by Ed Wilkinson

Even though he was being installed as the fifth Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., you couldn’t take the Brooklyn out of Bishop Frank Caggiano.

In his first homily as the Ordinary for the Connecticut See, Bishop Caggiano spoke to his new flock about the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Looking back, it is very hard to describe the transformative power” of the Brooklyn Bridge, said Bishop Caggiano at his Mass of Installation Sept. 19 in St. Theresa’s Church, Trumbull, Conn.

“Immediately, it created a sense of unity and shared purpose. People once divided had ease of access, building a new sense of community.

“As we recall how bridges made by human hands can have such a profound effect, today on this day of grace in our life as a diocesan church, let us reflect upon the transformative power that the spiritual bridges made by the hand of God have had in our lives and will continue to do so in your life and mine.

“For the very heart of our lives as Catholic Christians, and at the center of the mission given by the Lord Himself, has much to do with the building and strengthening of spiritual bridges in our midst.

“As I begin my ministry in your midst, I invite you, with the depth of faith, generosity of spirit and love of neighbor that has made this diocese great for so many years to work together to build spiritual bridges that will last not solely for a century or an age but, with the Lord’s grace, unto everlasting glory.”

Bishop Caggiano, who has served for 26 years as a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese – the last seven as an auxiliary bishop – was surrounded by 1,600 family members and friends as Archbishop Henry Mansell of Hartford, Conn., presided at the ceremony.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and retired Cardinal Edward Egan, the third Bishop of Bridgeport, were in attendance, as well as Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., and Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, the fourth Bishop of Bridgeport.

There were 32 bishops in the line of procession, joined by 230 priests and 71 permanent deacons.

Delegation from Brooklyn

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio led a large contingent of Brooklynites that included Auxiliary Bishops Octavio Cisneros, Raymond Chappetto and Paul Sanchez, and retired Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq, along with priests, deacons and members of the laity.

Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle, who had served as administrator of Bridgeport for the past 16 months since the appointment of Bishop Lori to Baltimore, thanked Bishop DiMarzio for “choosing and training” Bishop Caggiano. “Brooklyn’s loss is our gain,” he said.

During the ceremony, the official letter of appointment by Pope Francis was read aloud by Archbishop Vigano and presented to the Chancellor of the Diocese, Anne O. McCrory, who then showed it to other diocesan officials.

Archbishops Vigano and Mansell then escorted Bishop Caggiano to the “cathedra” or bishop’s chair, signifying his taking possession of his new role. As the congregation stood with applause, Bishop Caggiano appeared to become momentarily emotional as he looked up at his miter and nodded his thanks.

Vespers at the Cathedral

On the previous evening, Bishop Caggiano led vespers, the evening prayer of the Church, in St. Augustine’s Cathedral, Downtown Bridgeport. There he was welcomed to the diocese by members of the Neo-Catechumenal Movement who waited outside the cathedral, singing and playing guitars and drums that created a festive mood.

Upon arrival at the cathedral, the new bishop was mobbed by well-wishers. He then formally knocked on the front doors of the cathedral and announced his arrival as the members of his diocese rose to welcome their new chief shepherd.

In his homily at vespers, he said: “In this unique moment in the life of our diocese, it is my prayer to spend the rest of my life in service of you so that from every corner of this great county, from the tongue of every believer, and as a united people through our words and witness of our lives, we will answer the question spoken long ago together: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, our Lord and Savior … To you be glory, honor and power, now and forever.”