2016 Past Events

2016 PAST EVENTS
(Past Events 2016)

Cookie Walk and Holiday Fair
St. Emery Feast Day
Autumn Pumpkin Creative Workshop
Ziti and Meatball Dinner
Religious Formation Program Milestone
An Exciting Month of Christmas for Our Children’s Formation Program
Second Annual Parish Fundraising Concert
Fourth Annual Guest Artist Day
Crowning of Our Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Emery’s Annual Ladies Tea
Reverend Milan Dimic’s Installation as Pastor of St. Emery’s

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St. Emery’s Parish Installs a New Pastor
January 10, 2016

St. Emery’s Parish has a new pastor, Reverend Milan Dimic. Father Dimic assumed his duties as Pastor of St. Emery’s Church on October 1, 2015, which was followed by his official installation as Pastor of St. Emery’s on January 10, 2016 (see Past Events 2016 below).

He was recently Parochial Vicar at Notre Dame Parish in Easton, CT.

We warmly welcome Father Dimic to our Parish.

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Religious Formation Program
An Exciting Month of Christmas for Our Children
December, 2016

We had an exciting month in our Religious Education program.  We learned in church that Jesus’ Family Tree is demonstrated in a tradition called “The Jesse Tree”.  We explored this through Scripture and prayer during our weekly 9:00 AM Liturgy.

On December 4 we watched a movie, “Nicholas, the Boy Who Would Be Santa.”   We learned that Santa Claus is actually St. Nicholas.  On December 11, we had a holiday breakfast for students and their families.  We had a surprise visitor, St. Nicholas himself!  We got to take pictures with him and he gave each child a bag on “gold coins” just like he used to drop down the chimneys when he first began his mission of giving gifts to those who were deserving.

On December 18 we saw another movie, “O Holy Night, The King is Born.”  Then we made a Christmas ornament to take home and hang on our own trees and we decorated the creche in Father Milan’s residence.  We talked about the part that all the pieces played in the story of Jesus’ birth.

Religious Education Staff (photo).  From left, Jeanne Bisson, Mary Ann Petrone, Nick Pekar, Cathy Pavlowski, Rommel Plaza

 Article by: Jeanne Bisson, Religious Education Instructor, Pastoral Assistant

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NEW! St. Emery Christmas Jesse Tree
Season of Advent

A very old Christian tradition was introduced to the parish during mass on the First Sunday of Advent of this year called the Jesse Tree.

It is a symbolic story of the Bible from creation to Christmas. Each week, leading up to Christmas, an ornament will be added to the tree relating to a biblical story or religious symbol that occurred over time since creation.

It is a wonderful teaching moment for children.  The first ornament added to the tree was a symbol of the Holy Spirit (creation).

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Parish Newsletters – 2016
(The Weekly Bulletin Newsletter Inserts)

To keep our parishioners informed of important issues that arise thoughout the year, the Parish Advisory Council has initiated the publication of Newsletters. These newsletters are posted below and can be read by clicking on each title.

• Music Director Report (May 15, 2016) Newsletter
• Update of Church Building Repairs (June 12, 2016) Newsletter
• Update of Parish School Repairs (July 3, 2016) Newsletter 
• Update of Parish Council and Synod Activities (July 10, 2016) Newsletter 
• Update of Parish Activities and Synod Challenge (October, 2016) Newsletter

 

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PAST EVENTS 2016
(Click on dates to go to each event)

Cookie Walk and Holiday Fair
December 10 and 11, 2016

St. Emery Feast Day
November 6, 2016

Autumn Pumpkin Creative Workshop
October 15, 2016

Ziti and Meatball Dinner
September 17, 2016

Religious Formation Program Milestone
September 11, 2016

An Exciting Month of Christmas for Our Children’s Formation Program
December 8, 2016

Second Annual Parish Fundraising Concert
June 5, 2016

Fourth Annual Guest Artist Day
May 22, 2016

Crowning of Our Blessed Virgin Mary
May 1, 2016

St. Emery’s Annual Ladies Tea
April 24, 2016

Reverend Milan Dimic’s Installation as Pastor of St. Emery’s
January 10, 2016

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St. Emery’s Cookie Walk and Holiday Fair
December 10 and 11, 2016

The annual Cookie Walk and Holiday Fair fundraiser was held on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11 in the Church Hall.  The event took place on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

The event was very successful greatly surpassing previous successful Cookie Walk and Holiday Fair fundraisers held over the last several years.

