HIKE WITH THE ST. PAUL II HIKING GROUP - SUNDAY FEB. 18 AT 1:30 P.M.
Our next hike is scheduled for Sunday, February 18, at Southford Falls State Park, 175 Quaker Farms Road, Southbury.
We will meet in the parking lot and begin at 1:30. This is a less rigorous hike, with a total distance of 2 -2.5 miles and an
levation gain of 452″. Let me know if you plan to come. I will cancel if we have inclement weather.
In March, we will plan to hike at Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown. More on that later.
Suzanne Porter - St. John Paul II Hiking Group
https://archdioceseofhartford.org/event/hike-with-the-st-john-paul-ii-hiking-group/
Legion Of Mary Annual Lourdes of Litchfield Pilgrimage ~ Saturday, September 9, 2023
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CHRISTMAS MESSAGE, FROM THE DESK OF FR. DIEGO
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I want to extend a Christmas greeting to all of you, together with my blessings and prayers for all of you and your families.
In this Christmas gift, which is Jesus, it is important that all of us who call ourselves Christians and celebrate the Nativity
of the Lord, make the words of today’s Gospel our own: "TODAY A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO US, THE MESSIAH THE
LORD" (Luke 2,1-14). They are Words that build life and give us a new path of hope and faith, in which we live daily.
This Christmas is a big commitment for everyone, to have new truly Christian actions, where we see the face of Jesus in our
brothers. There is a way to show that Jesus Nazarene is among us. It consists of attending to his privileged, they are the poor
and the underprivileged. As an adult; the Child that we contemplated in the portal, told us very clearly: "Because I was
hungry and you gave me to eat... Whenever they did it with one of my younger brothers they did it to me." This testimony of
charity is left to us at Christmas time. God has become flesh, he is human and walks in the humility of the one who is by our
side.
Today Christmas is a time of grace, in which those of us who want to celebrate it in a Christian way must also turn to those
who suffer. Let us be lights in their paths! Christmas is a time to revive our bond with the parish; to be born again to give
ourselves more to Love. Let us put our gifts at the service of the Church! God comes to tell us that what needs to be saved this
year is each one of us. We must save those friendship relationships, those loving relationships and above all we must save our
own family, so that faith will shine there.
God comes to be born so that saved and loved we can unite in closeness, as brothers and sisters.
Merry Christmas!
Fr. Diego
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CHRISTMAS MESSAGE, FROM THE DESK OF FR. DIEGO
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I want to extend a Christmas greeting to all of you, together with my blessings and prayers for all of you and your families.
In this Christmas gift, which is Jesus, it is important that all of us who call ourselves Christians and celebrate the Nativity
of the Lord, make the words of today’s Gospel our own: "TODAY A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO US, THE MESSIAH THE
LORD" (Luke 2,1-14). They are Words that build life and give us a new path of hope and faith, in which we live daily.
This Christmas is a big commitment for everyone, to have new truly Christian actions, where we see the face of Jesus in our
brothers. There is a way to show that Jesus Nazarene is among us. It consists of attending to his privileged, they are the poor
and the underprivileged. As an adult; the Child that we contemplated in the portal, told us very clearly: "Because I was
hungry and you gave me to eat... Whenever they did it with one of my younger brothers they did it to me." This testimony of
charity is left to us at Christmas time. God has become flesh, he is human and walks in the humility of the one who is by our
side.
Today Christmas is a time of grace, in which those of us who want to celebrate it in a Christian way must also turn to those
who suffer. Let us be lights in their paths! Christmas is a time to revive our bond with the parish; to be born again to give
ourselves more to Love. Let us put our gifts at the service of the Church! God comes to tell us that what needs to be saved this
year is each one of us. We must save those friendship relationships, those loving relationships and above all we must save our
own family, so that faith will shine there.
God comes to be born so that saved and loved we can unite in closeness, as brothers and sisters.
Merry Christmas!
Fr. Diego
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Thumbs up to our
St. Francis Xavier parishioners who attended the CT March for Life on Wednesday, March 23rd. From right to left: Carol G, Doria V., Sylvia M. and parish friend, Maria T. |
CONGRATULATIONS to Steve Rice, who on Sunday, October 17th received the prestigious “St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation”
at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, in recognition of his voluntary service to our parish thought the years.
