Catholic history of Bridgeport, Connecticut:
The first recorded Mass in Bridgeport was celebrated in 1830 by James Fitton in the home of James McCullough on Middle Street.
In 1842, St. James the Apostle Church, serving the Irish population, was dedicated by Bishop Benedict Fenwick of Boston, as Bridgeport was then part of the Diocese of Boston, thus becoming the first formal Catholic parish in the city.
In 1843, the Diocese of Hartford was created, encompassing Connecticut and Rhode Island, and Bridgeport remained under its jurisdiction for over a century.
As increasing numbers of Catholic immigrants arrived, additional parishes were established. St. Mary’s Parish, initially a wooden church built in 1854, became a significant Irish congregation, later replaced by a red-brick Romanesque-style church dedicated in 1877. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ethnic parishes emerged, including St. Michael the Archangel (1899) for Polish immigrants, Sts. Cyril and Methodius (1905) for Slovaks, and Holy Rosary (1930) for Italians.
In 1953, Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Bridgeport, separating it from Hartford, with Saint Augustine Cathedral (originally Saint James Church, dedicated 1868), being the Seat of the Diocese.
Catholic places of interest in Bridgeport, Connecticut:
Oratory of Saints Cyril and Methodius: traditional Latin Mass…Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest)
Saint Margaret Shrine: Shrine to Saint Margaret of Antioch
Traveling to Bridgeport, Connecticut:
By air: The nearest airport to Bridgeport is New Haven (HVN) Airport which is 16.8 miles away. Other nearby airports include New York La Guardia (LGA) (45.5 miles) andNew York JFK (JFK) (48.5 miles),
By train: Bridgeport, Connecticut is served by both Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad trains. Amtrak operates Northeast Regional and Vermonter trains, while Metro-North operates a New Haven Line that connects to Bridgeport,