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Message In this Issue1 Message from the Bishop2 Easter, Our Lady & Converting3 Our Next Pope3 Morning Star Guild 4 Bishop to Offer Mass for Grieving Parents4 The One - Pilot Parishes5 Diocesan Events5 Upcoming Eucharistic Procession6 Podcasts and LecturesThe One is our commitment to renew the ecclesialculture of our Church and to bring everybeliever closer to the Lord Jesus. The Monthly Bulletinhighlights diocesanevents and initiativesrelated to The One.EventsandInitiativesMay 2025Your paragraph textWatch MessagefromBishop Frank Caggiano

Diocese of Bridgeport | May 2025 Monthly Bulletin | 2Encounter Christ Share With Your CommunityThe Easter season for Catholics is afifty-day period that begins withEaster Sunday, celebrating theResurrection of Jesus Christ, andconcludes with Pentecost Sunday (thisyear on June 8, 2025). Easter “is theculmination of the Gospel, it is theGood News par excellence: Jesus, whowas crucified, is risen! This event isthe basis of our faith and our hope." —The late Pope Francis, Easter Sunday in2014. Read moreThe Easter Season—Celebrating the Basis of Our Faith and HopeThe Church devotes May to Our Lady, the Mother of Godand Queen of PeaceThe Catholic Church's devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has deep rootsstretching back to the earliest days of Christianity. This devotion began as earlyas the second century, and then Mary wasdeclared as the Theotokos (“God-bearer”) at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Hundreds of people converted to Catholicism inthe diocese during this past Easter Vigil. Theydid this via the Order of Christian Initiation ofAdults (OCIA), a process by which adults andchildren of catechetical age are initiated intothe Catholic Church. Marked by a series of ritesand phases of formation, the Christian initiationof adults and older children reaches itshighpoint with the celebration of thesacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, andEucharist at the Easter Vigil. Read moreMore Convert to Catholicism— The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) prepares them Marian Devotion: What It is and Why It Matters How to pray the RosaryMemorare PrayerResourcesWatch

Our next Pope—What happens now?Diocese of Bridgeport | May 2025 Monthly Bulletin | 3Encounter/Accompaniment In Christ Share With Your CommunityThe Church’s Rites after the Pope DiesThe death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritualinvolving sacred oaths by the cardinals electing asuccessor, the piercing of ballots with a needleand thread after they're counted, and thenburning them to produce either the white orblack smoke to signal if there's a new leader forthe world's 1.3 billion Catholics.To give everyone (voting Cardinals) time toassemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 daysafter the “sede vacante” is declared, although itcan start sooner if the cardinals agree.Morning Star GuildThe Morning Star Guild is a community of the faithfulthat seeks to deepen their personal holiness and devotion to Our Lady, the Most Blessed VirginMary, through pastoral, spiritual and theologicalaccompaniment and consecrating themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Pope Francis1936 - 2025A first ballot is held in the Sistine Chapel onthe afternoon after the initial Mass. If nopope is elected, over the ensuing days twoballots are held each morning and two eachafternoon.If no one gets the needed two-thirds ofvotes, the ballots are pierced with a needleand thread, which is then knotted andplaced on a tray, and another round ofvoting is prepared. After the ballots arepierced, they are burned in a cylindricalstove at the end of the voting session. Blacksmoke from the Sistine Chapel chimneymeans no decision; white smoke signals thecardinals have chosen a pope, and that hehas accepted.The new pope is introduced from the loggiaoverlooking St. Peter’s Square with thewords “Habemus Papam!” (“We have apope!”) and his chosen papal name. The newpope then emerges and gives his firstblessing.WatchClick here to learn more about the guild. Above, Tara O’Connell shares why she joined the Morning Star Guild.

Five Parishes selected to become Pilots for The OneDiocese of Bridgeport | May 2025 Monthly Bulletin | 4Accompaniment in Christ Share With Your CommunityBishop Frank Caggiano to offer Mass for Grieving ParentsFive parishes have been selected to pilot The One, our major diocesan renewaleffort, designed to foster personal encounter with Christ, spiritual renewal and community accompaniment. Notre Dame (Easton), Holy Spirit (Stamford), Assumption (Westport), St. Matthew(Norwalk) and St. Peter (Bridgeport) will lead the way. With diocesan support, these parishes will assess needs, form lay leaders and implement innovativeprograms that reflect truth, beauty and goodness. Through formation, small groups and outreach, these five parishes will serve asmodels of missionary discipleship, helping others encounter Christ and reengagewith the life of the Church.NEWTOWN—Bishop Frank J. Caggiano will be theprincipal celebrant at a Mass on Mother's Day weekend for parents who have suffered the loss of a child. He will be joined by Father Peter Cipriani, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, where the Mass will be held on Saturday, May 10 at 4:30 pm at 46 Church Hill Road,Newtown, CT.“We invite any parent who is grieving the loss of a child of any age and for any reason, no matter how recent orlong ago, to join us that day,” said Carolyn Killian, Directorof Bereavement for Catholic Cemeteries Fairfield County. “Mother's Day can be a painfully difficult day for anyonewho has lost a child...there are countless women whosehearts are breaking on this particular Sunday in May, sincethey're living with the unthinkable—they have lost a child.But when we pray for strength, support and healing, Godsends someone to walk with us.” Kenn Devane, Head of Cemetery Relations for Diocese of BridgeportCatholic Cemeteriesexplains the importanceof Bishop Caggianocelebrating this specialMass for parents whohave lost children. Watch

Diocese of Bridgeport | May 2025 Monthly Bulletin | 5Upcoming Events Share With Your CommunityAdoration of the Blessed Sacrament 2025OngoingJoin a St. Jerome Center Bible Study ProgramClick here to find out which parishes are participating in these bible studieswhich do not require registration or a weekly commitment.Save the Date: June 8 - 12, 2025 Eucharistic Procession and Adoration 40-Hour Adoration Weekend for Young AdultsMay 30 - June 1, 2025 @St. Rose of Lima, Newtown, CT

Recent & Future Podcasts, Lectures from Bishop Frank Caggiano and othersShare With Your CommunityDiocese of Bridgeport | May 2025 Monthly Bulletin | 6Let Me Be Frank Bishop Caggiano’s Recent PodcastsBishop Caggiano Fields Live Audience Questions, April 16, 2025Bishop Caggiano Answers Your Questions! April 10, 2025How Easter Is Celebrated Around the World, April 23, 2024Design, Decoration, Beautification and Restoration of Sacred BuildingsDavid Riccio, Principal, John Canning & Co.Hope Ensing, Project Coordinator, Canning Liturgical ArtsSunday, May 4, 2025, 3:00 pmBasilica of St. John the Evangelist, 279 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CTRSVP at info@jesusguild.orgLet’s TalkThe Literary Catholic PodcastsGiovannino Guareschi - Politics, Persuasion and the Power of Storytelling, May 1, 2025Chris Check, President of Catholic Answers, Is Interviewed, April 2, 2025Upcoming LectureSacred Spaces

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