On Saturday, December 18th at the 4 p.m. Mass, Steve was again recognized by Fr. Sullivan at his parish, St. Francis Xavier.
May God continue to bless him for all his efforts and love for St. Francis Xavier and its Parish family.
CONGRATULATIONS to Steve Rice, who on Sunday, October 17th received the prestigious “St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation”
at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, in recognition of his voluntary service to our parish thought the years.
On Saturday, December 18th at the 4 p.m. Mass, Steve was again recognized by Fr. Sullivan at his parish, St. Francis Xavier.
May God continue to bless him for all his efforts and love for St. Francis Xavier and its Parish family.
"125TH" ANNIVERSARY MASS CELEBRATION & BRUNCH
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021
9 : 3 0 A . M .
THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU !
. . . for volunteering and giving St. Francis Xavier Church the most precious thing you will ever own - your time and talent.
Set Up / Decorations:
Laurie Ciarello, Brenda Couture, Michael Couture, Ana Crespo, Robert Fazekas, Tracey Genua, Cris Hernandez, Brian Lally,
Janet McDonald, Sandy McDonald, Ginny Patnode, Debbie Quinn, Steve Rice, Jim Strachan, Michael Velez
Kitchen/Food Service:
Knights of Columbus — Emmett McSweenmey, Paul Ochs, Steve Rice, John Sousa, Andy Crespo, Jim Strachan
Columbette: Diane D’Agostino
Breakdown & Clean-up:
Chris, Kristy and Kailey Chieppo, Brenda and Michael Couture, Ana Crespo, Andy Crespo, Gabriela Crespo, Paolo Dias,
Janet & Sandy McDonald, Ginny Patnode, John Sousa, Jim Strachan
May God bless you abundantly,
Carmen Strachan
. . . for volunteering and giving St. Francis Xavier Church the most precious thing you will ever own - your time and talent.
Set Up / Decorations:
Laurie Ciarello, Brenda Couture, Michael Couture, Ana Crespo, Robert Fazekas, Tracey Genua, Cris Hernandez, Brian Lally,
Janet McDonald, Sandy McDonald, Ginny Patnode, Debbie Quinn, Steve Rice, Jim Strachan, Michael Velez
Kitchen/Food Service:
Knights of Columbus — Emmett McSweenmey, Paul Ochs, Steve Rice, John Sousa, Andy Crespo, Jim Strachan
Columbette: Diane D’Agostino
Breakdown & Clean-up:
Chris, Kristy and Kailey Chieppo, Brenda and Michael Couture, Ana Crespo, Andy Crespo, Gabriela Crespo, Paolo Dias,
Janet & Sandy McDonald, Ginny Patnode, John Sousa, Jim Strachan
May God bless you abundantly,
Carmen Strachan
===============================================
June 2019
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER WELCOMES OUR NEW PARISH ADMINISTRATOR,
VERY REVEREND JAMES M. SULLIVAN
Fr. Jim Sullivan was born in Waterbury CT. He attended St. Hedwig School in Naugatuck, then
Kennedy High School in Waterbury, graduating in 1978. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics
from Providence College in Rhode Island. Always believing in service to others, after college he
volunteered for a year in an inner city school in Washington DC, teaching, coaching basketball and helping repair a rundown
convent. It was there that he developed a love for building and restoration work. Upon his return to Connecticut in 1987, he
and his brother John established Sullivan Brothers, a building and contracting business. He worked in the construction trade
for the next 25 years. In 2003, he felt the call from God to become a deacon in the Catholic Church and was ordained in
2008, serving 6 years in the Torrington Cluster of Roman Catholic Parishes. During his time there, unbeknownst to him, a
number of parishioners were praying that he become a priest. He began two additional years of study in 2012 at St. John's
Seminary in Boston and he was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 2014 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford CT.
