St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation

While the Olympic medal presentations have been completed, many in the Archdiocese of Hartford are winning a different sort of medal… the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation. Archbishop Henry J. Mansell will present the Medal of Appreciation on Sunday, March 7th at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Since 2002, the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation has been given to parishioners from around the Archdiocese who exhibit distinguished and outstanding service to the Church. This year, Archbishop Henry J. Mansell will honor 208 people, the most St. Joseph Medal winners ever in one year.

Hartford Parishes Raise $1 Million for Haiti

Catholic parishioners of the Archdiocese of Hartford have so far donated more than $1,000,000 to Haitian earthquake relief. One hundred percent of the funds go to the relief efforts of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Archbishop Henry J. Mansell says, “I offer my profound gratitude to all the people who were moved by love and compassion to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti. The overwhelming sign of support and solidarity shows God’s grace among us. Please know that your support, coupled with donations from around the world, will be put to good use, as CRS continues to provide relief to Haiti.”

The $1,036,217 collected so far from 166 parishes, 5 schools, and individual contributions will assist Catholic Relief Services’ around-the-clock mission in Haiti. CRS has already provided food, medical care, and shelter to hundreds of thousands of people. CRS provided emergency shelter kits to help nearly 100,000 people living in refugee camps. They are in the process of distributing kits to help 20,000 more. CRS staff members are also investigating solutions to housing problems. CRS has already set up nine primary care centers in the earthquake-ravaged country. Doctors and medical professionals are performing hundreds of critical operations per week at St. Francois de Sales Hospital, a hospital that our donations are working to repair.
Catholic Relief Services is well-rooted in Haiti; they have been serving there for 55 years. The million dollars from the Archdiocese will add to the worldwide Catholic effort to help CRS in Haiti. The Archdiocese of Hartford expects the number of donations to increase as we hear from the remaining 47 parishes of our Archdiocese. Those who wish to donate should send a check marked clearly for Haitian Relief to: The Chancery, 134 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105.

The Archbishop reminds us: “While the earthquake is no longer making front-page headlines, the people of Haiti continue to suffer. They need our help now more than ever, to find solutions in the long term. That is what Catholic Relief Services does.”

National Prayer Breakfast

“Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to find our way back to civility.”

Those were the words of President Barack Obama as he started his day in prayer. He spoke this morning at the 58th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The president and first lady joined thousands of guests, including members of Congress and other government and religious leaders from around the world. Obama described himself as a man of faith, and asked his adversaries to take that into account.


“Now, I’m the first to confess," he said, "I’m not always right. Michelle can testify to that, but surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith... or my citizenship”

Other speakers included the Spanish Prime Minister who supports gay marriage and the easing of restrictions on abortion and divorce, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The National Prayer Breakfast is sponsored by a secretive Christian group known as the Fellowship, or the Family.

March for Life - Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into Washington D.C. to protest abortion for the annual March for Life. Office of Radio and Television reporter Jason Calvi is with a group from the Archdiocese of Hartford. Tonight there will be a special Mass, which, we're told, more than 10,000 people will attend. Tomorrow, a pro-life breakfast, another Mass, and then the march itself. WJMJ and Crossroads Magazine will be there live and bring you reports throughout the day.

Deacon Charles Dietsch to Speak on Experience in Haiti Earthquake

Deacon Chuck Dietsch of Sacred Heart Parish in Southbury has returned from Haiti after being rescued from the rubble when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the region.
He will speak about his experience in the quake and his mission in Haiti, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at his parish in Southbury at 10:00 a.m.
Deacon Chuck first visited Haiti in 2007 with other members of Sacred Heart Parish, a visit that eventually culminated in a decision to twin the parish with Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Parish in Gran Boulage, Haiti in October 2009.

Since then, Deacon Chuck has been serving with the Office of Haitian Ministries of the Diocese of Norwich to work with groups of Americans who came to Haiti through the Norwich Mission House for a cultural and spiritual immersion in Haiti.

He arrived for his mission there just days before the earthquake shook the country. He and Jillian Thorpe, also from Connecticut, were buried under the rubble for 10 hours before being rescued.

Deacon Chuck was taken to the American Embassy in Port-au-Prince and then flown to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic before being flown back to the United States. He is presently recuperating from his injuries at home.


WHO: Deacon Chuck Dietsch of Sacred Heart Parish
WHAT: Speaking on his experiences in Haiti, before, during and after the earthquake. Increasing awareness to the disaster there that still requires help and funds.
WHEN: Tomorrow, January, 19, 2010, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Sacred Heart Parish, 910 Main St. South, Southbury


Deacon Chuck will speak at 10 a.m. and take questions afterward.

CRS - Relief to Haiti

Archbishop Henry Mansell asks parishes to take up a donation to help Catholic Relief Services aid victims in Haiti.

Catholic Relief Services is readying food and other aid to help families affected by a powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. CRS has committed an initial $5 million (US) to help survivors of the devastating quake.

“This is a massive disaster,” says CRS’ Country Representative in Haiti, Karel Zelenka. “We should be prepared for thousands and thousands of dead and injured.” In a brief call on Tuesday night before phones went down, Zelenka described clouds of smoke surrounding Port-au-Prince and said, “I’ve experienced earthquakes before, but I never felt anything like this. This is a major hit. And it was direct.”

While the CRS office in Port-au-Prince is undamaged, a building directly across from it collapsed. CRS has approximately 340 staffers in Haiti, of which 120 are in Port-au-Prince. Many staffers slept outside on Tuesday night to avoid building collapses from aftershocks.

CRS has pre-positioned food, water storage containers, bedding and other supplies in warehouses in Haiti and nearby countries. “We have to find out if the warehouses in Haiti are damaged,” says Ken Polsky, Regional Representative for CRS Latin America. “We will also move supplies there from the Dominican Republic and Miami.”

“This is going to be devastating,” says Bill Canny, Director of Emergency Operations for CRS. “We know it's chaos in Port-au-Prince and help is needed immediately.”

“We're moving additional emergency staff in as quickly as possible,” continues Canny, who left for Haiti January 13.

CRS has worked in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, for over 50 years. The country is still rebuilding from the 2008 hurricanes that left the city of Gonaives buried in 3.2 million cubic yards of mud.

How to Help:
Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS or text RELIEF to 30644
Donate online: www.crs.org
Write a check: Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090
Memo portion of check: Haiti Earthquake


You can also donate locally by sending a check marked clearly for Haiti Relief Services to the Chancery at 134 Farmington Ave., Hartford, 06019

Or here to the Office of Radio and Television, at 15 Peach Orchard Rd., Prospect, CT, 06712