St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in New Canaan welcomed a new pastor last month. The Reverend Robert M. Kinnally who will be installed by the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport this Sunday, Feb. 12 at a Mass celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Mass will be followed by a reception in the St. Aloysius School Gym.
Appointed by Caggiano, Kinnally replaces Msgr. William J. Scheyd who retired after over 50 years of priestly service, including the last 14 at St. Aloysius. Kinnally, who was ordained to the priesthood in 2005 by then Bishop William E. Lori who is now the Archbishop of Baltimore will be responsible for leading the spiritual life of the church, St. Aloysius School and will act as a shepherd to all Catholics in New Canaan.
Born in Yonkers, N.Y., Kinnally attended Iona Preparatory School and Manhattan College where he earned a B.A. degree in English with a minor in French. He holds a Master’s Degree in English and American Literature from New York University with a concentration in Modern American Poetry. Prior to entering the seminary, Kinnally had a 20-year career in university admission and financial aid, serving as a director or dean at Pace University, the State University of New York at Purchase, the University of Bridgeport, and Sarah Lawrence College. From 1997 to 2000 he was Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, where he worked with Condoleezza Rice who was provost at the University at the time.
An accomplished musician, Kinnally studied piano in New York at the Studio of Elise Warren. Beginning in 1974, he was organist and choir director in Catholic churches in New York City and Westchester. In 1986, he served as Organist and Choir Director at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport and has been a member of the American Guild of Organists since 1983.
Kinnally’s seminary studies commenced at St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut where he has served as rector since 2011. He completed a Pontifical Degree in Theology at the Catholic University of America in 2005. His first assignment in the Diocese of Bridgeport was at St. Pius X Parish in Fairfield. In 2009 Bishop Lori named Kinnally Director of Vocations. In 2014, Bishop Caggiano appointed him Chancellor of the Diocese. He has served on the Presbyteral Council, the Diocesan Synod Committee, the Clergy Assignment Board, the Family Life Committee, and the Advisory Committee to the Permanent Diaconate. Since 2008, Father Kinnally has been a trustee of Sacred Heart University where he serves on the Enrollment and Student Life and Academic Affairs Committees.
Introduced to parishioners as Father Rob, he has spent his first month spending time with his clergy brothers, staff, the Parish Advisory Council, ministry leaders and many individual parishioners. He has found the parish be “a lively community of gifted, faithful people who are eager to walk with God and one another on the journey ahead” as he acquaints himself with his new Church family.
“My desire is to accompany everyone in the Saint Aloysius community by providing creative and life-giving opportunities to worship, pray, and serve” said Kinnally, “and I look forward to welcoming newcomers and welcoming back those who have been here before. God has been so good to me and has brought me to places and people I’d never imagine, and I am stronger, wiser, happier, and eager to talk about how that happens in our life with God.”
In his opening homilies, he urged the parishioners of St. Aloysius to come to the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, to find time to be silent and present in prayer every day and to recognize their individual call to discipleship by sharing their faith with others by their way of life.
Recently at the Rite of Enrollment Mass for Confirmation Candidates, he spoke of life’s challenges, the Beatitudes as a blueprint for life and proclaimed, “We need young voices in this Church and need to hear what you need from the Church. We will listen, pray and do the best to provide you with what you need. It is important to realize that the better your relationship with God, the better your relationship will be with others.”
For more information, one may call the church offices at 203-966-0020 or visit the parish website at www.starcc.com.
A new pastor at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in New Canaan will be installed this Sunday, Feb. 12. The Reverend Robert M. Kinnally.
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