Archbishop Mansell Implements Precautions for Mass

Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell is asking all parishes take three temporary precautions to prevent the spreading of swine flu:

1. "The faithful should be encouraged to share the sign of peace without physical contact. A smile, a wave, or a nod of the head would be appropriate."
2. "Communion should preferably be given only under the species of the consecrated host, and communicants should be encouraged to receive in their hands rather than on the tongue. If, however, there are communicants in your parish who have Celiac disease and can receive Communion only from the cup, they should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to receive from the cup despite potential health risks. "
3. "The faithful should be encouraged not to hold hands during the Our Father."

The Archbishop also asks that priests, deacons, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion wash their hands before and after Mass.

Live Mass at The Shrine of St. Anne, Waterbury

Each month, ORTV broadcasts a Mass in a different parish live for TXX. On May 3rd, we will be at St. Anne's Church, in Waterbury.

The Shrine of Saint Anne, in Waterbury, became a church in the 1880s after French-Canadians living in the city decided to open a parish of their own. Now, more than 600 families worship there. In 2006, Archbishop Henry Mansell declared the church a Shrine. This means the site is now marked for pilgrimage, where motherhood is honored.

Over the years, St. Anne's has gone through two fires, and it has had some major reconstruction work done. Its sanctuary was recently completed; brought back to its original gilded splendor, and slowly the church is being restored to its former glory.

The Office of Radio and Television, through the generosity and facilities of Counterpoint Communications, Inc., is honored to share with all of Connecticut this prayerful celebration of the fourth Sunday of Easter.

If you would like to attend, the address is 515 South Main St., Waterbury, CT. The Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., May 2, 2009.

Swine Flu Spreads

More than 150 students at St. Francis Catholic School are exhibiting symptoms of swine flu. The school in Queens, New York has been temporarily shut down, and workers are sanitizing the area. Public schools in the region will remain open. Eight of nine students at St. Francis tested positive for the potentially deadly virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About a dozen students recently had returned from Mexico, where the virus has killed dozens and sickened more than a thousand.

Health officials say the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States has jumped to 64. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Tuesday that the new count includes "a number of hospitalizations" but they did not say how many. CDC officials had said there had been just one person hospitalized.

There are 17 new cases in New York City, four more in Texas and three additional cases in California. That brings the total confirmed cases to 45 in New York City, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. Officials have now labelled swine flu a level 4 pandemic.

Homeland Security Head, Janet Napolitano issues a warning for those travelling to Mexico.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as more details come in.

WJMJ News Headlines

Mary Ann Glendon Turns Down Notre Dame Award
Swine Flu Closes Down Mexican Churches
Indian Bishops Fear New Extremism
Five New Saints
Prince Visits Pope
Mel Gibson Visits Bishops

WJMJ News Headlines

Swine Flu Infects Catholic School

The strain of swine flu believed to have killed 86 people in Mexico has infected at least eight students at a large Roman Catholic high school in Queens, New York.

About a dozen students of St. Francis Preparatory School brought the virus from Cancun where they had gone for Spring Break. Their cases are considered to be mild. The Acting Director for the Center for Disease Control, Dr. Richard Besser, says the outbreak may be here to stay.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a statement Sunday stating that many New York victims are recovering, but that the family members of the infected have been showing signs of the flu symptoms, suggesting that it may be spreading from person to person.

Other News Headlines:
Muslim Schools Cash in on Good Catholic Name
New York’s Archbishop Goes Public
Prince Charles Meets Pope
Vatican and Israel Step Up Negotiations

SB 899 Passes - Voter Reaction

SB 899, the same-sex marriage codification bill, has passed through both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but not without a strong amendment protecting religious freedom. The amendment allows church organizations to opt out of the requirements of the law, meaning priests will not have to wed gay couples, nor will organizations such as the Knights of Columbus have to rent their halls for that purpose. Archbishop Henry Mansell personally thanked Catholics across Connecticut, saying that constituent phone calls and emails to representatives resulted in the amendment. He spoke on WJMJ.






