BY EMILY CLARK – FCC May 2026
STAMFORD—Sharon MacKnight can still picture the water gushing in, dripping onto the pews and soaking the stone floor in front of the steps to the main altar. Large buckets were strategically placed to catch the raindrops, even as Mass continued to be celebrated.
“It came down in reams, pooling everywhere, but we worked together to clean up,” said this longtime parishioner at St. Mary Parish in Stamford. “I was so afraid someone was going to slip in there.”
For MacKnight and thousands of others who worship at St. Mary, this had been a common sight over the last few years—the result of a water infiltration issue that ultimately caused widespread damage to both the interior and exterior of this historic stone church near downtown Stamford. Following an extraordinary collaborative effort among partner parishes in lower Fairfield County, the diocese and Foundations in Faith, renovations to the outside of the 100-year-old building were completed this past winter, alleviating the water trouble inside. To mark this milestone event, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano presided over a solemn blessing on Sunday afternoon, May 3.
With hymns and readings in both English and Spanish, the ceremony began inside the church and drew hundreds of parishioners and guests from around the diocese to celebrate what the bishop called “a new chapter in the life of St. Mary-St. Benedict,” referencing the unification of the two parishes into one back in 2020.
“This is a beautiful, priceless building. We give thanks to those who did the work, and we gather to bless the generosity of so many people,” the bishop said. “When this church was built, countless families gave sacrificially to build a house that would be dignified before the Lord. Those who would come would recognize that they stepped out of the world into a taste of Heaven, for this is the dwelling place of the Lord. This is where God’s children come to worship. Let us pray that you and I will see the day when this church is totally restored and that at each Mass, we see every seat filled.”
After his comments indoors, Bishop Caggiano, followed by a dozen altar servers, several lectors and brother priests, led a procession of the faithful out onto the driveway in front of the church. As a chilly wind blew under a cloudless sky, old and young, those with canes and walkers, strollers and even a guide dog joined him as the ceremony continued where this time, attendees could see firsthand the magnificent work done on the exterior.
Together with Father Juan Gabriel Acosta, pastor of St. Mary, the bishop offered a blessing: “We have come together to bless the exterior renovations. Lord God, you sent your son into our world to unite us all. He is the good shepherd, the door we enter to be safe, to find peace. May all who enter find peace, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.” He then led those gathered on a walk around the outside of the church, blessing it with holy water and incense.
Catechist Sandra Hidalgo was one of the many who joined in this outdoor procession.
“I love this church. It’s my heart. I feel at home here, and I always want to come to Mass,” she said, speaking in Spanish and English.
For Lidia Lupinacci, a parishioner for over 50 years, this beautiful building was only made more so by the repairs. Pointing to the aged and damaged doors as the crowd made its way around St. Mary’s, she said, “There’s still work to be done, but look at this new roof. Gorgeous, and the bricks!”
In the past, when rain fell at a certain angle, water poured into the church, so most of the gutters on each side had to be replaced due to improper construction. Additionally, according to George Schiff, project manager for the exterior restoration, to account for missing or damaged bricks and the grout that secures them, vendors were brought in to examine it all, and some pieces actually needed to be recreated and then replaced.
“It wasn’t just a matter of going down to Home Depot and picking up a brick!” he said.
Though the exterior work has been completed, it will be up to two years until the restoration can commence on the interior, as contractors must wait until everything is dry.
“It’s very labor intensive,” Schiff added.
With labor comes cost, and the bishop mentioned in his comments how grateful St. Mary Parish is for the financial support of so many who helped in covering the estimated $3.25 million project. Together, St. Thomas More Parish in Darien and St. Catherine of Siena-St. Agnes in Greenwich contributed almost $500,000, and the St. Francis Xavier Fund for Missionary Parishes, the ninth fund established under Foundations in Faith, committed $350,000 to efforts at St. Mary’s, half of which went to the water infiltration initiative.
Kelly Weldon, program officer for the St. Francis Xavier Fund, remembers learning of the water troubles just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“When we heard about the severity—how parishioners were pulling out wet-vacs and walking by puddles as they received the Eucharist—we decided this would be a project of the SFX fund,” she said. “Today, this is such a joyful event that shows the power of partnership and of bringing people together. We’re really not individual churches; we are one Church.”
Schiff still has vivid memories of walking into Mass, hearing the drip, drip of water in the buckets and listening to friends say, “What are we going to do?”
“It’s not an overnight job,” he said, “so we’ve got to take one step at a time.”
For these parishioners, however, throughout the process of renovations—with cleaning and scaffolding, gutter work and glass repair—they, like so many, were very grateful they still had the opportunity to attend Mass.
