Bridgeport Diocese Sues the State

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport filed a federal lawsuit Friday afternoon against the state for seeking to have the church register as a lobbyist because it organized rallies against a bill to have independent boards oversee the churches finances.

Church officials are asking the court to issue an injunction against the Office of State Ethics' attempt to make the church register as a lobbyist.

"I believe the OSE's extension of the lobbying laws to these activities will interfere with the diocese's ability to mobilize its members and, if necessary, to urge them to rally at the Capitol," Bishop William Lori said.

The Hartford Courant has the whole story here.

In March, more than 4,000 Catholics gathered at the Capitol to protest a proposed bill to have lay councils oversee the finances of local parishes, relegating Catholic pastors and bishops to an advisory role.

Crossroads Magazine covered the event, and will bring you the video shortly.

American Exorcist Speaks

Every day he battles evil spirits. Now an American exorcist is telling his story. Religion News Service introduces its readers to Fr. Gary Thomas, the official exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose. In March, Fr. Thomas wrote bishops and seminary rectors, urging them to train more exorcists. He included copies of the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio. This work chronicles Fr. Thomas' three year journey from parish priest to “spiritual detective.” If you would rather wait to see the story on the big screen, RNS reports New Line Cinema has bought the rights to The Rite.

Connecticut Catholic Bishops Fight Death Penalty

Connecticut's House and Senate have voted to repeal capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without the possibility of release. This bill will soon go to Governor Jodi Rell, who has promised to veto the legislation. The six Catholic bishops of Connecticut have urged the Governor to reconsider her decision in this letter posted on the Catholic Conference of Connecticut's website. The Conference is asking you to urge the Governor to sign H.B. 6578.

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Pray for Peace Walk

Al Forte, of Norwalk, is a man taking his mission to the streets. Last summer he walked from Yankee Stadium to Wrigley Field in Chicago. Across the country, he encouraged people to pray for peace.

This year, he hopes you will join him as he walks a little closer to home. If you are interested in the Pray for Peace Walk this Sunday, check out Al's website. Time to lace up those shoes for a day of pounding the pavement and encouraging others to pray for peace. As Al says, "The more we pray for peace, the more peace there will be."

Motorcycle Run for Nursing Homes

The Home-to-Home Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to enhance the quality of life for residents in long-term care facilities. They provide social activities and volunteer programs for those living in nursing homes.

The Home-to-Home Foundation's fourth annual bike run will be held on May 30, 2009 at the Prospect VFW in Prospect, CT. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Prospect VFW, and the motorcycle ride starts at 10. A picnic will follow the ride at 1 p.m. with music, food, and a bouncer for the kids. Barbeque courtesy of Cafe 1650.

Riders- $20, Passengers- $10, Picnic only- $20, and kids under 10 years of age get in for free. Call (203) 591-9061 for further details.

Crossroads Magazine will be there, and will bring you full coverage of the event.

Ambulance to the Congo

A priest in Waterbury is gearing up to ship out goods and medical supplies to the Congo. It's part of an effort to help women there survive childbirth. The World Health Organization cites more than 30 thousand women dying in the Congo during birth every year. Many times they cannot get to a proper facility, and end up giving birth in their villages, without proper supplies. Many die of infection, still others die of routine complications of the birthing process.

When a family in Texas donated an old van to Father Honore Kombo of St. Peter and Paul Parish, he started fixing it up, and stacking it full of medical necessities. He plans to ship the van overseas to be used as a mobile clinic.

Before that can happen, Fr. Kombo needs more supplies and more money. Crossroads reporter Jason Calvi took a tour of the van, and heard the personal stories of several women denied proper care in the third world country. Click here to see the touching story.

