Founded in 1923, Sacred Heart Church is a national Italian Roman Catholic Church that offers numerous masses throughout the week in both English and Italian. Headed by Father Richard F. Futie, Sacred Heart currently serves 1,200 families and holds various Italian festivals throughout the summer. The church also has both Italian and English choirs, as well as a parochial school that teaches children of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten ages.
Saint John's Park is located directly in front of the Holiday Inn in Downtown Stamford. This park is easy to spot by its large pillar monument and memorial to Stamford Veterans. The beautifully engraved metal lists the names of each Veteran, separated by what war they fought in.
Established in 1913, St Mary's Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church offers Orthodox worship services for Eastern European families throughout the city of Stamford. A member of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the congregation of St. Mary's has recently attracted an influx of new Eastern European immigrants who donate some of their time to keep the church running in exchange for membership. The number of younger families joining the small church is steadily increasing, according to Father Valdimir Horoszczak. Each year, during the last week of October, St. Mary's holds its Troika Fair for three days and invites all Stamford residents to enjoy the festivities.
The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford is one of four Ukrainian Catholic Eparchies in the country. The others are based in Chicago, Parma, Ohio and Philadelphia. It is in full communion with the Church in Rome - the Universal Catholic Church. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is one of 14 churches of the Byzantine tradition. These are autonomous ritual churches, not rites.
In the Stamford area, in addition to the parish church, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church, we have St. Basil Seminary, the Ukrainian Museum and Research Library and the Chancery Office Building. Every year, on the second Sunday in September, a Connecticut Ukrainian Day – open to the public - is held on the grounds of the seminary. All of the eparchial parishes take part and there is an impressive concert of dancers, singers, drama productions, arts and crafts and Ukrainian food.
Opened in 1963, Saint Gabriel Parish currently serves about 600 families as well as the students of Trinity Catholic Middle School, which shares a building with the church. Headed by Rev. Cyprian LaPastina, the church provides two masses on Sunday, additional masses throughout the week and confession on Saturdays. The church features a parish hall for church-related events.
Rabbi Michael Bender is a local teacher who is well-versed in the Jewish faith. He dedicates his time and efforts to those who wish to learn about traditional Hebrew values and spends most of his life studying and helping others, going back and forth between independent work and community service at the Stamford Jewish Center, where he is a well-respected member. Rabbi Bender's expertise includes everything from private sessions and adult seminars to child and teen learning programs. He truly cares about building a stronger, more unified community and encourages anyone who is interested to contact him by phone to set up an appointment or for more information.
Founded in 1905, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church offers Divine Liturgy service on Sunday mornings and hosts both Greek and Sunday schools for children. Annunciation is also the host of the famous annual Grecian Festival, which offers rides, authentic Greek food and folk dancing to the entire city of Stamford. Reverend Father Constantine Mathews currently presides over the church.