All Diocesan Articles

Christmas 2024 My friends, I am pleased to share with you this Christmas pastoral letter as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Norwich. Many of you are regular Mass goers.  Some of you come occasionally, once a month or so.  Some come once or twice a year on the major holidays of Christmas or Easter.  For others, this may be the first time you have been in a church for years or maybe even for the first time. To all of you, I say, “Welcome and merry Christmas.” Whatever your relationship with the Church may be, I invite you to c...

Read More

The 45th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols was held on Sunday, December 22, 2024, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. One of the most festive ways to enjoy the beauty of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, the event featured readings of sections of the Christmas story, choir music, and the singing of carols appropriate to the season. The evening began with a musical procession down the center aisle, setting the tone for a truly memorable celebration. Prayers were offered by Father Julian Cuervo-Lozada, Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral. Readings were proclaimed by The Cat...

Read More

The feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, was always a big deal when my children were younger. “Little Christmas,” as we called it, was a time for a special family meal and one more present for the little ones. Now, as adults, we can give ourselves a gift: the opportunity to hit “refresh.” In many ways, the arrival of a new year mirrors the profound spiritual concept of metanoia — a deep, transformative change of mind and heart. Metanoia is a call to repentance and a turning toward something greater — toward God. However, it is more than just...

Read More

The days leading up to Christmas are a blur of to-do lists scribbled on sticky notes, Amazon packages arriving at odd hours, and gifts yet to be wrapped. It's easy for December to feel more like a chaotic sprint than a peaceful journey to Bethlehem. As a mom, I know the pressure to create a “perfect Christmas.” But somewhere between decorating the tree and tackling the next laundry mountain, I feel that tug on my heart reminding me: Slow down. He’s coming. Advent is a gift, a quiet invitation amidst the noise. In these weeks, ...

Read More

To Prepare Your Heart for the Coming of the Lord Advent, the season of anticipation and preparation, is enriched by hymns that evoke a longing for Christ’s coming. These sacred songs not only stir our hearts but also connect us to centuries of Christian tradition. Among the most beloved is the hauntingly beautiful O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, a hymn whose history and meaning illuminate the spirit of Advent. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel The origins of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel trace back to the 8th or 9th century, when the Church used the "O Antiphons" du...

Read More

I recently attended a reunion of my high school class. Most of the men I hadn’t seen in over a half-century. We reminisced about our high school experience, the great times, the great and not-so-great teachers, and the good and bad of attending an all-boys high school. But what we all remembered most was the wonderful academic environment created by the Vincentians who administered the school. We attended St. John's Preparatory School, which at the time was located on Lewis Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. “The Prep” w...

Read More