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Recent Epiphany concert at the Cathedral of St. Joseph

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:22:20 GMT

A night of music and spirituality

To celebrate the Epiphany and the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee Year: "Pilgrims of Hope," the Cathedral of St. Joseph and the Connecticut Catholic Foundation (formerly known as The Hartford Bishops' Foundation) hosted a free concert that featured Dr. Gabriel Löfvall, the Cathedral Schola Cantorum, and a brass and string ensemble. It was a night of music and spirituality that inspired and delighted everyone who attended.

Food pantries and The Hartford Bishops' Foundation

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 02:42:38 GMT

Teaming up to fight hunger and food insecurity

One of the Archdiocese of Hartford's key social ministry priorities is addressing hunger and food insecurity in our communities. In this Archdiocese of Hartford's Office of Radio & Television (ORTV) "Crossroads Magazine™" featured segment, Karen Gross, Executive Director of the Connecticut Catholic Foundation (formerly known as The Hartford Bishops' Foundation), and several local food pantry leaders discuss the valuable partnership between the foundation and their organizations in feeding those families and individuals most in need.

Charitable Gifts Awarded

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 04:25:30 GMT

HBF Announces Latest Round of Charitable Grants

The Hartford Bishops' Foundation has awarded nearly $19 million since 2016

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. – The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation (HBF) recently awarded approximately $170,000 to ten organizations across the Archdiocese of Hartford to fund initiatives and programs ranging from digital engagement to yoga and exercise classes for elderly sisters.

Since its founding in 2016, the foundation has invested nearly $19 million across the archdiocese for a wide range of activities and initiatives such as:

Providing resources to parishes to nurture the next generation of Catholics;
Strengthening the ability of Catholic social service providers to effectively respond to the neediest communities;
Funding efforts to provide exceptional educational opportunities to all students, volunteers and parish leaders to reignite their faith; and
Supporting community partnerships and innovative programs that create long-lasting change, strengthen Catholic schools and parishes and meet the evolving needs of the greater community.

“The foundation’s role is to help transform shared values into lasting impact,” said HBF General Chair John “Jamie” Kalamarides. “These grants help to advance the Archdiocese’s mission by offering financial support to activities integral to its vibrancy and long-term sustainability.”

Karen Gross, HBF Executive Director and Executive Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Hartford, added that the grants reflect HBF’s dedication “to carrying forward a great legacy by investing in parishes, schools, ministries and social services as well as our wider community.”

Hartford Courant Opinion Article by HBF Executive Director

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 23:21:16 GMT

Opinion: Investment in infrastructure and equipment key help for CT food pantries

Hartford Bishops' Foundation Executive Director Karen Gross and Cathedral of St. Joseph Food Pantry Executive Director Renée Santos discuss how investment in food pantry infrastructure and equipment allows these facilities to maximize their reach and impact.

The 2024 CT Golf Classic Raises $250,000 for Community Food Pantries

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 03:00:08 GMT

The 2024 Connecticut Golf Classic
Raises $250,000 for Community Food Pantries

Proceeds to Fund Equipment, Infrastructure Improvements

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. – This year’s Connecticut Golf Classic, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s (HBF) signature event held at The Hartford Golf Club, has raised $250,000 to support the charitable work of food pantries in Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Proceeds allowed HBF to award $120,000 in immediate grant funding to 13 food pantries (see table), with the remainder establishing a permanent endowment at the foundation to provide annual grant distributions to social ministries across the Archdiocese.

According to Feeding America, about 465,000 Connecticut residents (1 in 8) struggle with hunger and more than 112,000 children (1 in 6) experience food insecurity. This year’s beneficiaries align with one of Archbishop Christopher Coyne’s key social ministry priorities - addressing these issues in communities most in need. Funds will be used for food pantry infrastructure and equipment improvements.

“We are grateful to our sponsors, donors and individuals who helped make this important fund-raising event so successful,” said HBF General Chair John "Jamie" Kalamarides. “It was amazing to see the generosity of our supporters, who stepped up to help meet our goal of enhancing the capacity and reach of food pantries in the Archdiocese.”

Since its inception, the Connecticut Golf Classic has delivered more than $1 million to local schools, charities and food banks across the Archdiocese of Hartford, which serves 97 parishes and 34 Catholic schools and includes more than 600,000 Catholics.