If you would like to help Fr. Kombo in his mission, you can email him at HONOREKOMBO@YAHOO.COM

WJMJ Religious Headlines

Update on Friday's Top Story:
SNAP Requests Release of Bridgeport Documents

Bishops Praise Cali. Supreme Court For Affirming Gay Marriage Ban
Teaching Homosexuality to Kindergartners?
Faith Healing Vs. Chemo Update
Scientology Charged with Fraud
Vatican Urges Cooperation in China
13 Ordained in Newark

Ct. Supreme Court Rules on Sex Abuse Files

In a four to one decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that sealed documents from the Diocese of Bridgeport’s sexual abuse cases can be released to the public.

The New York Times and the Boston Globe have requested those documents be unsealed using the Freedom of Information Act.

The Diocese of Bridgeport has responded to the case here.

The Diocesian press release quotes the Supreme Court's dissenting opinion penned by Justice William Sullivan:“A person of ordinary intelligence and experience would have reason to question Judge Alander’s impartiality in the present case…”

The statement goes on to say, "Well after the legal time limit to challenge the initial sealing of documents, the secular press intervened, demanding access to the court files, including the sealed records. In a decision replete with anti-Catholic Church rhetoric, the trial judge actually invented an entirely new procedure to accommodate this after-the-fact request from the press."

Finally, the diocesian statement says, "Sadly, the history of this case has been about access by the secular media to internal Church documents of cases more than 30 years ago to suggest, unfairly, that nothing has changed. This is despite the extraordinary measures the Catholic Church has undertaken over the past several years to treat victims with great compassion and dignity, and to put in safeguards and educational programs to ensure that such a tragedy will not happen again."

The Court's majority opinion is here.
The Court's dissenting opinion is here.

Chastity with Jason Evert

Sex is everywhere these days, and many parents, Catholic and otherwise, are at a loss as to how to guide their children to make the right decisions as they begin to grow up in what's become a very different and more fast-paced world than ever before.

Jason Evert is a world-renowned speaker on teenage sex and chasity, and to help parents in their mission to educate their youngsters, Saint Paul High School in Bristol invited him to speak to hundreds of students there, in a school-wide assembly in March.

Getting Jason was no easy task. School leaders say they were on a two-year waiting list. The speaker is so effective, schools and organizations all over the country have him speak to their youth. Since he can't be everywhere at once, Jason has also written several books, like Pure Love and Romance Without Regret, and he has even made DVDs, to help children in their journey into adulthood.

With funny stories, lively anecdotes and a penchant for talking like a teenager himself, Jason Evert seems to really connect with the kids. He says he started by trying to talk women out of abortions, and his career took shape from there. He now talks to more than 100,000 students a year.

Click here to hear some of Jason's talk yourself, and see what all the fuss is about. If you'd like to see where Jason will be next, you can go to his website, http://www.chastity.com/

Golf Tournament for Vocations at Lyman Orchards

The Knights of Columbus is holding a golf tournament for vocations at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield on Monday, May 18, 2009. There will be a continental breakfast served at 7 a.m., the golfing starts at 8.

After the tournament, dinner will be served.

The cost is $128 per golfer, and that includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, use of the driving range, a golfer prize bag, a 6” Lyman Orchard’s apple pie, and a BBQ dinner with beer, wine and soda.

Non-golfers are invited to the dinner after the tournament for a donation of $73.

All proceeds will be donated to the Connecticut State Council’s Father Michael J. McGivney Vocations Fund.

Help and Hope Breakfast

The Catholic Charities is holding their annual Help & Hope Breakfast tomorrow morning at 7:30 at the Marriott Hartford Downtown.

All proceeds from the breakfast will go to basic human needs for children throughout Hartford, Litchfield & New Haven Counties.

Chris Dailey, Associate Head Coach UConn Women's Basketball will be the guest speaker and
Diane Smith of CPTV's "All Things Connecticut"will be the master of ceremonies.