Governor Jodi Rell says she will sign the bill when it reaches her desk. It then goes into effect in October of 2010. Crossroads Magazine asked voters, senators and lobbyists what they thought of the law, and what it means for residents. Click here to hear the full story.

WJMJ News Headlines

Massachusetts Deacon Healed by Newman


A miracle in Massachusetts means Cardinal John Henry Newman is one step closer to sainthood. London’s Daily Telegraph reports Vatican consulters have approved a miraculous healing of a 69-year-old Marshfield, Massachusetts Catholic Deacon who was suffering from a severe disorder of the spine. The disease caused him to be “bent double.” After praying to Cardinal Newman, the deacon was healed. Pope Benedict XVI can now name Newman a Blessed. There is no word on when or where that will take place. Newman was an Anglican scholar who converted to Catholicism in the 19th century.

Other Headlines:

· Rhode Island Bishop on Gay Marriage
· NYC Archbishop Dolan on Gay Marriage
· NYC Archbishop Prays at Ground Zero
· Cardinal Rigali on Pregnant Women Legislation
· Women “Ordained” Bishops
· Pope Encyclical in June
· “Hand of God” on E-Bay

S.B. 899 Passes with Amendment to Protect Religious Freedom

Senate Bill 899, the codification of same-sex marriage in the state of Connecticut, passed through the Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday, after a 10-hour marathon of debate and compromise.

Democratic Senator Edith Prague spoke to us about what this bill really does for our radio newscast on WJMJ Radio.

The Bill as passed will allow same sex couples who are currently in a civil union to be automatically married as of October of 2010.

Lawmakers endorsed an amendment that allows religious organizations to opt out of the law's requirements, meaning that a group such as the Knights of Columbus would not be required to rent out its function halls for same-sex wedding receptions. Nor would a Catholic priest be obligated to preside over such a union.

The Hartford Courant published the full story on yesterday's vote.

One key problem opponents of this bill are still fighting against is the possibility of homosexuality being taught in schools. Supporters of the bill say this is not an issue, as there is no language in the bill specifically relating to teaching the lifestyle within school curricula.

Crossroads Magazine will have the entire story - including what voters think about the passage and the amendment - later this week.

Live Mass at St. Francis of Assisi in Naugatuck

The Office of Radio and Television offers a daily televised Mass on TXX at 10 a.m. Once a month, we're honored to take our television crew on the road to highlight a parish in Connecticut, and televise their Mass, live on location.

This month, we'll be at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Naugatuck, on Sunday, April 26.

There are 2,400 families that make up the St. Francis parish, which is the oldest Catholic Church in Naugatuck. It's located prominently in the center of town.

The origins of the parish date back to the late 1840s when Waterbury and Derby priests started celebrating Mass in private homes and in the Naugatuck Hotel. It soon moved to Water Street. This first small wooden church, named St. Anne, received mission status and was dedicated in 1860. Six years later, St. Anne mission was elevated to parish status, changing its name to St. Francis of Assisi. It later moved to Church Street, where it remains today.

If you'd like to attend, the parish is located at 318 Church Street. The Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 26.

SB 899, Gay Marriage in CT

The State Senate may vote tomorrow on SB 899, the same-sex marriage codeification bill. Archbishop Henry Mansell has asked all Catholics to write or call their representatives, claiming that religious freedom is now at risk.

Last week, the Family Institute of Connecticut staged a rally on the North Steps of the Capital building. 125 people showed up, in dreary weather, holding signs, and shouting slogans, all in opposition to this bill. The Family Institute is not connected with the Catholic Church.

Crossroads has been following this story closely. We covered the rally, and both sides of the debate last week.

The Hartford Courant covered the story yesterday, as a preview to tomorrow's possible vote.

We'll be there again tomorrow, and bring you another update as soon as we have new information.

If you don't want to wait that long, you can visit the Family Institute's website to contact your representatives.