HBF Executive Director and Executive Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Hartford Karen Gross explained the grants are not meant to provide one-time operational support, but instead to invest in building capacity to deliver or expand services in a more efficient and sustainable way.

“Our 13 grant recipient organizations assist nearly 65,000 households throughout the Archdiocese,” Gross added, “and this long-term approach ensures food banks can serve more people more effectively, provide a safe and comfortable working environment for staff and volunteers and keep up with growing demand.”

Hartford Cathedral Center opening new space for free health care, food pantry, ' a remarkable transformation’

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:53:20 GMT

Original Article: https://bit.ly/3M39jf3

The Malta House of Care , whose van has offered primary health care to residents of Hartford and East Hartford since 2006, will begin welcoming its clients to a new, renovated, state-of-the-art site on the campus of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford on Tuesday.

The Cathedral Community Center also will offer expanded space for the cathedral’s food pantry, which has already served more meals in 2022 than in all of 2021, according to Archbishop Leonard Blair.

Housed in a former church hall, the center has been “gutted, renovated and brought up to standard” to provide comprehensive primary care to the low-income population in the Asylum Hill neighborhood, said Vicki Veltri, executive director of Malta House, on Monday. Until now, Malta House has offered care primarily through its medical van, which serves patients at the cathedral as well as at two sites in Hartford and East Hartford, she said.

“This beautiful stationary site,” created at a cost $6.8 million, including $1.5 million from the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation , will enable Malta House to serve 2½ times more patients than it can with the van, and increase the opportunity to use the van to serve more people, Veltri said.

Blair said that since 2006, 70,000 free visits by uninsured clients have been served by Malta House. The new site is “just a remarkable transformation that’s been made possible through the generosity of many people,” he said.

“You need to try to get people where they are,” Veltri said. “People have limited ability for transportation. … So I think the location is going to serve the Asylum Hill neighborhood, which is the predominant neighborhood that we serve, very, very well. But it opens up the van to go to other places.”

The clinic “offers comprehensive primary care services and, I will say, longitudinal too, because we have patients that have stayed with us for a long time,” Veltri said. “Providers have been committed for a long time. So we operate with a small staff, but we also have the good fortune of having about 40 volunteers who also work with us to provide this care to our community.”

The volunteers include doctors, nurses, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, among others.

The Cathedral Community Center, which will house Malta House of Care and the cathedral food pantry, opens Sept. 20, 2022. (Aaron Joseph)

“It’s a tremendous group of people, very committed to helping people who cannot get coverage any other way,” Veltri said. “We’re looking at a population that cannot qualify for Medicaid or other coverage because either their status as immigrants or they don’t qualify for another reason for insurance coverage.”

Most patients are “very low income,” Veltri said, and represent about 30 languages and more than 50 countries of origin. There are Spanish and Portuguese translators on staff, “and I’m going to work on that as well, because we have a pretty large contingent of Portuguese-speaking patients” from Brazil and Portugal who make up a significant community in Hartford, she said.

Malta House also has been serving patients from Ghana at its East Hartford van stop on Mondays at St. Rose Roman Catholic Church, 33 Church St. The van also goes to St. Augustine’s Church, 10 Campfield Ave., Hartford, on Thursdays.

At other times, patients have been screened in the cathedral’s basement and then brought to the van for care.

Veltri said Malta House also had used a site on Woodland Street occasionally, “but it was smaller than our needs. We needed more space. And we needed to modernize it.”

The center has five exam rooms and private intake areas and is “much more, I think, amenable to our patients, who I think will see it as a beautiful site for them to come to for their health care,” Veltri said. Also, the new site “kind of frees us up a little bit to get some more neighborhoods with our van,” she said.

The center will also offer OB/GYN services, COVID-19 and flu clinics, behavioral health care and specialty days for dental, vision and cardiology care.

Malta House is run under the auspices of the Order of Malta , a lay Catholic order that offers care to the poor, Blair said. " I think we offer a unique service and we’ve been around for a long time and we want to continue doing it and this clinic just helps us expand it,” Veltri said.

