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Original Article: https://bit.ly/3M39jf3
Archbishop Blair Blesses New Cathedral Community Center in Hartford
“The heart of charity in the center of Hartford,” said Archbishop Leonard Blair.
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 .
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.
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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.