Over 35 parishioners and friends where each baked and donated dozens of cookies. Other food items that were offered included kolbas and sauerkraut sandwiches and cabbage and noodles.

Numerous Christmas items by vendors were also offered as part of Holiday Fair.  A raffle was held for a unique quilt.

All proceeds went to support St. Emery’s Parish.

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Cookies were weighted and sold by the pound

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A unique and beautiful hand made quilt was raffled.

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Hand made gift items.

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Thank you

A thank you to all who so generously helped make our Annual Cookie Walk a success. To all the members of our quilt Sewing Group and to all of our Bakers an extra “thank you” for all that you did to help prepare for this event. To all of our volunteers who helped in the kitchen and at all of our tables we are grateful for your hours of service. Our event was a success due to all of your dedication!

St. Emery Social Committee

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St. Emery’s Church Feast Day Celebration
November 6, 2016

The parish celebrated St. Emery’s Feast Day on Sunday, November 6 with a special 10:00 AM mass.  Vicar General Monsignor Thomas Powers, who was recently appointed Vicar General by Bishop Gaggiano, attended the Feast Day celebration.

A luncheon was held in the church hall following the mass.

It was a sold out affair.

The last parish St. Emery Feast Day celebration was three years ago November, 2013.

Saint Emery’s Feast Day celebrates the canonization of Saint Emery, which occurred on November 5, 1083, 52 years after his short life (1007 – 1031).

He was canonized by Pope Gregory VII, presided by King of Hungary St. Ladislaus, who is portrayed in one of the original 1932 frescos in the sanctuary of the church.  St. Emery is often pictured with a crown and lily, which symbolizes virtue.

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Mass Celebration

The St. Emery Feast Mass was celebrated by Vicar General Monsigner Thomas Powers.

 

Vicar General Monsigner Thomas Powers (left), St. Emery Pastor Father Milan Dimic and the Knights of Columbus.

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St. Emery Choir.

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St. Emery Music Director and Organist Anthony Procaccini (right).

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The Luncheon

The Feast Day luncheon was held in the Church Hall following the Sunday 10 AM mass.

The luncheon featured a very ample meal including a stuffed cabbage and sausage appetizer, roast pork main entree, dessert and a selection of beverages, wine and coffee.

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Parishioner Volunteers

Many parishioner volunteers participated in the planning and preparation for St. Emery’s Feast Day.

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Ladies crafts

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Autumn Pumpkin Workshop
October 15, 2016
From Laureen Pekar

St. Emery’s parishioners had a fun time crafting Autumn Pumpkin creative art pieces on Saturday, October 15^th in the church rectory.  Extra pumpkins were made to be used as raffle prizes at the St. Emery Feast Day luncheon celebration to be held on November 6th.

I want to thank Kathy Sherwood and Maureen Chuga for helping me with this project.

It was a delightful time enjoying each other and making new friends.

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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Workshop.

Laureen Pekar

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Ziti and Meatball Dinner
September 17, 2016

St. Emery’s Social Committee, which is chaired by Barbara Chuga and co-chaired by Mary Ann Corcoran and Marie Kassey, held their annual Ziti and Meatball Dinner on Saturday, September 17th, 5: 30 – 7:30 PM.  It was held in St. Emery’s church hall and again was a well attended and an enjoyable affair.  Many parishioner volunteers spend many hours every year preparing food for this home cooked dinner.

Several photographs from the dinner are posted below.  Photography courtesy of parishioner Henry Kutash.

The Ziti and Meatball dinner is a fundraising event where all proceeds go to the parish to help support the constant operational needs that occur during the year.

 

Father Milan and Barbara Chuga enjoying dinner.

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Mrs Pearl Bodner at age one hundred and three years old.  God Bless.

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Our Volunteers and Chefs

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Many many thanks to our volunteer chefs who prepare and serve the dinners.

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Our Photographer

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We thank parishioner Henry Kutash who covered the photography for this event.

