April 28, 2026

Home / e-Newsletter / April 28, ...

Happy Easter! News from Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

April 28, 2026

Dear Friends,

What a season of Easter joy it is at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish! This spring, we pause to celebrate beautiful milestones — the sacramental celebrations of our youngest parishioners and a landmark anniversary for our beloved pastor — and to send our pilgrims off with our prayers.

First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion

Congratulations to the children who celebrated their First Reconciliation on March 29 and will receive their First Holy Communion on April 25! These are among the most sacred moments in a Catholic life — the first embrace of God’s mercy and the first welcome to the Lord’s table. We lift up these children and their families in prayer, and we rejoice to walk alongside them as they begin a lifelong journey of faith within our parish community. May they always know how loved they are — by God and by us.

Fr. Shawn Celebrates 31 Years of Priestly Service

On April 29, we celebrate a very special anniversary: 31 years since Fr. Shawn Daly was ordained to the priesthood. What a gift he has been — and continues to be — to the Church and more recently to our parish family.

A few fun facts to celebrate Fr. Shawn’s Anniversary:

His favorite saint is Saint Catherine of Siena — whose feast day falls on the very day of his ordination anniversary!
On May 8, 1993, Fr. Shawn was ordained a deacon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Fr. Tom Shepard (former pastor of St. James) preached at Fr. Shawn’s first Mass.

Fr. Shawn, thank you for 31 years of faithful service, joyful presence, and pastoral love. We are grateful for you. Ad multos annos!

Prayers for Our Pilgrims

We also ask for your prayers this season for the members of our parish community who are embarking on a sacred pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, and Spain, led by Deacon Michael and Krystyna Ward. Traveling April 28 through May 8, they will walk in the footsteps of the faithful — standing where Our Lady appeared, where miracles have been witnessed, and where saints have walked. It is a profound grace. May our pilgrims travel safely, encounter the living God in new and transforming ways, and return home with hearts renewed. And may their journey be a blessing not only for them, but for our entire parish family who sends them forth in prayer.

Easter Joy Abounds!

Lisa Orchen

Coordinator of Communications

Dear Friends,

Wonderful things are happening in the Music Ministry! We combined forces and collaborated on beautiful Holy Week and Easter Masses. I am so proud of our singers and instrumentalists who crammed new music, sung next to new people, navigated new spaces, made changes on the fly, and thrived. There was an unexpected challenge on Good Friday, when Veneration took longer than the 3 songs we had planned. We ended up singing 8 songs and pulled music from thin air, communicated quietly and quickly and kept on singing! We have plans for adjusting the Veneration procession next year, but that was the magical moment when our Music Ministry felt whole.

We were blessed to have both Music Directors stay on after the merge in 2017, which meant the ministry would remain mostly separate until they recently retired. Holy Week brought us together, and I have heard many comments from you about the quality of the combined choir. There is power in numbers, and a new energy that is palpable. We are going to experiment with a temporary plan for the summer starting in May. On the third Sunday of the month, the entire Music ministry will sing at the 9:00AM Mass, and on the fourth Sunday, we will all sing at the 11:30AM Mass. On the weekend where there isn’t choir at one church, the Children’s Choir as available, or a cantor or two will lead music. That way, each church will have their regular musicians for two weekends, all of the singers for one weekend, and either the children or cantors for the other. It will be a new challenge, and the Music Ministry is up for the task. We’ll be able to sing extra special choral music on those combined weekends, which is exciting.

While we continue to embark on new things, NOW is the perfect time to join the Music Ministry. Whether you have been sitting in the pew thinking ‘what would it be like to sing with them’ for years, or visiting our parish for the first time, you are welcome to come try us on. No obligation to stay, just come to a rehearsal and mass or two, and see if it’s the right fit. Teenagers are most welcome to join our regular choir, we are looking for a couple more men especially for the 9:00AM mass, and all voice types are welcome in general. You need no prior singing experience, just an open mind and willingness to learn together. We also share a lot of laughs, so come on by. Email me at rochellebard@gmail.com for more information!

Thank you, congregation, for your support and flexibility since I have come onboard. I am so happy to be here and I appreciate the ongoing warm welcome.

