The Pastoral Career and Administrative Legacy of the
Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans
By Local News Staff
Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0
All About Cheshire
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Early Biography, Education, and Early Ministry (2003–2008)
Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans completed his theological training at Saint John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, where he earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. Upon his ordination to the priesthood in 2003 by Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, he held the distinction of being the youngest ordained in his archdiocesan class.
Following ordination, his early pastoral assignments as an assistant pastor spanned several structurally diverse regional communities:
Glastonbury: St. Paul Church and St. Augustine Church
Torrington: The four-parish cluster comprising St. Francis of Assisi, St. Peter, Sacred Heart, and St. Mary
Union City/Naugatuck: St. Mary and St. Hedwig churches
Chancery and Executive Leadership (2008–2014)
In 2008, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans was appointed to executive administration within the Archdiocese of Hartford Chancery Office. For six years, he served as Assistant Chancellor and Secretary to successive leaders Archbishop Henry J. Mansell and Archbishop Leonard P. Blair. This tenure provided deep insight into archdiocesan finance, parish data infrastructure, and strategic planning—skills that would define his subsequent pastoral assignments.
Pastorship at Saint Bridget of Sweden (2014–2026)
In May 2014, Archbishop Blair appointed Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans pastor of Saint Bridget Parish and School in Cheshire. His twelve-year administration was marked by significant structural consolidations and operational changes:
Parish Consolidation and Closures: Father Romans managed the formal 2017 merger of Cheshire’s St. Bridget, St. Thomas Becket, and Church of the Epiphany parishes, consolidating the three distinct local communities into the singular, structurally unified parish of Saint Bridget of Sweden. As part of this long-term archdiocesan restructuring plan, he oversaw the subsequent decommissioning and closure of both the Church of the Epiphany and the Saint Thomas Becket church buildings for sacred use.
Educational Revitalization: Under his leadership, Saint Bridget School underwent significant facility and technology upgrades, including the integration of classroom iPads and targeted initiatives to stabilize student enrollment. In recognition of these operational improvements, the Archdiocese named him the 2021–2022 Distinguished Catholic Elementary School Pastor.
Philanthropic Mobilization: He directed localized humanitarian fundraising, notably organizing a parish-wide weekend drive that generated over $32,000 for the Knights of Columbus Ukraine Solidarity Fund.
Alongside his local duties, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans maintains broader institutional roles, serving as State Chaplain for the Connecticut Knights of Columbus, a board member for the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools (FACS), and a member of both the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Committee and the Presbyteral Council.
- Board of Directors Membership: Immediately after arriving in Cheshire in 2014, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans joined the Board of Directors for the Cheshire Community Food Pantry. He served on the executive, finance, personnel, and building committees, directly guiding the pantry’s expansion.
- Ecumenical Holiday Campaigns: He pioneered highly successful, collaborative town-wide Thanksgiving and holiday food package distribution campaigns, partnering with other local religious institutions and secular groups.
- The Harvest Garden: Under his leadership, the parish established and maintained the parish Harvest Garden. Volunteers grew fresh, seasonal vegetables exclusively to stock the Cheshire Community Food Pantry with healthy produce options.
- "Beyond the Bulletin" Series: Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans launched a highly popular, recurring live-streaming series titled #BeyondTheBulletin on Facebook Live. These interactive webcasts directly engaged the community on practical faith questions, current events, and parishioner feedback.
- "The Word and Us" Video Broadcasts: He authorized and co-hosted the creation of high-production video series, such as "The Word and Us: Where Scripture Speaks to Our Lives". These distributed digital Bible studies and scriptural analysis to parishioners' homes.
- Comprehensive Mass Streaming: He updated the Cheshire Catholic Livestream Portal to stream daily Masses, Holy Days, and school liturgical functions, providing crisp audio-visual access for homebound residents.
- "Intentional Disciples" Small Groups: He championed the development of the Intentional Disciples (ID) ministry. This program brought adults in their 20s through 50s together for monthly "Disciple's Nights," combining localized prayer, theological debate seminars, and community dinners.
- Distinguished School Leadership: His hands-on catechism initiatives at St. Bridget School—including upgrading the library's multimedia resources and funding tech integration—directly earned him the Archdiocesan Distinguished Catholic Elementary School Pastor title.
