of school age or not, consider taking a walk through our schools at one of the scheduled Open Houses this week. And spread the word! While we do not have room for more children in every grade, we do have room in most. The key is getting potential new families into our buildings for a tour, as the warmth and witness of what is found there is captivating. We kick off the week at Saint Gabriel with the 9:30 Mass and close it out at Nativity of Our Lord at the 11am Mass.

After a successful Fall pilot program, we will begin our parish’s first “official” season of ALPHA on Wednesday, March 1. (more info and directions for signing up will be in next week’s bulletin and on the website) It is “low impact” and does not put people on the spot or into situations that might be uncomfortable. It is designed around meals together, short video presentations, and small group conversation that is not in any way threatening or awkward. It serves to “prime the pump” or “jump start” engagement with the faith, and it has been well-received. Because I see the parents of our children as the lynchpin for the future of our faith and our parish, I am reaching out personally to our School and RE parents with first graders who are registered in our parish. My hope is that we can “seed” our Schools and RE program with parents deepening their faith and understanding, just as Jesus spoke of a small amount of yeast leavening the whole batch of dough. I was pleased to hear that a couple of our school teachers signed up for an ALPHA program designed especially for them.

​May your week reflect the encounter with Christ
we experienced at Mass today!