Home/Stay Informed/All Diocesan Articles

All Diocesan Articles

Current Articles | Archives | Search

Bishop's Column: There is a Season

Posted on April 07, 2020 in: News, Reflections

Bishop's Column: There is a Season

April 2020 Four County Catholic

There Is A Season

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, There was a song that I recall from my youth called Turn, Turn, Turn. The lyric will be familiar to you — To every thing, turn, turn, turn there is a season, turn, turn, turn and a time to every purpose under heaven. I realize today that the lyrics were inspired by Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. Its message speaks to the public health crisis we are living through together. A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep... We are living in unprecedented times. As the song tells us and we know all too well, every thing has its time. It is a time for faith, a time for renewal, and yes, a time, paradoxically, for community and communion — even as we are forced to keep our distance. In the last few weeks, we have all heard the phrases and understand the meaning of “social distancing” and “flattening the curve.” Our healthcare experts, government officials and news media have repeated these terms and told us, that this is the way to counteract the spread of the virus. I have acted upon this, as have other Bishops, by suspending all public Masses and postponing other diocesan events for a while. I am reminded of two other phrases, “Be not afraid” and “Do not worry”. Jesus, the Great Healer, spoke these words on more than one occasion. We would do well to include these in our vocabulary as we practice social distancing, hand washing and all the other recommendations that the experts tell us will help flatten the curve. Pope Francis on March 27 graced us with a moving and extraordinary Urbi et Orbi meditation and blessing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He likened our current plight to that of the disciples in the Gospel, who, while in a boat with Jesus, were frightened by an unexpected and turbulent storm. Pope Francis said, “We have realized that we are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.” Pope Francis went on to say that God is “calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing . . . a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is the time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.” I have been impressed with those who, in spite of this pandemic, talk of a time for kindness, a time for grace and a time for generosity. A time to assess what is important in our lives — a time to realize we are blessed with the opportunity to look inward to our faith and to our values. A time to put our faith into action. A time to look after the vulnerable. It is a blessing; it is all grace. This has sparked a time of creativity and the embrace of technology to help us practice our faith. I am grateful for the number of priests, deacons and lay people who are stepping up to make available online, devotions such as the Rosary and Stations of the Cross, as well as, celebrating private Masses for anyone with a smartphone or a computer to see. As you go through the next weeks and months, I encourage you to look for the stories, the many, many wonderful stories of people putting their faith into action during this time of crisis. People stepping forward with heroic acts of service to others. The Holy Father asks us, “How many people every day are exercising patience and offering hope, taking care to sow not panic but a shared responsibility. How many fathers, mothers, grandparents and teachers are showing our children, in small everyday gestures, how to face up to and navigate a crisis by adjusting their routines, lifting their gaze and fostering prayer. How many are praying, offering and interceding for the good of all. Prayer and quiet service: these are victorious weapons.” As we move forward in the next weeks and months may we see the love of Christ in every sacrifice and act of generosity during this crisis – a crisis that will pass — and make us all the stronger and more appreciative of our love for each other in our shared love of our Savior and Redeemer. Now is the time to invite Jesus into the boats of our lives and welcome His Easter message of hope. Sincerely yours in the healing power of Christ,

Michael R. Cote
Bishop of Norwich

Our Advertisers Support Our Ministries

Please Support Our Advertisers

Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Did I Really Meet a Saint?

Posted on August 24, 2026 in: Reflections

439

My friend Greg and I were walking down 5th Avenue in Manhattan, I was nineteen years old. We were near St. Patrick’s Cathedral, when walking past us in the opposite direction was a clergyman wearing a violet zucchetto. Greg and I turned to each other and said simultaneously, “Was that”? Just then the clergyman turned the corner and we ran after him, pursued by a NYC policeman. We caught up with him, and I said, “Bishop Sheen”? He smiled, acknowledged it was him, and the cop backed off. I was immediately struck by his stature. On televisio...

Read More

Photos: Food & Fellowship at the Annual St. Joseph Parish Picnic in Rockville

Posted on August 25, 2026 in: News, Events

423

Photos: Food & Fellowship at the Annual St. Joseph Parish Picnic in Rockville

On August 16th, the Sunday after the Solemnity of the Assumption, parishioners of Saint Joseph Church in Rockville were invited to bring flowers, herbs, and fruits to be blessed after the 10 am Mass as they gathered together for the annual St. Joseph’s Parish Picnic. The weather was beautiful, and it proved to be a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to relax, reconnect, and celebrate the spirit of the parish community! For more photos from the Saint Joseph Picnic, click here

Read More

⛳ Tee Up “For the Love of a Child” – Charity Golf Tournament

Posted on August 26, 2026 in: News, Outreach to Haiti, Around the Diocese

342

⛳ Tee Up “For the Love of a Child” – Charity Golf Tournament

Join us Friday, September 18, 2026, at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course in Bloomfield, CT — ranked #4 in Connecticut by Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play 2026! The Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti’s 11th Annual Charity Golf Tournament is a day of fellowship, fresh air, and purpose. Your $200 registration includes golf, lunch, and dinner — and the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping provide medical care, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and education sponsorships for families in some of the most impoverished neigh...

Read More

Taking the Light Out From Under the Bushel Basket

Posted on August 31, 2026 in: News, Events, Around the Diocese

145

Taking the Light Out From Under the Bushel Basket Every parish has people living just beyond its doors who may never think of the Church until they need it—when a loved one dies, when life raises a question they cannot answer, when loneliness settles in, or when they simply begin wondering whether faith has anything to say to the life they are living. The challenge is reaching them before that moment passes. That is the opportunity Father Brian Converse sees in the Tri-Parish Community’s renewed Evangelization Program, sponsored by St. Mary, Mother of t...

Read More