- Adult Multimedia Seminars: He structured popular multi-week adult formation seminars using video-assisted curriculum (such as Dr. Brant Pitre's The Case for Jesus) coupled with guided, small-group debate formats.
Transition to Wethersfield: Structural Comparatives
As Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans prepares to transition to his new assignment at Christ the King Parish in Wethersfield, local observers have analyzed how his pastorship style will apply to the new community. Archdiocesan frameworks dictate that church structural mergers and closures are legally and logistically determined by the Archbishop and pastoral planning committees, rather than individual pastors. Consequently, the operational environment awaiting Father Romans in Wethersfield differs significantly from the conditions he encountered in Cheshire:
Prior Consolidation Completed: Unlike the multi-church consolidation and subsequent building closures Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans oversaw in Cheshire—where three separate parishes were unified under Saint Bridget of Sweden—Wethersfield’s Catholic network has already finalized its primary structural shift. The former Corpus Christi and Church of the Incarnation parishes were previously dissolved and merged into Christ the King Parish. Both physical church buildings remain active and integrated under the unified system.
Corpus Christi School: Academic and Faith-Based Education in Wethersfield
( Editors Correction noted, and thank you to Father Roman for bringing it to our attention.)
Corpus Christi School is a private Catholic school located at 581 Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Operating under the Archdiocese of Hartford and in partnership with Christ the King Parish, the school serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.
The school combines a standards-based academic curriculum with religious instruction and character development. Enrollment is estimated between 265 and 325 students, with student-teacher ratios ranging from approximately 11:1 to 15:1.
Campus facilities include a renovated preschool building, science and computer labs, and dedicated art and music spaces. In addition to academics, students participate in extracurricular programs, after-school activities, and a peer mentorship initiative that connects older students with younger classmates to encourage leadership and community involvement.
Operational Horizon at Christ the King Parish
Based on his institutional background in finance and strategic planning, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans' administration in Wethersfield is projected to center on long-term operational stewardship, budgetary optimization, and community-wide outreach.
He will interface with the Christ the King Parish Pastoral Council, which functions as a consultative leadership team designed to align resources across the town's consolidated campuses. Current institutional focus areas within the Wethersfield parish include:
Social Action Networks: Sustaining regional outreach projects, such as the assembly and distribution of over 250 care packages to the McKinney Shelter in Hartford, the Catholic Worker, and the Brian O'Connell Homeless Project.
Humanitarian Fundraising: Managing matching donation challenges, including a recent $10,000 parish matching initiative directed to the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti to fund medical supplies, alongside localized campaigns like the Deacon's Diaper Drive.
Parish Integration and Youth Programs: Maintaining annual post-merger parish picnics to unify the former Corpus Christi and Incarnation congregations, alongside established youth recognition programs such as the Rev. Thomas Campion Award for high school liturgy volunteers.
Sunday Mass - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord- May 17th, 2026
"After 12 years as your pastor, Archbishop Coyne has given me a new assignment. As you can imagine, this is not easy news for me to share. St. Bridget of Sweden Parish and the town of Cheshire have become my home. Together, we've celebrated baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings. We've prayed together in joyful moments and stood together in times of grief and great loss. These years have been among the greatest blessings in my priesthood and my life.
At the same time, I share that Father Ajeesh will be receiving a new assignment as well, even after his short few months here. We will be going together to Christ the King Parish in Wethersfield on June 30th. So we have six weeks to bug you still.
Coming to serve you will be your new pastor, Father Aidan Donahue, from Precious Blood Parish in Milford, and to assist him, Father Jorge Castro, currently in Hamden. I know you will welcome them and support them as you have me and the many parochial vicars who have served here these past 12 years.
There'll be time in the weeks ahead, I'm sure, to reflect, to thank each other, and to celebrate all that God has done in our parish family. And indeed, he has. For now, I simply thank you for your faith, your love, your support, and for allowing me the privilege of being your pastor these past 12 years. Please pray for Father Ajeesh and me during this transition, and know that we keep you all in our prayers."
And we keep you all in our prayers Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans, Father Ajeesh and Fenway.
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