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Connecticut’s Catholic history began when the first Roman Catholic church in Connecticut was dedicated in 1829. The bishop at the time, Bishop Benedict J. Fenwick, who oversaw all of the New England states, arranged for the purchase of Christ Episcopal Church in Hartford — and its organ — for $900. Initially part of the Diocese of Boston, this parish, called Holy Trinity, became the first Roman Catholic church in the “Constitution State.”
That one parish grew to more than 420,000 registered Catholics today, some 45% of the state population. This percentage would put Connecticut at the top of the list of “most Catholic states” except for a recent steep decline in religious observance. The Nutmeg State is the state with the highest percentage of baptized Catholics who no longer consider themselves Catholics.
Connecticut’s story is a sadly familiar one in the Northeast, most of which had a huge and vibrant Catholic presence at one time that is now steadily shrinking. Yet a strong community of faith remains, and these five significant sites witness to the rich Catholic history of Connecticut.
1
The Shrine of Lourdes, Litchfield
This stone grotto in the wooded hills of northwestern Connecticut is modeled after the Lourdes Grotto in France. Lourdes in Litchfield has become a place where each year thousands come for prayer and pilgrimage.
Weekend retreats and day programs are available at the site’s retreat center, Montfort House. Visitors are welcome to pray in the chapel and walk the grounds of the Shrine, which include Stations of the Cross and Shrines of St. Joseph and St. Jude as well as the Grotto.
2
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Waterbury
While the Basilica is an impressive place to visit in its own right, featuring stunning architecture and luminous murals, it’s especially notable for two special places on its grounds, the Fr. Conway Memorial and The Blessed Michael McGivney Center for Renewal.
The first is the Fr. Conway Memorial. Outside the basilica a sculpture depicting a Navy chaplain comforting a drowning sailor in a raging sea honors Fr. Thomas Conway. The Waterbury native gave his life for his shipmates as hundreds of them floated adrift after a Japanese submarine torpedoed their battle cruiser, the USS Indianapolis:
The attack on the Indianapolis is considered America’s worst naval disaster at sea. Three hundred men were killed immediately and 900 others were cast into the Philippine Sea, where most succumbed to exposure, drowning and dehydration in the torturous days that followed.
Fr. Conway, 37, was among those struggling to stay alive in the shark-infested waters as he swam from man to man, hearing confessions, baptizing, comforting the dying, administering last rites and offering encouragement.
He was among those who died before help arrived. In the end, only 316 men survived, and it was they who recounted the chaplain’s efforts during those last days.
The Navy Cross citation tells the story of Fr. Conway’s heroism:
Completely disregarding his own well-being, Chaplain Conway continually swam between the clusters of adrift sailors — many of whom were severely injured, delirious and dying — to provide them encouragement and comfort, pray with and administer them sacraments. After three days of tireless exertion to aid his shipmates, he finally succumbed to exhaustion and his body was committed to the deep. His efforts were credited as a major reason 67 of his shipmates were ultimately rescued.
Besides the memorial to Fr. Conway, the basilica hosts The Blessed Michael McGivney Center for Renewal, a place of healing and hope for those struggling with mental illness, addiction, and/or trauma. You can read more about it here. The basilica was the parish that young Michael McGivney attended as a child in the 1860s, and a room inside the basilica honors him with a large mural.
3
Blessed Michael McGivney Parish and Pilgrimage Center, New Haven
St. Mary’s Church in New Haven is where Blessed Michael McGivney served when he founded the Knights of Columbus, but the parish no longer exists under that name.
On July 1, 2023, the Churches of St. Aedan, St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Joseph, St. Martin de Porres, St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. Stanislaus (the Parishes of St. Aedan & Brendan, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Mary, St. Martin de Porres, St. Michael, and St. Stanislaus) were merged to form Blessed Michael McGivney Parish.
A special place of prayer and pilgrimage is the sarcophagus where the bodily remains of Blessed Father McGivney are entombed, near the entrance of St. Mary’s Church. Knights of Columbus and their families travel from many parts of the world to St. Mary’s to pay tribute to Father McGivney in the church where he founded the Order in 1882.
As part of the beatification of Father McGivney in 2020, an outdoor display covering his life and legacy was added to the garden between the church and the priory. The Pilgrimage Center was formerly called the Knights of Columbus Museum, established in 1982 as a nonprofit institution featuring exhibitions of history, art and faith.
Permanent exhibitions include a papal gallery and a wall of history of the Knights of Columbus. Summer 2024 exhibits include Do This in Memory of Me: National Sacred Art Exhibit and True Presence: The Eucharist in History and Art.
4
Abbey of Regina Laudis, Bethlehem
One of the first houses of contemplative Benedictine nuns in the United States, the abbey is notable for its multiple connections to the world of Hollywood and for its exquisite, museum-quality, 18th-century Neapolitan crèche.
A 1949 movie, Come to the Stable, tells an embellished version of how two French religious sisters established the abbey.
Even more significantly, the abbey became the home of Dolores Hart, a Hollywood star who once kissed Elvis Presley on screen, when she answered God’s call for her to become a Benedictine sister. Mother Dolores, as she is now known, was instrumental in developing the the abbey’s open-air theater and arts program for the Bethlehem community; thanks to her, every summer the abbey’s nuns help the community stage a musical. Hart served as prioress of the monastery from 2001-2015 and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hospitality is an essential part of Benedictine spirituality and the sisters welcome visitors to their Abbey Church Jesu Fili Mariae, the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Praise, the Monastic Art Shop, and the Neapolitan Crèche.
5
St. Margaret Shrine, Bridgeport
In 1941, the Rt. Rev. Emilio Iasiello, Pastor of St. Raphael Parish in downtown Bridgeport, saw a need for a satellite chapel to accommodate parishioners living in the northern reaches of the parish. He found a plot of land and with support of the city’s Italian community, a small colonial style chapel was erected and named for St. Margaret.
Inspired by the events of World War II, Fr. Iasiello’s intent was to establish St. Margaret Chapel as a monument of peace. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, his plans were expanded to add religious statues and chapels where worshipers could pray for those serving their country and for those who had given their lives.
The grounds were shaped to include stone pathways, wide stairways, gentle hillsides, pools of water and picturesque bridges. Statues, shrines and chapels were erected, and St. Margaret Shrine became known as a haven of beauty and peace.
BONUS SITE
Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford
The mother church and seat of the Archdiocese of Hartford, The Cathedral of St. Joseph stands on the site of the old cathedral, which had been destroyed in a fire. The interior of the cathedral is illuminated by spectacular stained-glass windows crafted in Paris, reminiscent of those found in Paris’ Sainte-Chapelle.
The most notable thing about this beautiful church, however, is the ceramic tile mural behind the altar depicting “Christ in Glory.” It is the largest ceramic tile mural in the world. Along with the largest organ in Connecticut, enormous bronze doors covered in biblical scenes, and other beautiful features, the cathedral is an architectural triumph with lots to interest fans of history and the arts. Stop by to pray, go to Mass or confession, or join in one of the cathedral’s many other events, ministries and devotions.