The food pantry, run by members of the cathedral parish, also will be able to serve more of those in need, Blair said.

“In 2022 alone, over 11,000 people from the Greater Hartford area were served at the cathedral food pantry, and there are more families and individuals in the first eight months of 2022 than in all of 2021,” he said.

He said the pantry will be able to expand its hours and be able to offer blood pressure screenings, nutrition counseling and ease food delivery to the homebound.

“The food pantry also helps people moving from homelessness or shelters to apartments, including women coming from domestic abuse shelters, and men and women coming out of incarceration,” Blair said. “Those things also wind up coming under the sights of the food pantry. … And they also give non-food items like personal hygiene things, diapers, clothing, housewares.”

Blair said 41 tons of food have been received from Connecticut Foodshare over the years. “So having this greatly enhanced food pantry at the cathedral will be a tremendous boon to the charity and fellowship that we want to extend to the local community,” he said.

“I don’t think people are aware, even our Catholic people or the wider community, of just how much service is extended through the Cathedral of St. Joseph,” he said. “And this new facility, thanks to the generosity of many people, is going to make it even greater.”

Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com

Editor’s note: The total cost of the Cathedral Community Center, $6.8 million, was misstated in the original story.

Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:47:34 GMT

Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford

As part of his commitment to helping the poor in the City of Hartford and those in need of medical care and food in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair blesses the new Cathedral Community Center during the opening day ceremonies. Photo by Aaron Joseph

Original Article: https://archdioceseofhartford.org/archbishop-blair-blesses-new-cathedral-community-center-in-hartford/

Story by Shelley Wolf

HARTFORD – As part of a grand opening ceremony, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair on Sept. 20 blessed the new Cathedral Community Center, which is now providing expanded primary health care services and food pantry services to low-income residents in the neighborhood surrounding the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Located at 136 Farmington Avenue, in the former Bishop’s Hall adjacent to the cathedral, the Cathedral Community Center houses the Malta House of Care Clinic, the first brick-and-mortar clinic site for the popular Malta House of Care. Malta has been providing free primary care medical services to uninsured adults since 2006 through its large white mobile van, which travels to churches and neighborhoods in Hartford and East Hartford.

The new Cathedral Community Center also houses an expanded Cathedral Food Pantry, responding to a growing need in the Asylum Hill neighborhood.

Adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the new Cathedral Community Center opened its doors Sept. 20 and began welcoming the uninsured to the stationary Malta House of Care Clinic for free primary health care. The adjoining Cathedral Food Pantry opened two days later. Photo by Aaron Joseph

“This enhanced commitment is not simply an institutional plan realized, but is rooted in a vision – the vision of the inherent dignity of every person who crosses its threshold,” Archbishop Blair told the crowd in attendance at the grand opening. Acknowledging the many people locally and statewide who supported the project, he added, “I stand with the benefactors and friends, who seek to alleviate human suffering in its many forms.”

Not missing a day of work, the Malta House of Care staff and volunteers opened the doors of their new clinic to patients earlier that day, participating in the opening ceremonies afterhours, after all patients were served. The pantry opened two days later.

The Malta House of Care has provided compassionate, free primary health care to the uninsured and underinsured in Hartford and East Hartford, with more than 71,000 patient visits since its founding. “An astounding number,” Archbishop Blair said. “This new facility will make it possible to more than double the service hours provided to the community at large.”

According to the archbishop, Malta House of Care services include vaccinations, free examinations, medications, lab testing, radiology, referrals to specialists and health coaching, “often providing life or death support to men, women and children who have nowhere else to turn.”

He hailed the Cathedral Food Pantry as another lifesaver. In the first eight months of this year, the pantry served over 11,000 people, more than in all of last year.

“As so many struggle to survive the painful reality that was imposed on our society,” the archbishop said, “first by the COVID pandemic and now by escalating inflation and unforeseen financial challenges, the food pantry is indeed a lifeline for our sisters and brothers in need.”

Community Partnerships

The Cathedral Community Center initiative was the work of the Archdiocese of Hartford and its staff, with cooperation from the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation, the Malta House of Care, and the City of Hartford.

Totaling $6.8 million, the Cathedral Community Center construction project was financed with $5.5 million from the Archdiocese of Hartford and its private benefactors, combined with $1.5 million from the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation. No federal, state or local government funds were used for the Cathedral Community Center project.

