About Holy Cross Parish · Fairfield, Connecticut
Holy Cross Parish (Župnija Svetega Križa) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Bridgeport, located at 750 Tahmore Drive in Fairfield, Connecticut. Founded on June 13, 1913 to minister to Slovenian immigrants who had fled political and religious persecution in the southern Balkans, the parish was originally established in Bridgeport and moved to its present Fairfield site in 1972. Today it continues to celebrate its Slovenian Catholic heritage — including an annual Polka Mass and Slovenian & American Picnic — while welcoming Catholics of all backgrounds to its liturgical and parish life.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- Holy Cross (Sveti Križ)
- Rector
- The Rev'd Alfred F. Pecaric, S.T.L.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Bridgeport
Why belong here
Holy Cross is a small, welcoming personal parish that has preserved and continues to celebrate its distinctive Slovenian Catholic identity — from the annual Polka Mass and Slovenian & American Picnic to the hearty ethnic cooking traditions and a published 100th-anniversary parish cookbook. At the same time, the parish explicitly welcomes newcomers of every background, offers weekday morning Masses, Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, Eucharistic Adoration on weekday mornings, and a Religious Education program for children, making it an approachable spiritual home for anyone seeking a faith community grounded in tradition, family and ethnic heritage.
Mass times at Holy Cross Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM to 4:15 PM
- By appointment (contact the rectory office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Wednesday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Thursday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Friday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
About Holy Cross Parish
Holy Cross Parish (Župnija Svetega Križa) is a Roman Catholic personal (ethnic) parish of the Diocese of Bridgeport, located at 750 Tahmore Drive in Fairfield, Connecticut. Founded in 1913 to serve Slovenian immigrants fleeing politico-religious persecution, the parish today continues to nurture its Slovenian Catholic heritage — liturgy, language, food, devotions, and community celebrations — while explicitly welcoming Catholics of every background. The parish proclaims that it 'extends a warm welcome to all newcomers' and invites visitors to find 'a place where your faith will be nourished.'
History
The parish was erected on June 13, 1913 in the Diocese of Hartford by founding pastor Rev. Mihael Golob, a priest of the Maribor (Slovenia) Diocese who had arrived in the U.S. in 1912. Initially worshipping in the basement of St. Anthony's Church in Bridgeport, the Slovenian community grew, added a rectory in 1916, and built up an active fraternal organization (St. Joseph KSKJ Local Lodge No. 148). As the membership dispersed to the suburbs by the 1960s, the parish decision was taken under Fr. Alojzij Hribšek to relocate to Fairfield, where the present Holy Cross Church was dedicated on November 26, 1972 and a parish pastoral center on May 4, 1980. The parish celebrated its 75th Diamond Jubilee in 1988 and its 100th Anniversary in 2013.
- 1913 — Parish erected June 13 in Diocese of Hartford by Rev. Mihael Golob.
- 1913 — Regular Slovenian Masses begin January 26 in basement of St. Anthony's Church, Bridgeport.
- 1913 — St. Joseph KSKJ Local Lodge No. 148 founded February 15.
- 1916 — New rectory added; land purchased for a future parish school.
- 1950 — Death of founding pastor Fr. Mihael Golob; succeeded by Dr. Andrej Farkaš.
- 1967 — Death of Fr. Farkaš (January 20, automobile accident); Fr. Alojzij Hribšek takes over administration.
- 1972 — New Holy Cross Church in Fairfield dedicated November 26.
- 1980 — Parish Pastoral Center dedicated May 4.
- 1988 — Diamond Jubilee (75th) celebrated.
- 2013 — 100th Anniversary of the parish; anniversary cookbook published.
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church as part of its regular pastoral ministry. Reconciliation is scheduled weekly on Saturdays and is also available by appointment. Baptisms, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, and Confirmation are coordinated through the rectory office.