Sincerely,

Rochelle Bard
Director of Music Ministry

Join Us for The Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 3, 2026

4:00 PM Vigil Mass at St. James

9:00 AM Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton
and livestreamed

11:30 AM Mass at St. James

Bakhita Bible Camp Registration Form

Bakhita Bible Study:

Acts of the Apostles: The Church of the Holy Spirit

Many have observed that these days it often seems that we are in times akin to those of our first ancestors in the faith, believers in Christ at a time when few did. The New Testament Acts of the Apostles is a thrilling and adventurous account of that time of the earliest Church, when Christianity was being lived for the first time. It takes us to some of the great cities of the ancient world. It introduces us to all kinds of people: apostles, prophets, martyrs, philosophers, governors, kings, merchants, jailers, and sailors. It tells of dramatic spiritual experiences, missionary journeys, trials and imprisonments, powerful speeches and dramatic responses, sea voyages and shipwrecks, and the clash of ancient cultures. It invites us to see the adventure continuing on in our own lives.

This May and June Deacon Michael will lead a six-part series on the Acts of the Apostles using Stephen Binz’s “Church of the Holy Spirits”, with readings taken from the second half of the Acts of the Apostles.

The series will be held on May 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10 and 17 at 10:00 AM at the Saint James Church Parish Center 767 Elm Street repeated at 7:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 280 Brook Street. The evening session will be available for online attendance through Google Meet. There is a $10 book fee. Please register via email at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com (BEST) or call and leave a message at 860-836-8218 if you don’t have email. (Unless specifically waived by the registrant, all registrants will be ordered a book for purchase.)

Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

Fernand & Yvette Couturier Scholarship Fund

Applications Now Available

Deadline For Complete Applications is May 7, 2026

A scholarship fund has been established at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish in the loving memory of Fernand and Yvette Couturier, the parents of Father George Couturier, the Pastor of our parish from 2016 to 2026.

In 2026 the parish plans to make multiple awards of $2,000 each for graduating high school seniors who have been active members of the parish community and will be continuing their education in the fall of 2026.

There is a fillable PDF application form available to download below.

The deadline for completed applications is May 7, 2026.

Announcements of awards are anticipated prior to June 1, 2026

Questions can be addressed to Deacon Michael at dcn.michael@sjbrh.org.

Download Scholarship Application Here

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Faith Sharing Group

All are welcome to join the Saint Josephine Bakhita Faith Sharing Group. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. We meet in person, at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, from 10:30 AM -12:00. We will be discussing two of the beatitudes. We meet on the third Tuesdays of the month from now to June 17, 2026. We also have a Charismatic Prayer Group that is led by Kristie Bilcharz. This group meets on Zoom on the first Tuesdays of the month.

The Awakening Retreat will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 10:00 AM -5:00 PM at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church. If you have questions about both groups and the Awakening Retreat, please contact Michael Lonergan at 860-638-7080 or Mikelonergan53108@sbcglobal.net. I will forward your information to Kristie regarding the Charismatic Prayer Group.

Awakening Retreat Registration Form

Giving Garden Ministry

Since 2018 our parish Giving Garden Ministry of about 15 adults has been growing vegetables at a garden by St. Elizabeth Seton Church, and delivering them to the St Vincent DePaul soup kitchen in Middletown. Last year we donated 749 pounds. We’re looking for a few more volunteers.

Volunteers can do as much or as little as they want. Work teams are divided into different roles – planting & maintenance, and harvesting. Those who tend the garden often meet Mondays about 5:00 PM, weeding, tying up tomato plants, putting down wood chips, etc Harvesting teams go about three times a week from July to September, with each team picking and delivery vegetables just once a week.

We also have people who sub if a volunteer is on vacation. This is something you can join by yourself, or with a spouse a sibling, a child or a friend.

If you would like to join us, please contact Bob Manzi at manzirj@sbcglobal.net or call him at 860 502-5097.

The Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish Picnic Needs You!

We’re building our Parish Picnic Planning Committee and looking for a few good people to help make this beloved community tradition a success! We’re currently seeking volunteers for three key roles:

Set-Up Coordinator – Help develop the set-up plan and direct volunteers on picnic day.
Children & Family Activities Team Lead – Plan the fun for our youngest parishioners and their families!
Custodial/Janitorial Team Lead – Keep our grounds clean and green on the big day.

Committee members attend monthly meetings beginning in May and play a hands-on role directing volunteers on the day of the picnic — Saturday, September 13, 2026. Interested? Reach out to Danielle Hollister at danie7@cox.net or Jennifer Hussey at thehusseys95@att.net for more details. We’d love to have you on the team!