“Because of the collaboration of the local Church of Hartford, the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation and the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta,” Archbishop Blair said, “this center, which now houses the Malta House of Care Clinic and the St. Joseph Cathedral Food Pantry, will provide additional support to so many in the Asylum Hill neighborhood and beyond.”

James Smith, outgoing general chair of the Hartford Bishop’s Foundation, Inc., said, “The Malta House project really gets to the heart of our mission, our very essence, which is working collaboratively by joining in projects that make life better for the poor, the needy, and the vulnerable.”

Smith noted that he and his wife Cathy were happy to lead the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation’s portion of the fundraising effort for a stationary Malta clinic because they had witnessed the Malta vans out in the community and were inspired by the selfless dedication of the medical volunteers. “We were so very impressed,” Smith said, “with all of those health care volunteers who gave of themselves freely in order to provide an opportunity for the people who have so little.”

Malta serves low-income clients, many of whom hail from 50 different countries of origin and speak over 30 languages. “All come to our doors because they know they will be treated with dignity and respect,” said Brian Sheehan, chair of the Malta House of Care, Inc.

The new primary care facility will help Malta achieve two important goals, Sheehan pointed out, expanding its reach and enhancing the quality of its care.

Luke Bronin, the mayor of Hartford, was pleased to have the new Cathedral Community Center serving the people of Hartford.

“I know that there are many more stages of development and reimagining of this cathedral and the cathedral campus in the years ahead,” Bronin said. “But I think it speaks volumes that the first significant project that was done is this one here, to open up a food pantry and a health care clinic that will be a part of our community, open to our community, and a daily symbol of the spirit both of the Church and, thankfully, now of the community that I am so proud to serve.”

Staff and volunteers are ready to greet patients at the new Malta House of Care Clinic. Photo by Aaron Joseph

Tour of the Facility

Staff and volunteers are ready to greet patients at the new Malta House of Care Clinic. Photo by Aaron Joseph

Those in attendance at the opening ceremonies were treated to a tour of the Cathedral Community Center.

The Malta House of Care Clinic is located on the second floor and accessible by elevator and stairs. The new state-of-the-art stationary outpatient clinic includes a waiting area, reception area, five examination rooms, a vitals station, lab, two consult rooms, and a conference room. A room designated for educational purposes will be used for stress management and dietary management.

The Cathedral Food Pantry, located on the first floor, was relocated from the cathedral. Patrons now navigate a pathway through its rooms to stock up on cereals, peanut butter and jelly, canned goods and diapers.

“It’s bigger and now we can offer more wrap-around services and expanded hours,” said Renee Santos, coordinator of the food pantry. “I’d like to bring in a nutritionist and do blood pressure screenings, and find someone to answer questions about Medicare and Medicaid.”

The pantry is also looking into the possibility of delivering pantry items to the homebound. Many of its supplies are provided by Foodshare, as well as by generous parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

No longer needed at the cathedral, the Malta mobile clinic can now travel to a new neighborhood. Malta’s hope is to designate a new site for the van, in addition to the current sites at St. Augustine Church in Hartford and St. Rose Church in East Hartford. The new site has yet to be determined.

Archbishop Leonard P. Blair is the first to tour the expanded Cathedral Food Pantry, which is supplied by Foodshare and the parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Photo by Aaron Joseph

Hartford and St. Rose Church in East Hartford. The new site has yet to be determined.

“We’ll begin work on a strategic plan this fall to plan the path forward,” said Vicki Veltri, executive director of development for the Malta House of Care. “We need a solid plan and steps to figure out where we are going to go and how many new volunteers we need.” The grand opening of the stationary clinic, she noted, drew two newly retired medical doctors who volunteered their services that day.

Dr. Pauline Olson, a dame of the Order of Malta and one of the co-founders of the Malta House of Care, was thrilled to attend the opening to see the latest development in the medical ministry’s service to those in need. “It is wonderful. Our future is so positive now,” Dr. Olson said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Malta family.”

