The regimental chaplain of General Lafayette's staff celebrated the first Mass in Weston when the Continental troops were bivouacked in this area. In September of 1953, more than 150 years later, 35 people from eight families met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford E. Smith, in the presence of Father Joseph Cleary, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Georgetown, who became the group's first spiritual director. They met to discuss the possibility of a Catholic parish in Weston and how to go about it. To attend Mass, Weston Catholics had to travel a distance south to the Church of the Assumption in Westport or north to Sacred Heart Church in Georgetown. "What do we have to do to get a church of our own?" they asked.
A Journey of Faith
This meeting proved to be a giant step on a Journey of Faith. Father Cleary shared the results of his very successful meeting with the Bishop of Hartford who gave a sympathetic response to their dream. The Weston Catholic Society was soon formed.
In February 1954, Bishop Lawrence J. Shehan, recently installed as the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Bridgeport, enthusiastically encouraged the members of the Weston Catholic Society, under Father Cleary, to continue their efforts. With Father Cleary continuing to receive a very positive response from the bishop, especially after an inspection tour of Weston, the momentum of the Weston Catholic Society continued on a high.
The Creation of a Parish
Toward the end of 1954, after much work and many fundraising events, 12 acres of land owned by Mr. George O. May were purchased at a cost of $25,000. As the congregation grew, the celebration of Mass was moved to the Weston Town Hall.
The great moment came on October 26, 1955, when Bishop Shehan announced he was canonically establishing the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi, with the Town of Weston as its boundaries. At the same time, he announced the appointment of Father Franklin J. Corrigan as its first pastor. The joy was unrestrained. The first major milestone on this Journey of Faith had been reached.
A House of God is Built
There would be other milestones ahead. Father James Murphy, who succeeded Father Corrigan as pastor in 1957, undertook a fund-drive to complete the building of the church. On Christmas Eve, 1958, at the Midnight Mass, the first Mass in the nearly completed St. Francis of Assisi Church was celebrated. This was a thrilling event for the parishioners, whose dreams of a parish church in Weston was realized after six years of planning, fund-raising and hard work. Bishop Shehan formally dedicated the church on February 1, 1959.
Many Pastors Served
After the church was dedicated, Father John Filip was appointed pastor and remained until 1964. Father Hugh Coffey arrived as pastor in August, 1964. A rectory was built next to the church in 1968. Father Edward Doyle served from 1976 to 1981, and Father Robert Franklin who served from 1982 to 1991 succeeded him. Bishop Edward M. Egan installed Monsignor Nicholas Grieco as seventh pastor on February 2, 1992.
Challenged to Spiritual Renewal
When Monsignor Grieco was installed as the seventh pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, he invited all parishioners to join him in a spiritual renewal based on the church's four sources of strength - Prayer, the Scriptures, the Eucharist, and the Community of Believers with Jesus at the center.
The following are some of the significant developments that have taken place during this period:
- The parish advisory council was reorganized, giving this group the important task of long-range parish planning
- Seven ministries were created to carry out the mission of the church in the parish
- A parish mission statement was formulated "In the Spirit of St. Francis, to know Jesus and make Him known," and three major parish goals were set:
- Evangelization
- Spiritual Renewal
- Building of Community
- A long-range plan was formulated and is used as a guide in developing parish programs and projects
- On September 30th 1999, the new parish center was completed and blessed by Bishop Egan