Feast of Blessed
Michael McGivney 2023
Blessed Michael McGivney Parish at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's celebrates the unique, long-standing, and multifaceted spiritual heritage of Blessed Michael J. McGivney. This year, we are celebrating the third feast day of our beatified parish priest and founder of the Knights of Columbus, Blessed Michael McGivney.
DESCRIPTION OF THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION
​
For the third feast day of Blessed Michael McGivney, we begin our celebrations with the praying of the Holy Rosary and the Novena before every Mass in the nine days leading up to and including the feast itself. The presiders of the Mass each day will preach on the virtue for each novena day in how it relates to the saint of the day and also Bl. Michael McGivney (a link to a digital version of the Novena may be found below).
​
A Holy Hour will be held from 8 - 9 PM on Wednesday, August 9th, at St. Joseph Church, sponsored by Crossroads 4 Christ New Haven.
​
At 11 AM on Saturday, August 12th, Father Michael Ruminksi will present a reflection, "The Eucharist and social regeneration," at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center (1 State Street in New Haven). Admission and parking are free. For more information, please visit: michaelmcgivneycenter.org.
​
At 7 PM on Saturday, August 12th, Frassati Night will take place at St. Mary Church (see the St. Mary bulletin page for details), which includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration which will continue until benediction at 7:30 AM on Sunday, August 13th.
​
On the feast day itself, Bl. Michael McGivney's relic will be present at the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Joseph's and at the 10:30 AM Votive Mass at St. Mary's. After Mass, a procession will be led by the presider to the statue of Bl. Michael McGivney at St. Joseph's and to the tomb at St. Mary's, with the Litany of Bl. Michael McGivney being prayed. In addition, at St. Mary's the Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Honor Guard will serve. "Coffee and" hospitality will take place after the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Joseph's, and an ice cream social hosted by the Columbian Squires will take place after the 10:30 AM Mass at St. Mary's. Finally, at St. Mary's, the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic will sponsor the praying of Vespers from 3:10 - 3:30 PM and a Holy Hour from 3:30 - 4:30 PM.
​
The full schedule may be found below.
​
Some Resources:
FULL SCHEDULE OF PRAYERS AND LITURGIES
​
Saturday, August 5 – VIGIL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 1) at 4:30 PM | Openness | Leaders: Alberta Ferrie/Marianne Esposito (St. Joseph Lectors/EMs)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
Sunday, August 6 – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 2) at 8 AM | Courage | Leader: Marianne Esposito (St. Joseph Lectors/EMs)
-
Mass at 8:30 AM | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 2) at 10 AM | Courage | Leader: Tacy Woods (Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic)
-
Mass at 10:30 AM | Presider: Fr. Ryan Lerner
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Vincent Curran
Monday, August 7 – St. Cajetan, Priest | Perseverance
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 3) at 11:30 AM | Leader: Linda Kelly (Legion of Mary)
-
Mass at Noon | Presider: Fr. Vincent Curran
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 3) at 4:30 PM | Leaders: Mary Beth Fiasconoro/Drew Dillingham (Blessed Michael McGivney Respect Life Committee)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Ryan Lerner
Tuesday, August 8 – St. Dominic, Priest | Charity, Unity, & Fraternity
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 4) at 11:30 AM | Leader: Peter Silva (St. Mary Lectors)
-
Mass at Noon | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 4) at 4:30 PM | Leader: Toni Buddington (McGivney Ministries)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Ryan Lerner
Wednesday, August 9 – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin & Martyr | Discernment
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 5) at 11:30 AM | Leader: Grace Klise (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd)
-
Mass at Noon | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 5) at 4:30 PM | Leader: Immacula Didier (Legion of Mary)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
-
Holy Hour from 8 - 9 PM | Sponsored by Crossroads 4 Christ New Haven
Thursday, August 10 – St. Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr | Zeal
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 6) at 11:30 AM | Leader: Peter Silva (St. Mary Lectors)
-
Mass at Noon | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 6) at 4:30 PM | Leader: Flora Guerra (Divine Mercy Devotion)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Ryan Lerner
Friday, August 11 – St. Clare, Virgin | Hope
St. Mary Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 7) at 11:30 AM | Leader: Daniel Isabel (San Salvador Council No. 1)
-
Mass at Noon | Presider: Fr. Vincent Curran
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 7) at 4:30 PM | Leader: Tacy Woods (Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic)
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 – VIGIL OF NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Vigil of the Feast of Blessed Michael McGivney)
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 8) at 4:30 PM | Love | Leader: Paul Mastriano/Alberta Ferrie (St. Joseph Lectors/EMs)
-
Mass at 5 PM (w/ Litany after) | Presider: Fr. Vincent Curran
St. Mary Church​
-
All Night Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament starting at 7 PM | Sponsored by Frassati
​​
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13 – NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Feast of Blessed Michael McGivney)
St. Joseph Church
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 9) at 8 AM | Devotion | Leader: Phyllis Lobo (Altar Servers)
-
Mass at 8:30 AM (w/ Procession & Litany after) | Presider: Fr. Joseph MacNeill
St. Mary Church
-
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 7:30 AM | Sponsored by Frassati
-
Holy Rosary & Novena Prayer (Day 9) at 10 AM | Devotion | Leader: Phyllis Lobo (Altar Servers)
-
Votive Mass at 10:30 AM (w/ Procession & Litany after) | Presider: Fr. Jeffrey Romans
-
Vespers from 3:10 - 3:30 PM | Sponsored by the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic
-
Holy Hour from 3:30 - 4:30 PM | Sponsored by the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic
-
Mass at 5 PM | Presider: Fr. Kelechi Anyanwu
A new priest with big ideas
Every Mass, every public rosary, every adoration, every confession at St. Mary's happens over a place of special importance for laity of the Catholic Church, in the United States and beyond: the place where Father Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus.
​
Serving as an assistant for about six years at St. Mary's before being entrusted with a parish of his own, he certainly fulfilled the ordinary duties of a parish priest well with great virtue. He changed our parish through events, personal visits, involvement in groups, and organization of social events.
​
Most importantly, he changed the way the laity saw their vocation, and fulfilled it. In founding the Knights of Columbus in 1882, he was considered "bold" for holding the laity - especially laymen - to a high standard of fidelity to the Catholic Faith. Contrary to clericalism, he believed in the ability of laity to make a difference, in their families, in the Church, and in society.
​
Our parish was not only the testing grounds for his ideas. It has grown over many decades to be shaped by his high-standards for the laity spiritually, and his spiritual trust that lay men, lay women, and families can be saints.
"
The effect of the Society of the Knights of Columbus has since that become extraordinary; the Catholic layman has been brought to realize the preciousness of his birthright as a son of the Church...
​
"
Fr. Joseph G. Daley, O.P. 1900,
The Personality of Father McGivney
Resources for Families
Parish Priest, by Julie Fenster and Douglas Brinkley
​
"The Personality of Father Michael McGivney", by Father Daley (1900)
​
Video of the beatification of Blessed Michael McGivney, Oct 2020
Other Resources:
Article on the miracle which led to Fr. McGivney's beatification - the healing of an unborn child from a fatal complication
