June 2011 - Diocese of Bridgeport

June 201115Op-edIn April, as I offered “happybirthday” prayers for my lateson Peter, suddenly flyingoutside my window was afemale cardinal. I was not surprised.A cardinal has celebratedPeter’s birthday with me everyyear on his birthday since he leftme to be with the Lord 20 yearsago.Birds had always fascinatedme. I had read about birds asa teenager, when I read a bookSo many disturbing photographshave flickeredacross my computerscreen lately. From thevictims of Japan’s earthquake andnuclear disaster to the desperaterefugees fleeing war in Libyato the flattened neighborhoodsof Birmingham, Alabama, andJoplin, Missouri, the spring of2011 has been dominated byimages of loss and pain.So I was happily surprisedrecently to come across a photoof such powerful simplicity andgenuine sweetness that it momentarilytransported me out of thenews cycle of devastation andcatastrophe.The picture is of a littleboy with Down syndromemoments before receiving HolyCommunion from ArchbishopAre Birds Sometimes Spiritual Messengers?A Woman’s ViewBy Antoinette BoscoAntoinette Bosco is a memberof St. Marguerite BourgeoysParish in Brookfield.published in France written bysomeone who called birds God’s“spiritual messengers.” I subsequentlylearned that these marvelouscreatures have fascinated othersall the way back to prehistorictimes when birds were depictedon cave walls.The Bible certainly tells howGod used birds to send neededmessages: He used a dove to tellNoah that dry land had returnedafter the flood; He used a ravenA Dad’s ViewBy Matthew HennesseyMatthew Hennessey andhis family are parishionersof St. Aloysius in New Canaan.to deliver Elijah his food; quailwere sent to supplement theIsraelites’ diet of manna; and acock crowed three times to showPeter how far he had gotten awayfrom Jesus!In years tocome, I wastouched readingabout St.Francis ofAssisi and hisrespect for thebirds. I stillhave notes from a book writtenby Father Isadore O’Brien,OFM, long ago published bySt.Anthony Guild Press, wherehe tells of an instance whereSt. Francis and his companionscame upon a great flock of birds.Francis stopped to talk to thebirds, who then crowded aroundhim and “perched on his shoulders.”As Francis talked to them,they “reverently bowed theirChaput and the boyCharles J. Chaput of Denver,Colorado. It was snapped byDenver Catholic Register photographerJames Baca at the annualArchbishop’s Mass for SpecialReligious Education.In the photo, the little boy’shands are clasped in prayer. Awoman, who may be his motherbut may also be a teacher, gentlyguides him into the proper positionto receive Our Lord. His suitseems a bit roomy, his glasseslook as though they are havinga hard time staying on his nose,and his deliberately-combedblonde hair sports a good, oldfashionedcowlick. NormanRockwell couldn’t have donebetter.But the real action in thisphoto is the kid’s face. It’s luminous.He is glowing with anticipation,in awe of this magnificentpriest before him, and eager forthe gift he is about to receive. Hissmile is as genuine, and as holy,as they come.I saw the photo on Facebook,where I follow Chaput despitehaving no real connection tothe Denver Archdiocese. I havealways been impressed with hisvocal commitment to the disabled,and to those with Downsyndrome in particular. Mydaughter Magdalena has Downsyndrome.Seeing Chaput about to servecommunion to this angelic littleboy reminded me of a speechhe gave in 2009 to the Phoenix(Arizona) Catholic Physician’sGuild. In it he said, “Every childwith Down syndrome, everyadult with special needs; in fact,every unwanted unborn child,every person who is poor, weak,abandoned or homeless – eachone of these persons is an iconof God’s face and a vessel of Hislove.”The boy with Down syndromeis truly an icon of God’s face,but there’s more to the photothan just the boy. A wheelchairis partially visible. There is alittle girl in the background who,even slightly out of focus, looksheads to earth,” and stayed untilthe holy saint “made the signof the cross over them and gavethem leave to depart.”True? Who knows. But I havebeen toldmany storiesof strangeappearancesof birds. AfterSeptember 11,a teenage boy,Nick Chirls,becameknown and respected when heeulogized his mother, lost in thehorrible collapse of the WorldTrade Center. For, as he spoke,a sparrow lit on his head. It comfortedhim, he said. Nick becamesomething of a celebrity for awhile, even a participant in adocumentary.Sam and Wanda Rieger, wholive in Waterbury, are among myclosest friends. They lost their“The Bible tells howGod used birds tosend messages .”like a grown-up version of myMagdalena. Behind her are a boyand another little girl with theunmistakable almond eyes thattypify Down syndrome.In investigating the picture,I wasn’t at all surprised to learnthat the theme of this year’sdaughter by murder, as I havelost my son John and his wifeNancy, and we well relate in ourway of coping. A few years back,when they were attending theirson’s wedding, they told me ofan experience they had as theywere leaving their hotel room inthe state where the wedding hadtaken place.“Wanda noticed there wasa bluebird in the hallway,” Samsaid. “It was very strange asthere were no open windows ordoors through which the birdcould have entered. In any case,the bird tried to get out by bangingagainst the windows at thatend of the hallway which do notopen. I approached it and the birdallowed me to catch and hold itin my hands. I walked to the doorand let it go. It flew away. Somake of this what you wish.”I found this rather amazing,➤ continued on page 21GLOWING WITH ANTICIPATION, a young boy with Down syndromeprepares to receive Holy communion from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput ofDenver, CO. “Every child with Down syndrome is an icon of God’s face,” saysArchbishop Chaput.Special Religious EducationMass was “Gathered Aroundthe Eucharistic Christ.” Fr.Roland Freeman, director of theprogram for the Archdiocese ofDenver, explained the choice oftheme. “The Eucharistic Christ➤ continued on page 21