Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the south western part of the state of Connecticut
, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut
. There are 87 parishes in the diocese
. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport
.
The current bishop is The Most Reverend William E. Lori
, appointed March 19, 2001.
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 treet 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.)
Other statistics:
, St. Aloysius School
in New Canaan
; 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).
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.
"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." 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." On June 26, 1881, St. Peter's parish, Hartford, celebrated "the centenary of the first Mass in Connecticut."
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.
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.
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).
.
ordered the release of thousands of legal documents from lawsuits filed against priests accused of sexually abusing children
(George L. Rosado et al. v. Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation et al., (SC 17807) http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR292/292CR90.pdf).
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
. There are 87 parishes in the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
.
The current bishop is The Most Reverend William E. Lori
William E. Lori
William E. Lori is the fourth Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Before succeeding Edward Egan in 2001 he was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington....
, appointed March 19, 2001.
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
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...
, the Diocese of Norwich
Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Connecticut in the northeastern United States. It was erected on August 6, 1953 by Pope Pius XII....
and the Diocese of Providence
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode Island and the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in the state...
.
The church with the greatest capacity in the diocese is St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church (Stamford, Connecticut)
St. Mary's is a church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, located at 540 Elm Street in Stamford, Connecticut.The main church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987....
on Elm treet in Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, built in 1928.
Sacred Heart in Georgetown
Georgetown, Connecticut
Georgetown is a village and census-designated place in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is located at the point where the towns of Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, and Weston meet....
is where Catholic writers Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
and Robert Fitzgerald
Robert Fitzgerald
Robert Stuart Fitzgerald was a poet, critic and translator whose renderings of the Greek classics "became standard works for a generation of scholars and students." He was best known as a translator of ancient Greek and Latin...
worshipped in 1949-1952 when O'Connor was living in Ridgefield
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
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.)
Size
The diocese has more than 363,000 registered Catholics in Fairfield County, 43 percent of the total population.Other statistics:
- Baptisms: 5,273
- First Communions: 5,693
- Marriages: 1,188
- Funerals: 3,545
Priests, sisters, etc.
These figures from the Diocese are said to be accurate as of 2005:- Diocesan Priests: 273
- Permanent Deacons: 99
- Religious Sisters: 395
- Seminarians for Priesthood: 21
- Priests Ordained in 2005: 2
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.Primary and secondary level
The diocese sponsors 33 regional elementary schools (with 8,832 students) including All Saints Catholic School in NorwalkNorwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, St. Aloysius School
St. Aloysius School, New Canaan
St. Aloysius school is a diocesan, Catholic school. Its address is 33 South Avenue New Canaan, Connecticut 06840. St. Aloysius was founded in 1957. It offers grades kindergarten to eight. The school day is six hours long, beginning at 8:20 and ending at 2:30. There are 180 days per school year. It...
in New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
; 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).
High Schools
- Convent of the Sacred Heart*, Greenwich
- Fairfield College Preparatory SchoolFairfield College Preparatory SchoolFairfield College Preparatory School is a Jesuit Prep School located on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is an all male school of about 900 students, first founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942...
*, Fairfield - Immaculate High SchoolImmaculate High SchoolImmaculate High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport...
, Danbury - Kolbe Cathedral High SchoolKolbe Cathedral High SchoolKolbe Cathedral High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport.-Background:...
, Bridgeport - Notre Dame Catholic High School, Fairfield
- St. Joseph High School, Trumbull
- Trinity Catholic High SchoolTrinity Catholic High School (Connecticut)Trinity Catholic High School is a regional, coeducational Catholic school for grades 9-12 located in Stamford, Connecticut. It serves parts of Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. The school is a member of the FCIAC athletic conference. Trinity Catholic is accredited by...
, Stamford
- *Independently operated with blessing of Diocese.
Higher education
These three Roman Catholic schools in the diocese have more than 10,775 students:- Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
- Sacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
- St. Vincent's College in Bridgeport
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 PuritanPuritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
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.
"In the summer of 1781, Rochambeau and his army marched through Connecticut, encamping in the Ridgebury section of Ridgefield
Ridgefield
-Places:United States*Ridgefield, Connecticut**Ridgefield Playhouse, a theater located in Ridgefield*Ridgefield, New Jersey*Ridgefield Park, New Jersey*Ridgefield Township, New Jersey*Ridgefield, Washington*Ridgefield Township, Huron County, Ohio...
, 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." 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." On June 26, 1881, St. Peter's parish, Hartford, celebrated "the centenary of the first Mass in Connecticut."
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.
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.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.
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).
Twentieth Century
The diocese was established August 6, 1953, from the Diocese of HartfordRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...
.
Bishops
- Lawrence Shehan, 1953–1961
- Walter William CurtisWalter William CurtisWalter William Curtis was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Bridgeport from 1961 to 1988.-Biography:...
, 1961–1988 - Edward Egan, 1988–2000
- William E. LoriWilliam E. LoriWilliam E. Lori is the fourth Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Before succeeding Edward Egan in 2001 he was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington....
, 2001–present
2006 Scandal
The pastor of St. John Church in Darien, the Rev. Michael Jude Fay, took $1.4 million in church funds over a six-year period to splurge on luxuries, according to a report prepared by outside forensic auditors hired by the diocese.Sex-abuse Litigation
In May 2009, a decision by the Connecticut Supreme CourtConnecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
ordered the release of thousands of legal documents from lawsuits filed against priests accused of sexually abusing children
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
(George L. Rosado et al. v. Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation et al., (SC 17807) http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR292/292CR90.pdf).
Links to parishes in the diocese
- FAIRFIELD: Assumption Parish
- GREENWICH: St. Mary Parish
- GEORGETOWN: Sacred Heart
- NORWALK: St. Matthew Church
- NORWALK: St. Mary Church
- RIDGEFIELD: St. Mary's,
- STAMFORD: Our Lady Star of the Sea Church
- STAMFORD: St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church
- WESTPORT: Assumption Parish, St. Luke
External links
- Official Web 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.)