STATEMENT OF BISHOP NICHOLAS DIMARZIO ON THE APPOINTMENT OF BISHOP FRANK CAGGIANO AS FIFTH BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2013

STATEMENT OF BISHOP NICHOLAS DIMARZIO ON THE APPOINTMENT OF
BISHOP FRANK CAGGIANO AS FIFTH BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

This morning, the Holy Father appointed the Most Reverend Frank Caggiano as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Bishop Caggiano, who was ordained a priest in 1987 for the Diocese of Brooklyn, has served in a number of pastoral and administrative positions. He has been both a pastor and also responsible for the formation of men for the permanent diaconate. Since 2006, Bishop Caggiano has served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.

First and foremost, Bishop Caggiano is an outstanding teacher, as is evidenced by the Holy See selecting him twice to offer catechesis to the young people at World Youth Days both in Madrid 2011 and just recently in Rio de Janeiro.

“For twenty-six years, Bishop Caggiano has faithfully served the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens, and I can attest that he is an outstanding priest. He has been one of my closest collaborators,” said the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. “I had the privilege of ordaining Bishop Caggiano to the Episcopacy, and I can unequivocally state that he will be an outstanding pastor to the faithful of Bridgeport.”

Bishop DiMarzio continued, “Bishop Caggiano was at the forefront of reorganizing Catholic schools and academies to make them sustainable for many years into the future. Also under his guidance, all of our parishes were placed on firm financial footing to ensure their vibrancy for many years to come. Bishop Caggiano embodies the best of the vision that Pope Francis has for those who are called to be shepherds in the Church. I offer my prayers for Bishop Caggiano as he undertakes this new ministry in his Episcopacy.”

The announcement will be live streamed beginning at 10am this morning.  The link may be found at www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THE STATEMENT OF BISHOP DIMARZIO:
Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THE DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.:
Office of Communications
203-416-1461

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First Phase of Catholic Technology Project to Launch at World Youth Day

Diocese of Brooklyn sends nearly 300 youth to Rio de Janeiro with Prayer Coins

BROOKLYN, NY — July 23, 2013 — DeSales Media today launches Pray with the
Pope, a website and corresponding mobile app that allows individuals and
communities to dedicate prayer time in alignment with the Holy Father’s monthly
intentions.

Pray with the Pope is the first phase of a large-scale technology project designed
to welcome new members to the Church and create a unified, modern Catholic
experience.

The Diocese of Brooklyn has minted 20,000 Medallions, or prayer coins, all
which contain a unique alphanumeric code. Recipients of the coins enter the
code into the website or use the augmented reality reader embedded in the
mobile app on their smartphone to “log” the coin. They can then schedule their
prayer time to map it on the Prayer Wall among thousands of others, with the
goal of achieving universal unbroken prayer across cultures and nations.

The next feature to be released is an interactive prayer globe, where users can
view those prayers taking place in real-time as well as see where their coin has
travelled. This data visualization feature uses the recently released API from
Google Earth and is one of the first applications of this technology.

To help spread awareness of this new tool, the Diocese of Brooklyn is enabling
300 young members of the Church to travel to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth
Day. Today they will begin passing out thousands of coins to fellow attendees
and encourage them to log their coins and schedule prayer time.

Longtime Church supporter and celebrity Martin Sheen was the first person to
receive a Medallion and has expressed admiration for the project. The interview
in which he receives the coin will air as part of “Currents” on NET TV in New York
this week.

CONTACT:
Stefanie Gutierrez
Press Secretary
Diocese of Brooklyn
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org
917-587-2784

Diocesan Pilgrims Excited To Be in Rio with Pope

by Antonina Zielinska

the moon is seen behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
the moon is seen behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio De Janeiro – After an overnight flight riddled with delays, pilgrims from the Brooklyn Diocese landed Monday morning July 22 in Rio de Janeiro, ready to start a full day of their World Youth Day pilgrimage.

“We are finally here, 224 strong!” exclaimed Auxiliary Bishop Frank Caggiano during the welcoming Mass he concelebrated with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and priests from the diocese. “You have made us proud.”

Bishop Caggiano said he could see the drowsiness on pilgrims’ faces after the overnight flight. He also acknowledged that this was only the latest of the pilgrim’s struggles. The bishop commended the youth for all the sacrifices they made to raise funds and prepare themselves for World Youth Day.

“Thank you, every one of you for your perseverance,” Bishop DiMarzio said at the end of the Mass. “It’s a once in a life time opportunity, so take it seriously. I think you will.”

“It will not be easy, you will not get much sleep – so get used to it,” said Bishop Caggiano about the week ahead. “We have to pray for perseverance.”

Pilgrim Salvatore Isabella, 19, from Immaculate Conception parish, Astoria, said the homily reminded him of all the sacrifices his parents made to send him on the pilgrimage.

He said it is the thought of being able to see the pope that motivates him. Read more »