Rev. Petrucci Named Associate Chaplain

DANBURY — The Rev Raymond K. Petrucci, an ordained Catholic priest with extensive experience in chaplaincy services for community organizations, has been appointed by the Diocese of Bridgeport as an associate Catholic chaplain at Danbury Hospital, where he has served as a part-time chaplain since 2002.

Collaborating with Rev Dr Paul Beavers, director of pastoral care, and the Rev Brian Gray, Catholic chaplain, Father Petrucci’s new role supports the hospital’s Pastoral Care Department, which provides interfaith spiritual support for patients and their families, as well as outreach via a Patient Greeter Program, Parish Nurse Program, Eucharistic ministers, and initiatives with community-based clergy from many religious faiths.

In response to the new appointment, Rev Beavers expressed his “deep appreciation that the Diocese of Bridgeport has demonstrated their value of and commitment to the emotional and spiritual needs of our patients by increasing their staffing coverage.”

Father Petrucci has been the chaplain for the Danbury Police Department for the last three years, as well as chaplain for the Danbury Health Care Center, a skilled nursing facility. For the past three years, he also was director of the Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Connecticut State University.

Between 1997 and 2002, Father Petrucci was rector of Saint Augustine Cathedral, Bridgeport, parochial vicar of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Church, Shelton, vice principal for institutional advancement at Immaculate High School, Danbury, and chaplain for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Monroe.

Prior to 1997, Father Petrucci served as acting principal, vice principal, director of admissions, and spiritual director for Saint Joseph High School, Trumbull, and parochial vicar for Saint Ambrose Church, Bridgeport, and Saint Thomas Aquinas Church, Fairfield. 

Ordained by the Diocese of Bridgeport in 1973, the Bridgeport native earned a doctor of ministry from the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, Calif., and a master of divinity from Saint Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, in 1980 and 1973, respectively. Father Petrucci received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint Francis College, Loretto, Penn., in 1969, and earned an associate’s degree in classical languages from Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary, Bloomfield, Conn., in 1967.

After attending the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, Stratford, for his third class radiotelephone license, Father Petrucci acted as a producer and host of numerous radio programs on WICC in Bridgeport, WAVZ in New Haven, and on WADS in Ansonia. He has served as co-host for the radio program Thoughts for the Week on the ABC Satellite Network, and worked as a staff writer for the Internet magazine Spirituality for Today.

Additionally, Father Petrucci is an instructor for USA Oyama Karate, headquartered in New York City; he is a first-degree black belt.