Locations and Hours

The Malta House of Care Clinic, located within the Cathedral Community Center at 136 Farmington Avenue, is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 11:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Malta House of Care Mobile Clinic will continue to serve clients at St. Rose Church, 33 Church Street, East Hartford, on Mondays from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. The mobile clinic also visits St. Augustine Church, 10 Campfield Avenue, Hartford, on Thursdays from 11:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Malta House of Care’s administrative offices have relocated from Woodland Street to 136 Farmington Avenue. For more information, visit maltahouseofcare.org.

The Cathedral Food Pantry, now located in the Cathedral Community Center, will be open for food on Thursdays from 9 to 11:45 a.m., and for clothing on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"$8M privately funded food pantry, primary care center comes to Hartford" -Fox 61

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:28:00 GMT

“The heart of charity in the center of Hartford,” said Archbishop Leonard Blair.

Author: Jim Altman

Published: 6:49 PM EDT September 20, 2022

Updated: 7:09 PM EDT September 20, 2022

Original Article: https://bit.ly/3EcpzJ2

HARTFORD, Conn. — The exterior of an old red brick building on Farmington Avenue in Hartford looks largely as it has for decades – it’s the inside that has been completely changed.

The Archdiocese of Hartford, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation and The Malta House of Care celebrated Tuesday the opening of a collaborative project, The Cathedral Community Center.

Six years in the making and an estimated $8 million raised in private funds, the new center will provide the people of Greater Hartford two benefits: access to primary care and a food pantry.

“It’s brought together to offer people one location where they can get their health care when they need it," said Vicki Veltri, the executive director of the Malta House of Care. "They can get access to food, many of our patients are food insecure.”

Archbishop Leonard Blair was proudly walking the grounds outside the Cathedral Community Center, which sits right next to the Cathedral of Saint Joseph on Farmington Avenue.

“This is the heart of charity here in the center of Hartford,” Blair said, and added, “It’s a wonderful day.”

The funds raised for the Cathedral Community Center came from private and corporate donors – no state or federal funds were used.

The Malta House of Care, which is known for providing mobile vans that offer health care in the Hartford area, will continue the mission but now there is a dedicated state-of-the-art brick-and-mortar clinic to tend to patients.

“This will enable them [The Malta House] to increase by two and a half times the number of people they’re able to serve here,” Blair said.

“This is our mission – to get people comprehensive primary care and the fact that we can open our doors on this day is really gratifying,” Veltri added, standing by the front doors of the health clinic.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the Cathedral Community Center was held Tuesday with staff and supporters cheering the accomplishment.

Blessing Mothers & Other Loved Ones

Thu, 26 May 2022 19:24:29 GMT

On Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022, Archbishop Leonard Blair blessed the Mothers’ Garden and Donor Pavilion (also known as “In Honor of the Ones We Love”) plaques on the west lawn of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. The plaques are inscribed with the names of mothers and other loved ones, as well as the names of the donors who honored or memorialized them. The plaques were installed last year as part of the Archdiocese’s Forward with Faith campaign under The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation (HBF).

More than 60 guests attended the noon ceremony, held after the 11 a.m. Mass in the Cathedral, in which the Archbishop blessed the grounds and plaques with holy water after he prayed for the inscribed names. HBF General Chair James C. Smith, HBF Regional Chair John (Jamie) Kalamarides, and Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt participated in the blessing.

After the blessing, Dr. Ezequiel Menendez presented the Schola Cantorum, led by choirmaster Meredith Neumann.

Guests were treated to refreshments, a flower for each mother, and a commemorative gift after the choir performed.

HBF plans to host a Mothers’ Garden blessing in 2023 for the new names of loved ones shared with us by donors through our Forward with Faith campaign.

For more information on this campaign, please email william.mclean@aohct.org.

This fall, in September, HBF hosts two fundraising events, a golf classic on Sept. 27 and a wine festival on Sept. 25, to support the renovation of Cathedral Hall, a space on the lower level of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, adjacent to the Mothers’ Garden.

For more information on the Cathedral Hall project, please visit: hartfordbishopsfoundation.org/cathedral-hall.

To register for the golf and/or wine events, please visit:

hartfordbishopsfoundation.org/the-2022-ct-golf-classic or

hartfordbishopsfoundation.org/wine-fest-2022 .

Thank you Aetna for your leadership gift!

