ON May 19, 2007, when Bishop William E. Lori ordained Filipino priest, Fr. Cyrus Bartolome, for the Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut, along with three other priests, (from Poland, Colombia, and Puerto Rico), he mentioned that it just shows the increasing diversity of the family of faith in the Diocese.
Held at the Saint Augustine Cathedral, 359 Washington in Bridgeport, the 2007 ordination of Fr. Cyrus was a day he could never forget.
“This is a great day for the Diocese of Bridgeport, with the promise of great blessings ahead,” said Bishop Lori. “These fine young men have worked very hard to arrive at this day which, for them and their ministry, is the beginning of giving their lives for God’s people in the person of Jesus Christ, our High Priest. As we give thanks to the Holy Spirit, we also express our gratitude to the parents, family members, parish priests, and countless others who supported these vocations and made Our Lord’s call that much easier for these men to hear and embrace.”
For Fr. Cyrus, God’s call did not come early in his life.
Thirty three years ago, Cyrus Matic Bartolome was born in Bay, Laguna, in the Philippines, to Elizabeth and Guillermo Dalit. He graduated from the Liceo de Bay, and lived for a year in Germany before coming to America.
He initially wanted to enter the medical field. So, he enrolled in Norwalk Community College. While there, Cyrus recognized a call to the priesthood.
He entered the Saint John Fisher Seminary Residence in Stamford in 1995. He graduated from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, attended Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, and completed his theological studies at Saint Joseph Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, NY.
He served summer assignments at Saint Luke Parish in Westport, Saint Peter Parish in Danbury, and Saint Matthew and Saint Jerome parishes, both in Norwalk. He served his first Mass as deacon at Saint Mary’s in Bethel, Connecticut where he is presently assigned.
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