Saint Augustine Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Saint Augustine Church in North Branford, known as the “church on the hill”, willcelebrate the 50^th anniversary of the dedication of the new churchbuilding with a Mass on Sunday, August 12^th  at 2 p.m.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell will concelebrate the Mass with the Rev. Robert Rousseau, pastor of Saint
Augustine, Deacons William Lovelace and John Hart, and former priests who have served the parish over the years, including Monsignor Gerard Schmitz, the Rev.
Robert Lord, the Rev. Joseph Parel, the Rev. John Lavorgna, the Rev. Carlos Echavarria Ocampo, and Deacon William Burgers.

“Overthe decades, the parishioners have continued to make Saint Augustine’s a
praying, worshiping, caring center of Christian love,” said the Archbishop.

For some parishioners, like Deacon Lovelace, the parish has been a center piece of their lives. Lovelace remembers attending Mass at the old church building on
Route 139 that seated only 120 people. Today, the church can seat over 700. Lovelace served as an altar boy from 4^th grade through high school, and as an adult, decided to become a deacon in order to serve people who needed his services. He is proud of the fact that he has been
able to witness the marriage of both of his children at Saint Augustine and has administered the Sacrament of Baptism to all five of his grandchildren.

According to Lovelace, Saint Augustine began observing its golden anniversary as early as last October with a late night catechism at North Branford High School where
over 400 people attended. More recently, several parishioners including Lovelace and Father Rousseau attended a pilgrimage in Ireland where they visited the Book of Kells and Our Lady of Knock.

On Saturday, August 11^th, parishioners will celebrate the anniversary at a sold-out dinner reception being held at Foxon Country House. Then, the festivities will culminate with Sunday’s Mass.