All Diocesan Articles

Use the Handy List Below to See Where All the Best Church Bazaars and Craft Fairs are Being Held Throughout the Diocese. You Can Also Add Events to Your Google Calendar from Ours.        Sunday, November 30 Wreath Making Event Our Lady of Lourdes, Hampton • 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM All materials supplied to create your own unique wreath. Not feeling creative? Order one already made. Contact Gloria Burell at (860) 445-9350. Saturday, December 6 Holly Berry Christmas Craft Fair St. Philip Parish Center, Ashford &bul...

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I love the Advent Season. I love it not just for what it leads to – the joyful celebration of Christ’s birth at Bethlehem. I love Advent for itself: a season of longing, expectation, and hope. I think that, in a way, the entirety of life is like Advent. There is, deep within us, a longing for God and, as Saint Augustine says, our hearts are restless until they rest in God. That longing and restlessness will not be entirely satisfied until we reach Heaven. Until then, in this life, many things compete for our attention. Those things variously attract us, distr...

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In our very busy world, it’s easy to feel stretched thin or spiritually scattered. This Advent, come renew your heart and rediscover the gifts God longs to give you.   Join us for a three-week Virtual Advent Mission as we reflect on how Patience, Perseverance, and Peace can take root in our lives through prayer and grace. Join us on Tuesdays: December 2, 9, & 16 from 7PM – 8PM.  To register contact Alvania at atejada@norwichdiocese.net or 860-848-2237 ext. 304. Come prepare your heart for Christ this Advent season.     ...

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*Padre Pio and the Humble Mystery of the Incarnation* For Padre Pio, the heart of December was never noise or celebration—it was wonder. He was profoundly moved by the mystery of the Incarnation, the moment when God chose to enter the world in the smallest and simplest of forms. The humility of the Christ Child touched him deeply. Witnesses often noted that even the mention of the Infant Jesus brought a tenderness to his face and a quiet reverence to his voice. Though Padre Pio did not write extensively about the liturgical days leading up to Christmas, th...

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Thanksgiving is a "beautiful feast" that reminds everyone to be grateful for the gifts they have been given, Pope Leo XIV said. "Say thank you to someone," the pope suggested two days before the U.S. holiday when he met reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo before returning to the Vatican after a day off. Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, was scheduled to spend his Thanksgiving Nov. 27 in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey, the first stops on his first foreign trip as pope. A reporter asked the pope what he was than...

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While many families head out in search of holiday deals on Black Friday, two local organizations will be offering something far more meaningful: warmth, dignity, and community support. On Friday, November 28, from 9a.m. to 1p.m., the Northeastern Connecticut Knights of Columbus and the Danielson Elks Lodge 1706 will host their annual Free “Coats for Kids” distribution at St. John’s Church, located at 15 Railroad Avenue, just off Route 12 in Plainfield. This long-running community program provides brand-new winter coats— in a variety of colors a...

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