House Votes to Abolish the Death Penalty

The Connecticut State House has voted to abolish the death penalty. After a five-hour-long debate the House voted 90-56 to punish capital crimes with life sentences without the possibility of release.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its chances for passage are considered questionable. If the Senate passes the bill, it is not likely to become law because Governor Jodi Rell continues to support capital punishment. The governor reiterated her position earlier this week. The winning margin in the House fell short of the 101 votes that would be needed to override a Rell veto.

Blue Mass

Changing the Death Penalty in Connecticut

Connecticut’s death penalty law is being reviewed, and may be changed as early as this week.

On Friday, the legislature’s judiciary committee discussed the state's death penalty law, to determine if it should be repaired, completely scrapped or left as is. The panel reviewed proposals by Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane that aim to address lengthy delays in implementing the death penalty law.

The committee voted 24-13 in March to advance a bill to abolish the death penalty, with supporters calling the existing law unworkable and expensive. At that time the committee had also asked Kane to come up with proposals for a more workable death penalty.

Kane's plan calls for streamlining the appeals process by implementing time limits and changing the practice of automatically delaying execution every time an appeal is filed.

Just one inmate has been executed in Connecticut in nearly 50 years - convicted killer Michael Ross in 2005. Ross was executed only after he requested it and he had to wage a legal fight to do so.

Alisha Leavelle has studied the death penalty laws in the state of Connecticut. Click here for the detailed story.

Crossroads Magazine will continue to bring you updates on the changing law.

Archbishop Blesses New School Rooms

In a gym auditorium, surrounded by students aged 5 to 13, Archbishop Henry Mansell spoke about the importance of spirituality in schools before blessing three new areas of Our Lady Of Mercy in Madison.

The school renovated it library, science room, and child growth center using donated funds. The rooms have been in use since December, and Dr. John Alfone, the school's principal, says they’re grateful to Archbishop Mansell for his kind words and blessing.

During the ceremony, the students, from kindergarten to eighth grade, sang hymns, read the gospel and even quoted Shakespeare.

Crossroads Magazine will have the full story next weekend, on TXX and MyTV9.

Two New Priests!

Two new priests are now celebrating the sacraments in Hartford. Archbishop Henry Mansell ordained the men at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on Saturday. They are the new Father Robert Morgewicz and Father Marcin Pluciennik.

Father Robert is from Milford. He attended public schools in New York. After college graduation, he worked for the Boy Scouts. He is now assigned to St. Brigid Parish in West Hartford.

Father Marcin is from Poland, but has lived in the United States for several years. He says meeting Pope John Paul the Second helped lead him to the priesthood. He is returning to Poland for a few months to complete additional studies. He will be assigned to St. Bridget Parish in Manchester.

Crossroads Magazine will introduce you to both men on our show this Saturday.

Two Deacons To Be Ordained Priests

After years of preparation and anticipation, Deacons Robert A. Morgewicz and Marcin P. Pluciennik will be ordained to the priesthood, on Saturday May 9th by Archbishop Henry J. Mansell at the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Crossroads Magazine will be there for the ceremony, and will bring it to you later in the week.

The Catholic Transcript has already previewed the event.

Best of luck to Deacons Morgewicz and Pluciennik.

Day of Prayer

Although the National Day of Prayer has been somewhat downplayed by the White House, Connecticut still has several events in which you can participate. If you were unable to attend any today, many events are taking place tomorrow as well.

To find events in your area, click here.

WJMJ News Headlines

Respected Priest Remembered



The Archdiocese of Hartford is remembering a retired priest today. Father Joseph Graziani passed away this weekend, at the age of 88. He was ordained in 1945 by Archbishop Henry O’Brien, serving at Saint Luke in Hartford, Saint Augustine in South Glastonbury and Saint Peter in Torrington until he retired in 1989.

A wake is being held Wednesday at Saint Peter’s Church in Torrington from 3 to 7, followed by a parish mass. The mass for Christian Burial will be Thursday morning at 10:30 at Saint Peter’s Church.

We extend our deepest sympathy and offer our prayers for Father Graziani’s family and his parish families.



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