June 2011 - Diocese of Bridgeport

June 201113Local NewsPreparing for World Youth DayBy PAT HENNESSY“When they come back,they’ll be on fire,” says Sr. EricaScheelje, director of youth ministryfor the Diocese of Bridgeport.“World Youth Day doesn’t endwith this trip.”The diocese will be sending acontingent 120 strong to WorldYouth Day in Madrid, Spain, thisAugust. In a sense, the words aremisleading. The trip is a true pilgrimage,shared with their counterpartsfrom around the world,and it lasts far longer than a day.Most of the delegation from theDiocese of Bridgeport will leavefor Madrid on August 10, andreturn August 23.More than that, the teens havebeen preparing for this pilgrimagefor several months. Teens in parishesfrom every corner of the diocesehave joined in spiritual prayercampaigns, held fundraisingevents to help cover costs, studiedthe history and impact on faith ofthe holy sites they will visit, andgotten to know all members of thegroup through potluck dinners andresearch presentations.The majority of the youth delegationwill start their pilgrimagewith a visit to Avila, the hometownof the great St. Teresa ofAvila, a Doctor of the Church.They will continue on to spendtwo nights in Fatima, Portugal,and visit the pilgrimage destinationof Santiago de Compostelawhere they will see the relicsEXPLODING WITH YOUTH, energy, and the joy of the Holy Spirit these teens took part in the previous World YouthDay in Australia. The diocese is sending a contingent 120 strong to this year’s World youth day in Madrid, Spain.of St. James the Apostle. InMadrid, the teens will join theremaining members of the delegationand with Bishop WilliamE. Lori.One group has been therecipient of a special honor. TheStudent Schola of St. Mary Parishin Norwalk, led by choirmasterDavid Huges, has been invited tosing at two English Masses at thePalacio de los Deportes stadiumon August 17 and 18. They willbe the only choir at these twoMasses. They will also participatein all the English-speaking liturgicalcelebrations, and they andtheir families will join in eventsduring the week.The agenda for the week-longspiritual journey that makes upWorld Youth Day is a full one.English-language participantswill have the benefit of a pilgrimcenter hosted by the Knights ofColumbus and the Sisters of Life,with both U.S. and Canadiansponsors. The week includes catechesis,prayer, song, concerts,drama, sharing, Stations of theCross and an unforgettable vigiland closing Mass with PopeBenedict XVI. About two millionteenage pilgrims are expected tobe on hand for Mass with thePope.As Sr. Erica says, the strengthand energy from the experiencewill lead teens to continue toexpress their faith in ministryto their parishes, the dioceseand beyond. A recent nationalsurvey found that 21% of priestsordained this year had attended aWorld Youth Day.The Diocesan Youth Ministryhas ensured that enthusiastic supporters,including those who gaveso generously to World YouthDay scholarships, will be ableto take part in the delegation’spilgrimage. Events will be postedregularly on their Facebook page:World Youth Day Diocese ofBridgeport.(The St. Mary’s Student Scholahas produced a CD including selectionsthey will perform duringWorld Youth Day. Proceeds will godirectly toward helping them travelto Madrid this August. The CD canbe purchased by e-mailing orders@chantwith.us.)nParish Finance from page 5vendor partners that could providefor modern and cost-effectiveproducts and services that wereoutside the core competency of ourChurch. Our goal was to instill thenotion that timely and accurateinformation is the basis on whichgood decisions can be made.Early on after our Bridgeportproject was initiated, we beganreceiving calls from diocesesaround the nation interested inhow were utilizing leading- edgetechnology to account for ourfinancial activity in Parishes andSchools. Today, through mynew company, CathoNet, manyother dioceses have adopted thecloud-technology solution pilotedin Bridgeport. Chicago, Boston,Newark and Dallas are someof the more prominent archdiocese/diocesesto follow ourexample. The CathoNet technologyhas become the most rapidlyadopted accounting solution inthe Catholic Church. In fact,CathoNet now serve 7 percentof all parishes and 7.7 percentof all schools in the nation.The company tagline definesCathoNet’s commitment to servethe Church in the modern era by“Aligning Mission, Ministry, andTechnology.”It is a source of great pridefor all of us to think that thisevolution in parish finance allstarted in Bridgeport, thanks tothe leadership of Bishop Lori,and the hard work of our pastorsand their staffs. Stewardship andtransparency are more than just“buzz words” – they are vitaltools as we continue to buildJesus’ Kingdom on Earth. n