On November 5, 1926, a modest parcel of land was purchased at the bottom of Weed Hill, near the corner of Hope St., extending south to Mulberry. A few months later, on February 13, 1927, Mass was celebrated for the first time on the property, in the basement of the Church of St. Cecilia which, though under construction at the time, would be the heart of the new parish that had been carved out of the territory of St. John’s to serve the people of Springdale. Within ten years, the parish territory was expanded to include most of North Stamford. Throughout the 1940s the parish census dramatically increased under the pastoral leadership of Fr. John Shea who made many facility improvements and inaugurated the annual St. Cecilia Bazaar. Parishioners who were kids at the time remember eating hot dogs and roller-skating under the lights in the parking lot of the old St. Cecilia property. By the early 1950s the Catholic population of the parish territory had doubled, leaving the old facilities inadequate. And so, Fr. Myron Miller, with the support of parish leadership, purchased the Babcock estate on Newfield Ave., where in 1955 they opened a new school, staffed by the Sisters of Divine Providence. In December 1956 the present Church of St. Cecilia was consecrated by Most Reverend Lawrence Sheehan, the first bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Upon Fr. Miller’s death in 1961, Fr. Joseph Heffernan was appointed the sixth pastor of the parish. Many of our parishioners remember Msgr. Heffernan, and his successors, Msgr. Roger Watts, Fr. Dave Riley, and Fr. Bert Pinciaro. In 2019, the Newfield Ave. parishes of St. Cecilia and St. Gabriel were merged, and the current chapter of Catholic life in this part of Stamford began.
100 years is a remarkable milestone. It’s an occasion to consider all those who came before us – the multitude of souls whose names fill the parish sacramental records, who lived, worshiped, and died in our neighborhoods, and who, please God, have gone to their eternal reward. We ought to be thankful to them for leaving us the beautiful patrimony of our parish campus and likewise be mindful of our responsibility to pass on to future generations a vibrant Catholic parish whose members become saints together. One way we might do this, especially those who grew up here or have called the parish home for many years, is to consider including the parish in your estate planning. Legacy gifts of any size are extremely helpful in maintaining the long-term financial health of a parish like ours.
We also show our gratitude to those who came before us by praying for them. This Monday, All Souls Day, I will be offering a special Mass at 11am in St. John’s Cemetery on Camp Ave., to which all are welcome to attend. I also want to invite you to a special Mass of Thanksgiving in honor of our patroness St. Cecilia on Friday 11/20 at 6:30pm, followed by an ice cream social in McDermott Hall. Of course, the ice cream served will be of the top-shelf variety, appropriate to the centenary celebration. Next fall we hope to commemorate the anniversary with a bigger celebration in our newly renovated hall. May the Lord bless our parish as we begin our second century together.
posted 10/31/26