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Religious Formation Program – Milestone Event
September 11, 2016

After an absence of over 7 years, our Pastor Father Milan reinstituted the Religious Formation and Sacrament preparation program at St. Emery’s Sunday’s 9:00 AM mass, September 11, 2016.  It was a beautiful mass celebration and represented a significant religious ministry milestone for our parish after many years. During the last 7 years, Holy Family Church in Fairfield supported St. Emery’s religious education needs and for this our parish is very grateful.

The program is offered  for all children in grades Kindergarten through Grade 8.  The RCIA process, for adults 18 and over who have never been baptized or have been baptized in another Christian religion and would like to learn more about the Catholic faith and be received into full communion is also available.

The class instructor is Jeanne Bisson, who has many years experience in the Bridgeport Diocese teaching Religious Formation student classes.

Following are photographs from the first class, which followed the Sunday 9:00 AM mass and included an initial tour of the church.

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Jeanne teaching the students.

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Religious Formation Program
An Exciting Month of Christmas for Our Children
December 8, 2016

We had an exciting month in our Religious Education program.  We learned in church that Jesus’ Family Tree is demonstrated in a tradition called “The Jesse Tree”.  We explored this through Scripture and prayer during our weekly 9:00 AM Liturgy.

On December 4 we watched a movie, “Nicholas, the Boy Who Would Be Santa.”   We learned that Santa Claus is actually St. Nicholas.  On December 11, we had a holiday breakfast for students and their families.  We had a surprise visitor, St. Nicholas himself!  We got to take pictures with him and he gave each child a bag on “gold coins” just like he used to drop down the chimneys when he first began his mission of giving gifts to those who were deserving.

On December 18 we saw another movie, “O Holy Night, The King is Born.”  Then we made a Christmas ornament to take home and hang on our own trees and we decorated the creche in Father Milan’s residence.  We talked about the part that all the pieces played in the story of Jesus’ birth.

Religious Education Staff (photo).  From left, Jeanne Bisson, Mary Ann Petrone, Nick Pekar, Cathy Pavlowski, Rommel Plaza

 Article by: Jeanne Bisson, Religious Education Instructor, Pastoral Assistant

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Annual Parish Fundraising Concert
June 5, 2016
Music at St. Emery’s

Saint Emery’s Parish held its second annual fundraising concert on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 3:00 PM. It was held under the direction of St. Emery’s Parish Music Director, Anthony Procaccini.

It was a highly enjoyable event attended by a large audience of parishioners, friends and guests.

The program featured the music of Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oklahoma,’ and by J.S. Bach, Zoltan Kodaly, Franz Liszt, and others.

The program also featured ‘Phantom of the Opera’ Star Frank Mastrone and Anthony Procaccini performing on the Wurlitzer organ. The Saint Emery Festival Choir concluded the program with seven enjoyable musical selections.

A reception immediately followed the concert.

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Guests

St. Emery’s Parish was pleased to have First Selectman Michael Tetreau of Fairfield attend the concert. Following an introduction by Anthony Procaccini, Selectman Tetreau spoke extending a warm welcome to the St. Emery Parish Hungarian community.

Having grown up in Fairfield Selectman Tetreau happily related to his many friends and former schoolmates from the Hungarian area of Fairfield.

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The Concert

Members of the Festival Choir consisted of volunteers from the parish and frequent friends from outside the parish.

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Frank Mastrone performing several songs including selections from the Phantom of the Opera.

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Bass soloist Frank Zilinyi performing.

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The Reception

A reception followed the concert,  which included punch, selection to wine, beverages and a wide selection of hor’devours and desserts.

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Candid photographs following the concert.

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Closing Remarks

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Father Milan Dimic, Pastor of St. Emery’s Parish thanking everyone for attending.

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Thank you

To our parish Music Director, Tony Procaccini and our Festival Choir members, Claudette Apple, Veronica Dicso, Linda Gargano, Mary Ann Kenyon, Sandy McCarthy, Carolyn Mueller, Patricia Rimkunas, Barbara Fencil, Phyllis Simon, Barbara Summers, Marie Warren, Bruce Tomasko, James Worde, Hobert Summers, Frank Zilinyi, Sr., Richard Kenyon and Bob Rouse for the beautiful music they shared with us at the Second Annual Fundraising Concert.

We also would like to thank the accompanist, Joel Pacheco and our guest artist Frank Mastrone for sharing their time and talent with our parish.

Also, a big “thank you” to our Parish Social Committee for hosting the reception which followed the event.

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This concert is the second of a series of annual concerts at St. Emery’s.  For those who have not visited St. Emery’s, it is a designated Historic Place in the State of Connecticut with wonderful art and architecture and perhaps one of the most beautiful parish Churches in the state.  The Church interior domed-shaped architecture has concert quality acoustics that are praised by professionals and truly a pleasure to experience.

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Fourth Annual Guest Artist Day
May 22, 2016
Music Notes

St. Emery’s fourth annual Guest Artist Day was held on Sunday, May 22, 2016 during the 9:00 AM mass.

The Saint Emery Festival Choir, led by Music Director Anthony Procaccini, welcomed guest artist alto Kristin Butler.

Kristin received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater and her Vocal Certificate from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia. While at Shenandoah, Kristin was part of the Grammy Award-winning Shenandoah Conservatory Choir. With this group, she sang at The Kennedy Center, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chartre Cathedral, and at the Vatican high altar in Rome.

Ms. Butler is a staff member at the Fairfield School of Music and the Trumbull Regional Center of the Arts.

Immediately after mass, everyone was invited to a  reception in the hall, courtesy of Parish Council members and volunteers, and to thank the choir members for their efforts.

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Crowning of Our Blessed Virgin Mary
May 1, 2016

The traditional crowning of our Blessed Mother Mary took place at the 9:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 1, 2016.

This event revived a wonderful, traditional and religious ceremony previously held over past years at St. Emery’s Parish.   Following the mass, an elaborate brunch was held in the church hall for all parishioners and friends.

Following are photographs taken during the event.  Enjoy the historic photograph of the very first crowning of the Blessed Mother in 1932 when the church was founded.  Several other crowning event photographs, which were discovered in the basement of the rectory from the 1950’s, are also posted.

The Mass

 

 

 

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The Brunch

Many St. Emery crowning photographs from the 1950’s were discovered in the Rectory basement and displayed where parishioners were welcome to request duplicates.

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Thank you

Following the mass, volunteers Mr. and Mrs. Hobert Summers prepared an elaborate and delicious brunch in the church hall.  Menu included scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, biscuits, pastries, juice, tea and coffee.  Social Committee volunteers also baked for the crowning.

The mass and brunch was very well attended.  Our many thanks to both the Summer’s and the Social Committee volunteers.  Finally, a sincere thank you to Jeanne Bisson, our parish secretary, who did the detailed planning and coordinated the mass crowning ceremony.

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St. Emery’s Annual Ladies Tea
Sunday, April 24, 2016

The annual St. Emery’s Ladies Tea was held on April 24 from 12:30 to 4:00 PM in the Church Hall.  It was a very enjoyable event with a large attendance.  It included a luncheon with sandwiches, tea and desserts.  Jeff Williams, a local author spoke about “The Ritz Ballroom,” an interesting era and his book “Home of Happy Dancers.”

The Ritz Ballroom was a very popular and renown ballroom located in the Black Rock area of Bridgeport with a long and storied history spanning 38-years (1923 – 1961). Through the years it featured famous artists such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Glenn Miller to name a few.  It once set a record crowd of 1724 people. Tickets were $0.88 a piece.

Several door prizes were included and a raffle.

Please enjoy the following gallery of photographs from the Ladies Tea posted below. Our thanks go to Doreen Hesse who volunteered to do the photography (Left click-on images to enlarge photos. Right click on ‘back’ to return).

 

 

The Tea and Luncheon

 

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The Ritz Ballroom

The story of Connecticut’s Ritz Ballroom, Home of the Happy Dancers, written by Jeff Williams.

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Thank you

We thank Doreen Hesse for her excellent photography,

The event was sponsored by members of the St. Emery Social Committee, Parish Advisory Council.

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Reverend Milan Dimic’s Installation as Pastor of St. Emery’s
January 10, 2016

Father Milan’s Pastoral installation mass was held on January 10, 2016 at the 11:00 AM mass.  It was indeed a wonderful celebration with everyone warmly welcoming Father to our parish as our new Pastor.  The mass was followed by a special luncheon in the church hall that was sponsored by the Parish Social Committee.