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 20:11:09 GMT

Video: Forward with Faith Campaign, Parish Youth Ministry

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 20:06:41 GMT

Statement from James C. Smith, General Chair Regarding the Lawsuit Brought by The Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools against Archbishop Leonard P. Blair

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 16:39:35 GMT

The Hartford Bishops' Foundation, Inc.

Statement from James C. Smith, General Chair

Regarding the Lawsuit Brought by The Foundation for the Advancement of

Catholic Schools against Archbishop Leonard P. Blair

October 15, 2021

An article published in the Hartford Courant on October 8, 2021 reported on the lawsuit recently brought by The Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools (FACS) against Abp. Leonard P. Blair. While The Hartford Bishops' Foundation, Inc. (HBF) is not a party to the lawsuit, the lawsuit and the article make reference to HBF and the governance role and authority of its Board of Directors (Board) in a manner that is inaccurate.

HBF is an independent nonstock corporation designated as a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit public charity affiliated with the Archdiocese of Hartford (Archdiocese). It is a separate legal entity from the Archdiocese. The purpose of HBF is to promote our Catholic mission, provide guidance to Abp. Blair in non-religious matters and gather, invest and distribute resources in support of institutions of the Roman Catholic Church affiliated with The Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation.

HBF is structured as a membership organization that is governed by the Board which is comprised of the Archbishop of Hartford and up to sixty (60) individuals, a large majority of whom are lay directors representing businesses, foundations, not-for-profits and other community organizations from across the Archdiocese. The members of HBF, collectively referred to as the Corporate Diocesan Members (CDM), are the Archbishop of Hartford, the Moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese and a priest of the Archdiocese appointed by the Archbishop. The CDM appoints HBF directors upon recommendations from the Nominating Committee of the HBF Board.

Abp. Blair serves as the President of HBF, he is an individual member of the Board and does not possess unilateral authority over the organization. The Board has authority over the governance of HBF, including its fundraising initiatives and granting policies that comply with the overall objectives of its organizational documents.

Further, the assertion in the lawsuit that HBF is a competing entity with FACS is completely without merit. While HBF supports Catholic education across the Archdiocese by providing direct funding to support Catholic school operations, HBF does not solicit or administer scholarship funds, specifically because HBF acknowledges and respects that raising and distributing scholarship funds is the primary mission of FACS.

I appreciate this opportunity to provide clarity regarding the governance and purpose of HBF.

Malta House of Care

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:37:02 GMT

Download PDF

June 2021 Catholic Transcript

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 19:46:00 GMT

Archbishop Leonard P. Blair Appoints Valerie Mara as Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Archdiocese of Hartford

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 17:53:38 GMT

Archbishop Leonard P. Blair Appoints Valerie Mara as Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Archdiocese of Hartford

Hartford, Conn.—Archbishop Leonard P. Blair is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Valerie Mara as Interim Superintendent of the Archdiocese’s Catholic schools. Mrs. Mara currently serves as Adjunct to the Vicar for Education, Research, and Policy. This welcome announcement coincides with the kickoff of Catholic Schools Week, which takes place February 1 through the 5th, as a time to celebrate and proclaim the academic excellence, faith-lived experiences of our students in the modern world, and the strong, safe and nurturing communities that our Catholic schools provide.

“Mrs. Valerie Mara is an administrator, teacher, and community builder who brings a wealth of academic training and hands-on experience from both the classroom and principals’ office,” says Archbishop Blair. “We are pleased to have her lead our schools, especially in these difficult times for all academic settings as COVID-19 offers many struggles.”

Mrs. Mara is the author of the current curriculum utilized by the Archdiocese of Hartford as well as by many other U.S. Catholic Dioceses and internationally. “Her vision for Catholic schools, combined with her leadership experience, translates into the necessary intellect and skills to navigate our elementary and high schools in these turbulent times: from the pandemic to the changing student landscape—she provides the calm in the storm with the necessary skills to communicate the many benefits of a parochial education: one based on academic excellence, faith, and personal accountability to the common good to our teachers, students and parents,” said Father Michael Whyte, Vicar for the Archdiocese’s Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis.

The Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis of the Archdiocese of Hartford invites, supports and accompanies parish and Catholic school leaders in their efforts to inspire educational excellence and transformative lifelong faith formation.

U.S. Navy honors Thomas Conway, Waterbury’s hero priest of World War II

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:47:40 GMT

The Rev. Thomas Conway, Waterbury native and heroic chaplain of the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously on Friday for his selfless courage.

Statement from General Chair, James C. Smith on Beatification Mass of Father Michael McGivney/Cardinal Tobin Homily

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 13:23:33 GMT

Press Release: "The new look of giving: How Catholic organizations are meeting their financial needs in the absence of in-person Masses by Hartford Bishops' Foundation, Inc."

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:42:40 GMT

Forward with Faith Fall 2019 Newsletter

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 18:19:34 GMT

Forward with Faith Spring Newsletter

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 17:19:33 GMT

Hartford Bishops' Foundation's recent grant directed toward Catholic Charities in December 2018

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:12:05 GMT

With more than $13 million raised in total cash and pledges to date, the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation has distributed more than $1 million in strategic grants to Archdiocesan initiatives since May 2018. These funds have supported special projects and long-term initiatives across the state. Most recently a grant in the amount of $200,000 was awarded to last year’s Gala beneficiary, Catholic Charities.

The funds will be used for:

Learning and Life Skills Program- services for adults with developmental disabilities;
Centro San Jose- preparing children and teens in New Haven to thrive academically and emotionally;
Behavioral Health- provision of strength-based, family-driven, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically competent services
Elderly Care and Intergenerational Services- home, community, and center-based programs for senior citizens;
Family Centers- culturally appropriate and comprehensive care services to promote high quality early childhood experiences and parent support.

Grants from the Forward with Faith campaign will ultimately serve and empower at least 2,000 additional people annually in Catholic Charites programs such as Snack, Read and Play Group and GED classes throughout the state.

Newsletter: Forward with Faith Campaign Begins

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 17:10:13 GMT

8bad0e41

Recent Epiphany concert at the Cathedral of St. Joseph

A night of music and spirituality

Food pantries and The Hartford Bishops' Foundation

Teaming up to fight hunger and food insecurity

Charitable Gifts Awarded

HBF Announces Latest Round of Charitable Grants

The Hartford Bishops' Foundation has awarded nearly $19 million since 2016

Hartford Courant Opinion Article by HBF Executive Director

Opinion: Investment in infrastructure and equipment key help for CT food pantries

The 2024 CT Golf Classic Raises $250,000 for Community Food Pantries

The 2024 Connecticut Golf Classic Raises $250,000 for Community Food Pantries

Proceeds to Fund Equipment, Infrastructure Improvements ﻿

Hartford Cathedral Center opening new space for free health care, food pantry, ' a remarkable transformation’

Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford

Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford ﻿

"$8M privately funded food pantry, primary care center comes to Hartford" -Fox 61

“The heart of charity in the center of Hartford,” said Archbishop Leonard Blair.

Blessing Mothers & Other Loved Ones

Thank you Aetna for your leadership gift!

Video: Forward with Faith Campaign, Parish Youth Ministry

Statement from James C. Smith, General Chair Regarding the Lawsuit Brought by The Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools against Archbishop Leonard P. Blair

Malta House of Care

June 2021 Catholic Transcript

Archbishop Leonard P. Blair Appoints Valerie Mara as Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Archdiocese of Hartford

Archbishop Leonard P. Blair Appoints Valerie Mara as Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Archdiocese of Hartford

U.S. Navy honors Thomas Conway, Waterbury’s hero priest of World War II

Statement from General Chair, James C. Smith on Beatification Mass of Father Michael McGivney/Cardinal Tobin Homily

Press Release: "The new look of giving: How Catholic organizations are meeting their financial needs in the absence of in-person Masses by Hartford Bishops' Foundation, Inc."

Forward with Faith Fall 2019 Newsletter

Forward with Faith Spring Newsletter

Hartford Bishops' Foundation's recent grant directed toward Catholic Charities in December 2018

Newsletter: Forward with Faith Campaign Begins

The 2024 Connecticut Golf Classic
Raises $250,000 for Community Food Pantries

Proceeds to Fund Equipment, Infrastructure Improvements

Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford