Two Country Churches, One Parish Family
St. Ambrose Parish serves Catholics across North Branford, Northford, and (since September 2024) North Haven, Connecticut, from two historic church buildings: St. Augustine Church on Caputo Road in North Branford and St. Monica Church on Middletown Avenue in Northford. The parish was formed on January 1, 2016, by the merger of those two long-standing parishes and is now linked with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish in North Haven. Father Robert L. Turner continues as pastor, joined by Parochial Vicars Father Robert Morgewicz and Father Ajeesh K. Ouseph and Deacon Joseph Marenna. With more than 4,500 registered families, the parish has built a reputation for offering the Mass in both English and Latin every week, a full sacramental life, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children, a Discipleship-track small-group ministry for teens, and steady outreach through a food pantry, a prayer-shawl ministry, and parish-wide devotion.
A History of Two Country Catholic Communities
Catholics were a small presence in North Branford and Northford in the mid-19th century, traveling into New Haven to attend Mass at St. Patrick or St. Mary. After 1854, those families could ride instead to the new St. Mary Parish in Branford once every three weeks. A Mission of that parish was soon organized, and on February 29, 1920, Father Thomas J. Murray celebrated the first North Branford Mass in the Walsh family home. Five years later, on Route 139, the St. Augustine mission chapel was dedicated; in 1936 the mission transferred to the care of St. George Parish in Guilford; and in 1941 Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe erected St. Augustine as a parish of its own with Father John J. McCarthy as first pastor. By 1960 the congregation had outgrown its first chapel, and the present-day St. Augustine Church was built on 30 Caputo Road.
Across town, a second mission chapel at St. Monica in Northford was blessed on June 7, 1953, and in September 1964 Bishop McAuliffe made St. Monica a parish under its first pastor, Father Steven G. Vitka, at 1321 Middletown Avenue. By the late 1970s the original buildings had grown too small, so the present-day St. Monica Church and parish hall were completed in 1978. Later pastors included Father Stanley Nazzaro (1972-1984), Father Joseph Kaminsky (1984-1994), and Father Joseph Parel (1995-2013) at St. Monica, and Father Robert J. Rousseau (2006-2013) at St. Augustine. The two parishes were linked under Father Turner in 2013, formally merged into St. Ambrose Parish on January 1, 2016, and then linked with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish in North Haven in September 2024.
Mass Through the Week: English and Latin
Weekend Mass brings together the two churches and the wider parish family. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:30 PM at St. Augustine Church in the English Ordinary Form, without incense. Sunday morning continues at 9:00 AM at St. Monica Church, also in the English Ordinary Form and without incense. The 11:00 AM Sunday Mass at St. Augustine is celebrated in the Latin Ordinary Form with the use of incense, drawing Latin-Mass faithful from along the shoreline corridor. On Holy Days of Obligation, Masses are offered at 9:00 AM at St. Augustine and 6:00 PM at St. Monica.
Daily Mass is offered at 9:00 AM at St. Augustine Church on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. There is no daily Mass on Thursdays. On Tuesday evenings the parish celebrates a 6:00 PM Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form (the Traditional Latin Mass) at St. Augustine, giving the faithful the full Tridentine liturgy each week in addition to the 11:00 AM Sunday Latin Mass.
Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
Confessions are heard every Monday evening from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at St. Augustine, in tandem with the Monday Evening Eucharistic Hour. Confessions are also heard each morning from 8:30 to 8:55 AM before daily Mass, except on Thursdays (no daily Mass) and Sundays, so the rhythm of Confession fits with the workday Mass-goer.
Eucharistic Adoration is the quiet backbone of parish devotional life. The Monday Evening Hour runs from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at St. Augustine, with a priest available throughout for Confession. A second Adoration Hour runs on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at St. Barnabas (in the linked parish), again with Confession available. On First Fridays, a guided hour of Adoration is held from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at St. Augustine. Visitors are welcome to stay for the entire hour or to step in for a few minutes between errands.
The Seven Sacraments of St. Ambrose
The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church - Baptism, Penance (Reconciliation), the Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick - shape the rhythm of parish life. Parents seeking Baptism for an infant call Cyndie Baker, Operations Manager, at the parish office to begin the baptismal preparation, and Baptisms are celebrated on Sundays by appointment. Children who have already been baptized in another Christian church are not re-baptized; baptized Catholic children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion join the parish's faith-formation program, and unbaptized adults prepare through OCIA.
Confirmation for the parish's high-school teens follows the Discipleship track described below. Adults who have not yet been confirmed can prepare through OCIA. Weddings at St. Ambrose are scheduled by appointment, with arrangements made at least six months in advance to allow for interviews, instruction, marriage preparation classes, and the FOCCUS inventory; Father Turner, Father Morgewicz, Father Ouseph, and Deacon Marenna celebrate weddings at both St. Augustine and St. Monica.
The Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone whose illness, age, or infirmity keeps them from Mass, and the priests also make pastoral visits for Communion calls, Confession, and Anointing. Parishioners are asked to contact the parish office when a loved one is hospitalized or homebound. Sponsorship certificates (the Godparent Affirmation for Baptism and the Sponsor Affirmation for Confirmation) are issued only to registered parishioners who have been active at St. Ambrose for at least six months.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
Adults who are unbaptized, or who were baptized in another Christian tradition and seek full communion with the Catholic Church, walk through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly known as RCIA). The OCIA journey at St. Ambrose follows the ancient practice restored by the Second Vatican Council, moving through the Period of Inquiry (Pre-Catechumenate), the Rite of Initiation into the worshipping community, the longer Catechumenate of formation in Catholic teaching and life, the Rite of Election at the cathedral, the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist - at the Easter Vigil, and the period of Mystagogy that follows. Classes begin each September, and inquirers contact the parish office at 203-484-0403 to leave a name and number; someone from the OCIA team reaches back. Unbaptized older children and adults are also invited into this ancient path.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Faith formation for children at St. Ambrose is built around the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based program that treats each atrium as "a sacred space" where even the youngest child can encounter the mystery of God. Three age groups are offered: Level I for ages 3 to 5, Level II for ages 6 to 9, and Level III for ages 9 to 12. The atria are set up at the St. Augustine Parish Center with child-sized furnishings, presentations tied to Scripture and Liturgy, and materials that respect each child's pace of growth.
Families can choose from four weekly time slots: Sundays from 9:15 to 10:45 AM, Mondays from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM, or Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, all at the St. Augustine Parish Center. Parents of enrolled children meet once a month with Father Turner on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 PM via Zoom for adult formation and Q&A. Catechists are needed each year, with training provided; assistant catechists and substitute teachers are always welcome, and interested parishioners contact Judy Derbacher, Faith Formation Coordinator for Grades 1-6, or Cyndie Baker to learn more.
Discipleship for Teens: Grades 7 Through 12 and Beyond
The junior-high program for grades 7 and 8 meets three Monday evenings a month using YOUCAT, the youth edition of the Catechism approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The four-part curriculum walks students through "What We Believe," "How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries," "How We Are to Have Life in Christ," and "How We Should Pray" across a two-year cycle. Junior High sessions meet Monday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
High-school students in grades 9 through 12 follow a different model. After a year of small-group fellowship, teens are invited into the parish Discipleship track, where adult Small Group Leaders facilitate conversations about God, faith, relationships, religion, and life. Small groups meet every other Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Teens who have spent at least a year in small group and have begun taking ownership of their faith are invited into Confirmation preparation when they are ready, and a Post-Confirmation Small Group meets once a month after that for ongoing formation, service, retreats, and prayer with visiting speakers.
Throughout the high-school Discipleship model, the parish walks teens through the T.R.A.I.T.S. of a disciple: Time for prayer and reflection, Respect through service to others, Acceptance of Christ's teachings as a way of life, Intercession as a regular prayer life, Telling others about the faith, and Sacramental grace through the seven sacraments. Reflection questions and concrete action steps for each trait are available in a printable PDF.
Adult Faith Formation, Book Clubs, and Small Groups
Adults have their own paths of formation alongside the family programs. Father Turner leads a monthly Monday-evening formation and Q&A for parents whose children are enrolled in faith formation; the session runs from 7:00 to 8:00 PM via Zoom. A Women's Book Club meets monthly at St. Monica Church, and Father Turner leads a separate book club through the summer, Advent, and Lent. Bible Study is open at any time during the year and walks together through Scripture. The Alpha Team recruits facilitators, table helpers, caterers, and set-up/server volunteers for Alpha sessions.
A Faith Sharing Group gathers men and women to read and discuss the upcoming weekend's readings, and the Ladies Guild plans and hosts the annual parish Christmas craft bazaar alongside other community-building events. A Parish Pastoral Council is involved in most activities and programs affecting the liturgical and spiritual life of the parish, and the Finance Council advises the pastor on financial matters and approves the annual budgets. Adults who want to grow as disciples are guided through the same six T.R.A.I.T.S. used for teens.
Rosary, Legion of Mary, and Personal Devotions
Friday evenings at 7:00 PM draw the Rosary community together at St. Monica Church. During Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed on Friday evenings, and a Pro-Life Rosary gathers the parish for meditative hymn and recitation, praying for the sanctity of life from conception until natural death. A Prayer Chain of parishioners carries ongoing prayer intentions for those in special need.
The Legion of Mary meets weekly in the parish for Marian devotion and apostolic work. The Women's Faith Sharing Group gathers every other Tuesday at 9:30 AM in the St. Monica church hall, and new women are always welcome. Father Turner and the parish priests expand the schedule of Confession during Advent and Lent with additional days and hours beyond the regular Monday-evening and pre-Mass offerings. Sacramentals such as the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Lectio Divina, and Eucharistic Adoration are actively encouraged.
Music and Choirs
Music at St. Ambrose brings together adult and youth choirs under the direction of Music Director Dominic Uleano, with choral conductor and vocal coach Dr. Muriel Maharidge. The choirs sing for weekend Masses in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, supporting the English Masses at both churches, the 11:00 AM Latin Mass at St. Augustine, and the seasonal liturgies of Holy Week, the Sacred Triduum, and Eastertide. Singers of any experience level are welcome from age 7 upward; rehearsals and formation are coordinated through the parish office.
Outreach and the Works of Mercy
The Food Pantry Team meets monthly to pack bags of food for neighbors in need in North Branford, Northford, and North Haven, with special gifts prepared for children at Christmas and Easter. The Samaritan Stitchers, a group of knitters and crocheters, meet bi-monthly to make prayer shawls and lap blankets for the sick and homebound, alongside baby blankets and clothing for the St. Gianna Pregnancy Resource Center. Knights of Columbus Council members work together for the good of the parish and the wider community.
Parishioners are encouraged to live the seven Corporal Works of Mercy (feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead) and the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy (sharing knowledge, giving counsel, comforting the suffering, being patient, forgiving, offering correction, and praying for the living and the dead) in their daily lives. Parish life also calls the baptized into service through the choir, lector, altar server, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, hospitality, food pantry, and homebound visitations.
Catholic Beliefs and the Liturgical Year
In its own catechetical pages, the parish teaches that at Mass the priest, through the power of his ordination and the action of the Holy Spirit, brings about the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, so that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist (CCC 1413). The Sacrament of Penance restores the soul to grace, the Anointing of the Sick offers strength and healing in serious illness, and Holy Orders and Matrimony serve communion - the priest for the People of God, husband and wife for each other and for their children. The parish confesses its beliefs in the Nicene Creed each Sunday at Mass.
The parish follows the universal liturgical calendar: Advent and Christmas, Lent, the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, Eastertide through Pentecost, and Ordinary Time, with Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials of the saints observed throughout the year. The Pope, as successor of St. Peter, is recognized as the chief pastor and shepherd of the whole Church, with the bishops as his successors in apostolic succession. The communion of saints, the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death are central to the parish's teaching. Christian unity - long prayed for between Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox churches - is also highlighted as a continuing work of the Spirit.
The parish welcomes returning Catholics, those interested in becoming Catholic, and lifelong Catholics who wish to deepen the practice of their faith through dedicated sections on Newcomers, Register, Becoming Catholic, Returning Catholics, and OCIA, alongside ongoing faith formation. Retreats and parish-wide gatherings, supported through Flocknote text and email updates, keep the community connected between Sundays.
Practicalities for First-Time Visitors
The parish office is located in the Parish Center at St. Augustine Church, 30 Caputo Road, North Branford, CT 06471, and is reached at 203-484-0403 (extension 305 for Cyndie Baker, Operations Manager; extension 303 for Judy Derbacher, Faith Formation Coordinator for Grades 1-6). Office hours are 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, with limited hours during faith-formation class times.
Driving directions to St. Monica Church are offered for visitors from either direction along I-91. From points north on I-91 South, take Exit 12 (Washington Avenue / Route 5), turn left onto Washington Avenue, then left onto Clintonville Road / CT-22, merge onto Middletown Avenue / CT-17, and 1331 Middletown Avenue will be on the left. From points south on I-91 North, take Exit 8 toward CT-17 / Middletown Avenue / CT-80, keep left at the fork, continue straight onto Middletown Avenue / CT-17, and the church will be on the right.
A parish bulletin is published weekly and made available online with past editions kept in a downloadable archive. A Flocknote sign-up, free of charge to registered parishioners, delivers parish news and schedule changes by text or email. Online giving through OSV Hub allows regular and one-time gifts, including the annual Archdiocese of Hartford appeal, holy days, flowers, and religious-education tuition, with a year-end giving statement for tax purposes. Mail-in and drop-off donations are also welcome at the parish office.