Father Milan is the 7th pastor to serve the parish over its long and rich 84-year history.  Father Milan will also be the first pastor installed since the departure of the Franciscan Order of Friars.  Names and dates of the previous six Friars who served the parish as pastors over the years can be found in the History of St. Emery’s Church section (History).

The Mass

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Bishop Frank Caggiano presided over the ceremonies and officially designated Father Milan Dimic as our parish Pastor.

 

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Father Milan assumed his duties as Pastor of St. Emery’s Church on October 1, 2015.  He was a Parochial Vicar at Notre Dame Parish in Easton, CT.

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The Choir

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The Luncheon

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From our Pastor …..
Thank you

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you who attended Mass last Sunday to celebrate my installation as your new pastor.  It was wonderful to have Bishop Frank Caggiano here and to see so many friends present.  I am especially grateful for all of your gifts and to our parish Social Committee for planning the reception.  The food and deserts were delicious and the company was delightful!

Thank You Also …..

We would like to thank Barbara Chuga, Mary Ann Corcoran, and Marie Kassay of the Parish Social Committee for their large effort in planning and organizing the elaborate luncheon held after the mass.  We also thank all the parishioners and friends who donated their effort to bake for the event.

We thank the St. Emery choir, under the direction of Tony Procaccini our Music Director, for their wonderful performance.

Finally, we thank Henry Kutash for his photography work, which covered the entire event.  Henry created a beautiful gift booklet with photographs of the mass and following luncheon for Father documenting this parish milestone.

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From Reverend Milan Dimic
October 2015

I am very happy to be your new Pastor and honored to become part of St. Emery’s Parish. You have a unique Catholic parish with a long historic cultural and ethnic tradition that has prided itself for its religious service to its people for many decades.  Although I have only been here a short time, your warm greetings have made me feel at home and very welcome.

I was born in Slovenia, on June 28, 1958, the youngest of four children to Anton and Louisa Dimic.  I went to elementary school in my hometown of Brezice and went on to enter the minor seminary of the Salesian order in Zelimlje, near Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.  After two years of high school I entered the novitiate, and following a yearlong novitiate, I joined the Salesian order. In 1978, upon graduating from high school, I began studies in philosophy at the faculty of Theology in Ljubljana.  I went on to serve fifteen months in the Yugoslav army in Skopje – Macedonia and Pristina – Kosovo.  I then did theology studies in Turin, Italy at the Pontifical Salesian University.

I was ordained a priest thirty years ago, June, in Ljubljana.  I spent the first seven years of my priesthood in various parishes of Slovenia, and also did studies in biology and chemistry at the University of Ljubljana.  In 1992 I came to Holy Cross Parish, in Fairfield, when the longtime pastor there, Fr. Aloysius Hribsek retired. I remained at Holy Cross for eleven years, and was administrator of the parish for three and a half of those years.  In 1998 I was incardinated as a priest into the Diocese of Bridgeport and two years ago I became a US citizen.  My last two assignments: Parochial vicar of St. Rose of Lima, Newtown and Parochial Vicar of Notre Dame of Easton.

In the coming months and years, I am truly looking forward to meeting and working with all of you, seeking your help as volunteers, seeking your caring generosity and importantly, seeking your guidance in ways to grow our Catholic community.

I welcome all new parishioners, families and their children.

I will be residing in the parish rectory and as your pastor I will be at your service.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Reverend Milan Dimic
Pastor

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PARISH ADVISORY COUNCIL REPORTS

St. Emery Parish Advisory Council 2012, 2013 and 2014 progress reports.  (Please note these reports are large files with many photographs and may take a few minutes to download)

2014 Council Report
(Download)

2013 Council Report
(Download)

2012 Council Report
(Download)

2014 Bell Tower Project , Preserving our Historic Church
(Download)

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Following St. Emery’s extensive restoration in 2000, artistic handwoven tapestries from St. Stephen of Hungary Church in Bridgeport were discovered in storage a few years later by Father Pintye.

The tapestries were meticulously handcrafted to commemorate St. Elizabeth’s Altar Society (1917-1937) and to present the Monstrance, which displays the consecrated Eucharistic host. The letters IHS are the monogram of Jesus Christ.

(Click on tapestries and Crucifix to enlarge)

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This Crucifix located on the wall between the two tapestries was refurbished and remounted during the 2000 restoration..