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Saturday 3:45–4:15 PM and by appointment
- Eucharist (daily Mass, Sunday Mass, and Vigil Mass)
- Eucharistic Adoration (Tuesday–Friday mornings)
- Religious Education (preparation for First Communion and Confirmation)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement with the rectory
Religious Education
Holy Cross offers a parish-based Religious Education program (Parish School of Religion) for children of parish families. Classes meet Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, following the Fairfield Public Schools calendar, with weather-related cancellations announced via local weather channels. The program is coordinated by Jackie Azarian, with Lori Moomjian assisting; both can be reached at (203) 218-5525.
- Coordinator: Jackie Azarian (and Lori Moomjian)
- Phone: (203) 218-5525
- Schedule: Monday evenings, 5:30–6:30 PM
- Follows Fairfield Public Schools calendar
Slovenian Heritage & Cultural Life
Holy Cross was founded as a Slovenian ethnic parish and remains a heritage parish today. The parish preserves Slovenian Catholic customs — bilingual greetings, Easter blessings ('Vesele velikonočne praznike'), ethnic food traditions, and cultural festivals — and partners with the SNPJ (Slovenian National Benefit Society) heritage network. The annual Slovenian & American Polka Picnic (Sunday, September 13, 2026, beginning with a 10:00 AM Polka Mass) is the parish's signature cultural event, featuring Slovenian and American foods (stuffed cabbage, cevapcici, pig and lamb roasts, žlikrofi, apple strudel, palačinke) and live polka entertainment.
- Annual Polka Mass and Slovenian & American Picnic
- 100th Anniversary Parish Cookbook (350+ recipes with ethnic section)
- Parish partnerships with SNPJ (Slovenian National Benefit Society) and St. Joseph KSKJ Local Lodge No. 148
- Heritage photo albums preserved on the parish website (History and Picnic galleries)
Parish Staff & Leadership
Pastoral and administrative leadership of the parish is led by the pastor and supported by a lay Finance Board, Parish Advisory Board, religious-education coordinators, organists, and a parish bookkeeper. The structure reflects both the spiritual and the operational life of the parish.
- Pastor: The Rev'd Alfred F. Pecaric, S.T.L. (ordained June 6, 1982, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome)
- Religious Education Coordinator: Jackie Azarian (with Lori Moomjian)
- Bookkeeper: John Ertlmaier, CPA
- Finance Board Chairman: William Sekelsky
- President of Parish Advisory Board: Robert Kokorda
- Organists: Lori Golias and Anthony Sagnella
- Parish Office: (203) 372-4595
Visit, Contact & Practical Info
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed at Holy Cross Parish. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and weekday-morning Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, and Sunday Mass all offer opportunities to visit, pray, and become acquainted with the community.
- Address: 750 Tahmore Drive, Fairfield, CT 06825 (across from Lake Mohegan)
- Phone: (203) 372-4595
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://holycrosschurchfairfield.com/
- Diocese: Diocese of Bridgeport (https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org/)
- Annual Picnic: Sunday of the second weekend of September
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Mihael Golob1913–1950
Founding pastor; priest of the Maribor Diocese in Slovenia; arrived in U.S. March 1912; established parish June 13, 1913 in Bridgeport; remained pastor until his death in 1950. Parish name chosen by him in gratitude to the Slovenian Franciscan Commissariat of the Holy Cross Province.
- Dr. Andrej Farkašafter 1950–1967
Second pastor; began thinking about relocating the parish out of Bridgeport as members moved to suburbs; died in an automobile accident on January 20, 1967.
- Rev. Alojzij Hribšek1967–after 1988
Administrator after Fr. Farkaš's death; led the move to Fairfield and the building of the new Holy Cross Church (dedicated November 26, 1972) and the parish pastoral center (dedicated May 4, 1980); active with the St. Joseph KSKJ Local Lodge.
- Rev. Alfred F. Pecaric, S.T.L.present
Current pastor; ordained June 6, 1982 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.