He was grateful to celebrate his very first Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, to honor
Fr. Michael J. McGivney, to whom he has a particular deep devotion. It is also where he attended the 6:15 a.m. daily mass
regularly during his contractor years. His first assignment after ordination was to Torrington as a parochial vicar. While
serving the four churches of Torrington, he initiated “Our Father’s Ride for Catholic Education”, a week-long bicycle ride to
Emmitsburg, MD, where under St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Catholic Education in the United States had its beginning. He raised
$116,000 for Torrington’s St. Peter/St Francis School. After serving for just over one year in Torrington, Archbishop Blair assigned
him in October 2015 to the Church of the Assumption in Ansonia. In February 2019, Archbishop Blair assigned him to the
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception as Rector. As a priest, Fr. Sullivan continues to love building, especially building
spiritually. He has said, "I have moved from building and remodeling homes, to building and remodeling hearts."
May 2018
Fr. Pace, your 53 years of selfless ministry in Christ has been inspiring, fruitful, worthy of the Lord
and pleasing to Him. May God continue to bless you with His joy and goodness. Congratulations
on your 53rd Anniversary of Ordination.
With love, respect and admiration, the parishioners and friends of St. Francis Xavier
Congratulations! . . .
. . . to Jeannette Swircenski, who received the prestigious
“St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation" at the Cathedral
of St. Joseph in Hartford on Sunday, March 31, 2019 in
recognition of her voluntary service to our parish
thought the years. Jeannette is most deserving.
May God continue to bless her for all her efforts
and love for St. Francis Xavier Parish family.
. . . to Jeannette Swircenski, who received the prestigious
“St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation" at the Cathedral
of St. Joseph in Hartford on Sunday, March 31, 2019 in
recognition of her voluntary service to our parish
thought the years. Jeannette is most deserving.
May God continue to bless her for all her efforts
and love for St. Francis Xavier Parish family.
PASTORAL PLANNING UPDATE:
It's official. Changes are coming. As of June 29, 2017 there will be 127 parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford, instead of the
current 212; 68 parishes will remain as they are - ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH BEING ONE OF THEM!
144 parishes will be involved in mergers resulting in 59 new parishes; 186 church buildings will remain open; and 26 church
buildings will close, in as much as regularly scheduled Masses will no longer be held in them. Merged parishes are receiving
new names. Forty priests will be reassigned.
By implementing the pastoral plan, the Archbishop hopes that the vision of Pope Francis for the Church will be better
fulfilled in the Archdiocese of Hartford. "We are all missionary disciples," the Pope writes, and there is a need to "review
and renew our parishes..., to bring them nearer to people, to make them environments of living communion and participation,
and to make them completely mission-oriented."
It's official. Changes are coming. As of June 29, 2017 there will be 127 parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford, instead of the
current 212; 68 parishes will remain as they are - ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH BEING ONE OF THEM!
144 parishes will be involved in mergers resulting in 59 new parishes; 186 church buildings will remain open; and 26 church
buildings will close, in as much as regularly scheduled Masses will no longer be held in them. Merged parishes are receiving
new names. Forty priests will be reassigned.
By implementing the pastoral plan, the Archbishop hopes that the vision of Pope Francis for the Church will be better
fulfilled in the Archdiocese of Hartford. "We are all missionary disciples," the Pope writes, and there is a need to "review
and renew our parishes..., to bring them nearer to people, to make them environments of living communion and participation,
and to make them completely mission-oriented."
My Dear Friends -
On Sunday, May 22, 2016, I celebrated the 50th Anniversary of my priesthood.
You overwhelmed me by your special love–
Your gifts– to St. Francis Xavier in my honor are exceptional–
The Mass– the singing, the participation, the reception–
I can never thank you enough–
To all who made the day so special–
Tracey Genua and her group–
Pat Schaaf and the Ladies Guild–
The priests, deacons, and all those who served on the altar–
And especially to all of you–
Be assured of my continued prayers–
Thank you and God bless you—
Fr. Pace
CONGRATULATIONS FR. PACE ! ! !
Recipient of the 2016 Catholic Charities "Help & Hope Award"
for "For His Concern For The Poor and His Parishioners"
on Thursday, October 29th
at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary